Picture this… lush mountain sides packed with trees of the most vibrant shades of green, reaching up into the bluest, clearest sky. Driving the winding roads through the Pyrenees Mountain Range. Catching sight of wild waterfalls, beautiful architecture, exposed rock faces of the mountains, and daily life in one of the world’s smallest countries.
Andorra is so small that until last summer, I didn’t know it even existed. Now, you might be wondering how I ended up visiting such a place. Well, it’s simple really.
I was browsing the map one day in Lagos (Portugal, not Africa) as I often do when traveling, and I happened upon Andorra.
My curiosity immediately piqued, I briefly looked it up and decided I had to investigate myself. Thus sparking my solo road trip, but that’s another story for another time.
After making the arrangements for my convertible Mini Cooper, I started looking for a place to stay in Andorra.
Like I said, this is one of the smallest countries in the world, so it wasn’t a hard decision to book the only 5-star hotel in said country. This was going to be my vacation from my trip, I had decided. Little did I know just how special it would end up being.
When I first arrived at Andorra Park Hotel, it was like the gift that kept on giving. My hotel room was absolutely spectacular.
From my balcony, I had an incredible view of the valley that the capital, Andorra la Vella, sits in. The pool is built around a natural spring with a small waterfall feeding into it.
The front desk staff were kind and helpful with any questions I had and even arranged for one of the bellboys to drive me to dinner in the hotel Mercedes.
As a cherry on top, the hotel is family owned and they keep their personal horses on property. Unfortunately, you can’t ride them or interact with them, but you can see them from certain places.
As I said, this was my vacation from my trip, so of course I had to experience their spa. To be brutally honest, I wasn’t super impressed. I received a facial, a massage, and a body treatment. I’ve received better treatments elsewhere and was disappointed with the quality given the prices. This aspect knocked the hotel slightly for me.
Anywho, enough about the hotel, back to Andorra herself. She may be tiny, but she is mighty and truly packs a punch when it comes to natural beauty. I asked the concierge for a hike recommendation and he pointed me to Tristaina Lakes. This hike was the highlight of the country for me.
After taking the cable car to the top, the trail is easy to find. What I wasn’t expecting to find were the free-ranging cows. As soon as you get close to the top of the lift, you start hearing the bells. They simply wander around, living their best lives, and I couldn’t be happier for them. I overheard a conversation that there was also a herd of free-ranging horses sometimes in the area. Instantly, I was on a mission.
The trail was pretty popular, with enough people around for me to feel completely safe hiking alone. The trail wasn’t super hard, but you definitely feel a bit of an elevation gain. After completing the first hump of the trail, you see the first of three lakes. I ended up befriending a man, Ricardo, who was also hiking alone. He was a high school teacher in Valencia. You’re able to swim in the lakes, so we took a little break at the biggest one and got in.
After our brief swim break, we were back in action. I caught a glimpse of creatures in the distance by what seemed to be the furthest lake. My ass kicked it into high gear and began trekking away. As we got closer, my heart began to dance. Ahead of me was the herd of free-ranging horses. Mares, foals, and a beautiful black stallion. They were draft horses, looked to be Belgians or perhaps Percherons. You best believe I was IN that herd. The horses were used to people being around, so some of them would let you pet them. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life.
When I had gotten my fill of the horses, Ricardo and I began the hike back. He had plans to attend to, but I wasn’t quite done with the nature yet.
So we parted ways and I took myself to a higher elevation. I sat on top of one of the mountains and observed the world around me.
Soaking in the beauty, peace, and freedom I was experiencing.
I danced with myself in the grass, picked flowers, and ate my Pringles. I watched the clouds and FaceTimed my dad to share the beauty with him.
Andorra is not a heavily visited place, and that makes it even more special. It’s not super expensive, and there’s so much beauty to explore. If you’re a nature lover looking for a slow-paced, beautiful destination, look no further. Consider Andorra as your next destination!