Hiking in Andorra holiday, self guided

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This self-guided hiking tour in Andorra takes guests across the Pyrenees, from Arinsal to Encamp, through mountain villages, valleys, passes and alpine lakes. It is slow by its very nature, with guests walking between 9-22km per day through high-altitude landscapes, forests, lakes and historic trails.
With all of our tours, we encourage our guests to travel to and around Andorra using buses and trains whenever possible. Luggage transfers are provided from hotel to hotel, and private transfers are included only where outlined in the itinerary. On departure, guests can take a direct bus from Encamp to Barcelona Airport, while the walking routes themselves are completed on foot.



ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

This hiking tour takes guests through some of Andorra’s most distinctive mountain landscapes, including Sorteny Valley Natural Park, Incles Valley, Circ de Pessons, Lake Engolasters and Madriu Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The route also passes alpine lakes such as Juclar, Pessons and Engolasters, as well as pine forests, mountain passes, glacial cirques and high Pyrenean valleys.Sorteny Valley Natural Park is highlighted for its biodiverse landscapes, with nearly 300 species of flowers and shrubs, while Juclar Lake is described as a habitat for the Pyrenean newt, which is found in very pure waters.
We remind guests to practise Leave No Trace throughout their trip, especially when walking through natural parks, alpine lakes, forests, high mountain trails and UNESCO-listed landscapes.
With regards to drinking water, we ask guests to bring refillable water bottles as well as a reusable shopping bag to avoid single-use plastic during their trip. We also ask guests to take any packaging away with them and be mindful of not dropping litter.
We have an in-house expert, who shares tips and advice with our guests in trip notes, blogs and newsletters. For example, on how to reduce their impact on the environment and wildlife and respect the places and communities they pass through.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Accommodation on this tour is in three or four-star hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, good local food and connection to the area.
The itinerary takes guests through places such as Arinsal, El Serrat, Llorts, Ordino, Soldeu and Encamp, helping tourism spend reach local businesses, hosts and families in different mountain communities. Breakfast is included every day and dinner is included on three nights.
Guests are encouraged to buy lunches and snacks in local shops, pre-order packed lunches from their accommodation where needed, and stop at mountain huts such as Sorteny Hut, Juclar Mountain Hut and Llacs dels Pessons Mountain Hut where available.


EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

All of our partners in Andorra are locally employed and play an important role in contributing to the local economy. At home, we have a strict policy to pay all our own employees and team members a living wage and fair wage, with holiday entitlement. In the hiring process, we prioritise experience, qualifications and passion, emphasising that race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality are not factors of consideration. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace based on skills and expertise. We also endeavour to support any guests with visible and non-visible disabilities or any special requirements, when possible.