Hiking Tour in the Pyrenees – 7 Days of Nature and Scenery

Our excursion will begin in the outskirts of Barcelona, at the famous Montserrat – the Serrated Mountain. The site is home to an impressive Bendictine Church and monestary, where the Black Madonna can be viewed – Catalonia’s Patron Saint. A funicular train can be taken to the higher regions of the mountain, for a hike amongst the unique rock formations, while admiring the breath-taking view.

Later on we will carry on towards the town of Sort, where we will spend the night.

This day will be dedicated to one of the most famous national parks in the Pyrenees – the Aiguastortes National Park. Here one can find all of the typical characteristics of the Pyrenees, and above all – the water! Here there is an unbelievable abundance of it (the park´s name means ¨winding waters¨). Clear streams, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and glaciers. Water, glorious water! And as if that weren´t enough, the scenery is full of amazing nature, flora and fauna, and breathtaking views. The biological richness is astounding. One may find many types of alpine animals, and a variety of plant-life. This is a true paradise for any nature-lover.

After breakfast we will head out for a hike in Montrebei Gorge. It is the largest gorge in Catalonia and is an important wildlife sanctuary, in which many wild (some indigenous) birds and animals can be witnessed.

There is no road for the passage of vehicles neither are there any railroad tracks, nor power lines. The canyon´s walls can reach up to 500 meters in places where its width does not exceed 20 meters. There are various walking routes in the gorge at different levels of difficulty, which can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours.

After the tour of the gorge we will continue towards Val d’Aran, where we will spend the night. The valley is surrounded by immense mountain ranges which kept it isolated for hundrands of years, creating its unique language and culture.

Our day will begin heading towards the western side of the Aiguastortes National Park. This part of the park is scattered with doezens of glacial lakes, hiding amidst the snow-covered mountain peaks. The Colomers route is one of the park´s most beautiful, and leads to many of the hidden lakes in the park´s higher regions.

We will kick our day off crossing the border into France, passing through some of the mountain passes made famous by the Tour de France. We will pass through Pic du Midi, located at 2877 meters above sea level, overlooking the incredible Pyrenees peaks.

We will then arrive in one of the Pyrenees´ highlights – Cirque de Gavarnie – an enormous and incredibly beautiful Glacial Cirque, which is impossible not to be awe-stricken by, that was created by ages-long glacial retreats, carving it into a 900 meter-wide, 1500 meter-high natural amphitheater. Rushing down the cirque wall is the Gran Cascade – the tallest waterfall in Europe (500 meters), which can be reached walking. Another natural art piece in the area is Roland´s Breach – a natural gap created by the erosion of its Granite walls. Reaching this breach requires a two-day long trek.

The night will be spent in the area.

We will begin our day with a visit to the Betharram cave system. A 2.8 km walk will take the visitor into galleries carved by water in three levels into the bedrock of the mountain itself. At the upper level there are several chambers with spongy ceilings which connect to each other. At the ancient riverbed, which makes up the middle level, many sediment patterns can be seen. The lowest level is at water level and a boat can be taken into an artificial cave. The caves can be explored by foot, by boat, or by train.

We will then head towards Pont d’Espagne – a famous stone-built bridge spanning the Gave de Marcadau at the point where it meets the Gave de Gaube, near one of its sources in the French Pyrenees, and is a protected area. Many impressive and sonorous waterfalls can be found here, and Gaube Lake itself can be reached with a cable car. In the past this zone acted as a passageway and meeting point between French and Spanish merchants.

In the afternoon hours we will start making our way back to Spain, towards the village of Torla, where we will spend the night.

The first part of this day will be dedicated to Ordesa National Park, which  stretches from the border of France southwards, and is a hiking paradise. The park is one of the most important sited in the Pyrenees due to its many unique glacial cirques, canyons, and waterfalls, some of which are among the most beautiful in Europe. Thanks to its wild topography, a wide variety of flora and fauna can be found here, including vultures and mountain antelopes. The area is also known for its wild bears, though they are extremely rare and are hardly ever seen.

After finishing our hike we will start making our way back towards Barcelona.

Our excursion will begin in the outskirts of Barcelona, at the famous Montserrat – the Serrated Mountain. The site is home to an impressive Bendictine Church and monestary, where the Black Madonna can be viewed – Catalonia’s Patron Saint. A funicular train can be taken to the higher regions of the mountain, for a hike amongst the unique rock formations, while admiring the breath-taking view.

Later on we will carry on towards the town of Sort, where we will spend the night.

This day will be dedicated to one of the most famous national parks in the Pyrenees – the Aiguastortes National Park. Here one can find all of the typical characteristics of the Pyrenees, and above all – the water! Here there is an unbelievable abundance of it (the park´s name means ¨winding waters¨). Clear streams, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and glaciers. Water, glorious water! And as if that weren´t enough, the scenery is full of amazing nature, flora and fauna, and breathtaking views. The biological richness is astounding. One may find many types of alpine animals, and a variety of plant-life. This is a true paradise for any nature-lover.

After breakfast we will head out for a hike in Montrebei Gorge. It is the largest gorge in Catalonia and is an important wildlife sanctuary, in which many wild (some indigenous) birds and animals can be witnessed.

There is no road for the passage of vehicles neither are there any railroad tracks, nor power lines. The canyon´s walls can reach up to 500 meters in places where its width does not exceed 20 meters. There are various walking routes in the gorge at different levels of difficulty, which can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours.

After the tour of the gorge we will continue towards Val d’Aran, where we will spend the night. The valley is surrounded by immense mountain ranges which kept it isolated for hundrands of years, creating its unique language and culture.

Our day will begin heading towards the western side of the Aiguastortes National Park. This part of the park is scattered with doezens of glacial lakes, hiding amidst the snow-covered mountain peaks. The Colomers route is one of the park´s most beautiful, and leads to many of the hidden lakes in the park´s higher regions.

We will kick our day off crossing the border into France, passing through some of the mountain passes made famous by the Tour de France. We will pass through Pic du Midi, located at 2877 meters above sea level, overlooking the incredible Pyrenees peaks.

We will then arrive in one of the Pyrenees´ highlights – Cirque de Gavarnie – an enormous and incredibly beautiful Glacial Cirque, which is impossible not to be awe-stricken by, that was created by ages-long glacial retreats, carving it into a 900 meter-wide, 1500 meter-high natural amphitheater. Rushing down the cirque wall is the Gran Cascade – the tallest waterfall in Europe (500 meters), which can be reached walking. Another natural art piece in the area is Roland´s Breach – a natural gap created by the erosion of its Granite walls. Reaching this breach requires a two-day long trek.

The night will be spent in the area.

We will begin our day with a visit to the Betharram cave system. A 2.8 km walk will take the visitor into galleries carved by water in three levels into the bedrock of the mountain itself. At the upper level there are several chambers with spongy ceilings which connect to each other. At the ancient riverbed, which makes up the middle level, many sediment patterns can be seen. The lowest level is at water level and a boat can be taken into an artificial cave. The caves can be explored by foot, by boat, or by train.

We will then head towards Pont d’Espagne – a famous stone-built bridge spanning the Gave de Marcadau at the point where it meets the Gave de Gaube, near one of its sources in the French Pyrenees, and is a protected area. Many impressive and sonorous waterfalls can be found here, and Gaube Lake itself can be reached with a cable car. In the past this zone acted as a passageway and meeting point between French and Spanish merchants.

In the afternoon hours we will start making our way back to Spain, towards the village of Torla, where we will spend the night.

The first part of this day will be dedicated to Ordesa National Park, which  stretches from the border of France southwards, and is a hiking paradise. The park is one of the most important sited in the Pyrenees due to its many unique glacial cirques, canyons, and waterfalls, some of which are among the most beautiful in Europe. Thanks to its wild topography, a wide variety of flora and fauna can be found here, including vultures and mountain antelopes. The area is also known for its wild bears, though they are extremely rare and are hardly ever seen.

After finishing our hike we will start making our way back towards Barcelona.