Days In A Small Country: Exploring Andorra
Andorra is the world’s 16th smallest country by area, and the 11th smallest by population, with only just over 75,000 residents in the whole principality. Such is the mountainous terrain of its 180 square miles that while only 1.7% of its surface is arable, there are 350 kilometres worth of ski runs. No prizes for guessing what is the biggest contributor to Andorra’s GDP then.
One of the reasons we were looking forward to Andorra is that we don’t know much about it. OK, so we know that it’s one of Europe’s smallest countries, that it’s a mountain country high up in the Pyrenees with plenty of winter ski resorts, we know it’s the only country in the world which has Catalan as its mother tongue. But what will it really be like?
Will it be half French, half Spanish? Is it true that its tax haven status means that certain luxury goods are cheaper? How will it feel to be in a tiny country which has the euro as its currency, isn’t in the EU and yet is landlocked by it? And a country from which news stories are so rare that we don’t even know its political leaning?
So we enter this little piece of largely unknown territory after a train back to Barcelona followed by a 3-hour bus journey through ever more spectacular scenery – the deeper we get into the Pyrenees the more excited we become. Everything is dramatic as well as beautiful.
The Andorra police board the bus for passport checks and we’re through, into the capital city of Andorra La Vella, Europe’s highest capital city, which fills the bottom of the steep Y-shaped gorge which for all intents and purposes constitutes the whole extent of the country. Over the days of our stay here, we rarely stop marvelling at Andorra: it’s not quite like anywhere else, really.
Here is a place bursting with floral displays, flower tubs and hanging baskets, where bridges have trailing plants which dangle over the river. A place where there is obviously wealth and investment, brand new sparkling buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with the older mountain dwellings and an ancient parliament building. A place where the spa which uses water from natural springs looks like a half-size version of London’s Shard, where the mountain rivers have been directed through town not in a way to conceal them but rather to make them a feature of Andorra’s splendour.
In fact, just about everything has been made attractive – modern art sculptures decorate the streets and even the road bridges have been designed as pieces of art. New buildings are often large but tend to be stylish and modern; soaring like glazed pinnacles towards the sky, older places have been tastefully renovated, some of the newer buildings are finished in the same natural stone as their older neighbours, done so well that it’s hard to tell which is which. And everything – everything – is immaculately clean.
All this is squeezed into the narrow valley between the colossal mountains: Andorra La Vella is a long and thin town snaking along the route of the river, meaning that wherever we stand, the high peaks of the Pyrenees are visible way above us. And this is just the town itself – the country’s villages sit tantalisingly on mountain ledges hundreds of metres above the capital, again visible from everywhere. Andorra, despite its tiny size, just cries out to be fully explored.
So, what about the shops of the capital. Is it a haven for cheap quality goods? Well, the number of high end perfume shops per square mile is ridiculous – walking down the main street is a bit like strolling through the World’s largest airport duty free. The streets smell of Chanel and Armani. As for electronic goods, reputed to be at low cost here…well, Michaela has replaced her kaput camera with an upgraded model which, together with new camera case and super fast memory card, comes in at around £100 cheaper than the best deal she could find on line. It’s almost worth coming out to Andorra just to upgrade your gadgets.
We don’t think we’d describe Andorra La Vella as quaint or charming, nor as spectacular exactly, but there’s something about it which leaves you feeling that somebody somewhere really knows what they are doing and is making a bloody good job of it. And they obviously haven’t stopped yet: tower cranes are everywhere in Andorra, there is some serious development in progress here.
Following the river on foot upstream to the neighbouring village of Escaldes-Engordany, we stumble on a roadside spring which spurts out its waters at a whacking 70 degrees. We know this because there’s a sign that tells us, of course there is, Andorra is that kind of place: efficient, businesslike, nothing left to chance.
In keeping with such things, the bus service is impeccable: prompt, punctual, clean. We take the L2 bus (on time, no dramas) to Encamp, the bottom end of the very lengthy cable car ride to a Grandvalira ski resort, 2,448 metres up the mountain. These things must be absolutely rammed in ski season, but today it’s a serene ride up to the top, where the views are stupendous, not just across the mountains but above the clouds too. At the top, the sizeable restaurants with panoramic views give some indication of the huge numbers of visitors which must be here in ski season. Today there’s less than twenty of us.
A second journey out on the bus brings us to Ordino, a picturesque mountain village – even up here everything is immaculate, street cleaners busy keeping up the gleam and even clearing away the dead heads from the hundreds of hanging baskets. It’s noticeably colder in the higher villages, and with feathery mountain rain intermittently drifting through the streets carried by a chill wind, it feels markedly different from everywhere else so far on this journey.
It’s a wonder the Andorra Government hasn’t found way to regulate such mundane things as the weather, such is the level of straight line efficiency here. We can only imagine the apoplexy if the winter snows don’t come.
Back down in Andorra La Vella, the big Shard-like spa centre is just too tempting and we spend our final afternoon in the country moving from pool to pool in this sizeable complex. Our bodies are pummelled by every type of water jet imaginable, everything from giant jacuzzis to “bubble beds”, and turbulent pools with underwater jets capable of giving a hydrotherapy massage like no other, to parts of the body which have never before received such treatment.
How about wallowing in a pool filled with floating lemons? Or being surrounded by floating grapefruit? An Aztec pool with smooth round pebbles instead of tiled flooring? Going straight from 37 degree water into the harsh chill of 14 degrees in the neighbouring pool is probably the most testing, the body reacts in strange ways to such things, we discover. It’s a fun afternoon which ends with several of our more obscure muscles complaining about what we’ve just put them through – you know, things that hurt when you sit still. Or stand up. Or move.
Last word in Andorra goes to the words. The official language may be Catalan but conversation is a real mishmash of all three tongues – you never know whether you’ll get a “mucho gracias” or a “merci beaucoup” when you pay your bill. It obviously helps because just about everyone seems to be able to switch effortlessly between all three – and then throw in English for good measure. Nothing is difficult here, apart from perhaps prising a smile out of the people, who seem to be only slightly less aloof than the furniture.
And so we move on from Andorra and back into Spain, not quite knowing whether we loved it or whether it was just a little too….perfect, if that makes sense.
The mountains are behind us for a while now, the next stage of the journey awaits. We don’t expect the scent of Chanel and Armani will greet us at our next destination.
33 Comments
Monkey's Tale
Interesting, I really knew nothing about Andorra. Sounds like it’s worth a stop, but not a special trip. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Errr, yes. The Pyrenees are of course beautiful, but yes, after our months in Asia it took only a couple of days for Andorra to feel a little too….straightforward, perhaps. Clinical, even. Mind you, you guys would probably find, and tackle, a rigorous mountain trail which scaled every peak in Andorra!
Monkey's Tale
🤣🤣
Heyjude
My first impression is that it looks a lot like Switzerland, probably as efficient too. I wonder if staying there and eating out is as expensive.
Phil & Michaela
Well, Jude, we said the same, there are definite similarities with both Switzerland and Austria, but possibly with less quaint original architecture than either of those. As for cost, not even on the same planet as Switzerland, it is generally speaking cheaper than England to eat and drink out.
Heyjude
Well that’s good to know. I had my most expensive salad in Geneva.
Steven and Annie Berger
We loved driving around the beautiful countryside and hearing the cowbells. So serene. And the cheaper gas was a bonus!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Thanks for this piece about Andorra. I’ve been all around it but never there. As another commenter noted, it seems like Switzerland.
Phil & Michaela
Yes, there are definitely similarities.
Andrew Petcher
I once set out to drive to Andorra whilst on holiday in Catalonia but it was taking so long and the roads were so difficult abandoned it after an hour or so. I imagine it to be rather like Liechtenstein. A pointless destination.
Phil & Michaela
Well, I wouldn’t say pointless exactly….the scenery is fabulous and the Pyrenees beautiful. But, as I’ve said to others, it’s all a little bit too perfect…clinical almost. After several months in Asia, it lacked a bit of…errr…interest.
Andrew Petcher
Rather like Liechtenstein! The most pointless place that I have ever visited.
Phil & Michaela
I’ll add it to my list 😂
Toonsarah
How fascinating! All I knew about Andorra was that it’s small and mountainous, which your photos certainly confirm. Oh, and I was vaguely aware of the low tax thing too – fantastic that Michaela has been able to replace her camera 🙂 But now I know so much more – the efficiency, the cleanliness, the intriguing mix of old and sparkling new buildings, the plethora of sculptures, the beautiful views from the cable car. You almost tempt me to visit, and the I wonder if I’m not happier in places that have more casualness, more scruffiness?? And yet, that spa, those views … I could be tempted after all!
Phil & Michaela
Yes. It’s got quite a bit going for it, yet it lacks a certain something. I guess after Asia and other places it’s just a bit….well, predictable.
leightontravels
Well… I’m left feeling like Andorra la Vella is a really curious place. And I tend to like such places. Some really unusual architecture, I LOVE the street art and the mountainous backdrop can only be good. Thanks for showing us around, I think if the stars ever aligned we would definitely pay a visit.
Phil & Michaela
Well, it certainly is in beautiful mountain scenery, but with a few days passed since we moved on, I would say that compared to some places we’ve beefed it just lacks a bit of excitement. I guess that, to independent travellers with a taste for adventure, it’s not particularly exciting to be somewhere where everything goes smoothly!
Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle
So cool learning about Andorra through your eyes. I knew even less about Andorra than you did at the start of this article 🙂 Thanks for sharing! If only I could take a road trip to another country from Jamaica, ha!
Phil & Michaela
Well strictly speaking we can’t drive anywhere directly from the UK either, well not without taking the car on a ferry or a train 😄. But then you have lots to keep you happy in Jamaica!
WanderingCanadians
For such a small country, Andorra has an interesting vibe. The scenery looks stunning. How lovely to treat yourself at the spa.
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Oh, yes, we could spend a few days just chilling out in Andorra! What a beautiful country that I knew absolutely nothing about until I read your insightful post! Thank you for the lesson and for sharing your gorgeous photos.
ourcrossings
Great post and so many beautiful photos. It’s amazing how though small in size, Andorra packs a decent punch and still has a lot to offer visitors. Andorra is worth visiting because the picturesque views of the Pyrenees mountains will take your breath away not to mention that the atmosphere is just calmer. You don’t feel pressure to cram and rush to see everything in one day unless you want to. It genuinely feels like you can really take your time and let each moment sink in. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Phil & Michaela
Thank you guys….yes, just lacks a bit of…well… excitement
grandmisadventures
Andorra is one of those places that I’ve heard of but knew nothing of so what a delight to tour around with you. I love that it is a rather tucked away place and a combination of all the neighbors. And Caldea looks amazing to relax in. I think I could go for a citrus bath with lemons and grapefruit 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Yeah that was a different kind of experience
wetanddustyroads
I didn’t know much about Andorra either … but thanks to you, I could now get a glimpse (and you’re right, you can hardly compare it to any other place). I’m not crazy about the modern buildings, but nature is beautiful (the views from the cable car are stunning). So, Andorra is not only a place to get your gadgets cheaper, but also to splash between lemons and grapefruit.
Phil & Michaela
Ha ha yes if you want to! Spectacular place though very mixed, and the people seem very detached and serious. Always good to visit different places though.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
You don’t hear much about this place. Very little. Looks worthwhile for a short visit.
Phil & Michaela
Bit of a mixed bag but worth it for the scenery
Lookoom
I remember making a side trip to Andorra on a road trip through the French Pyrenees. I hadn’t come to buy anything, so the town’s obsessive mercantile side rather annoyed me. Then I drove up to the villages, with their tall, square bell towers, and there I found another country, much more endearing.
Phil & Michaela
Similar experience to us then, really. Mixed feelings about it but glad to have been.
Danik
This post brought back wonderful memories. I love Andorra for hiking and done the country three times. Can’t wait to head back to the region soon. Loving your photography of the mountains here. However personal note for me, I am not a fan of the capital. Not a big fan of shopping. I blame the wife for that one. 😀
Phil & Michaela
Well I’m completely with you on the shopping thing! And yes we were unconvinced by the capital too. It had its good points but the mountain scenery wins hands down. Thank you so much for your comment and compliments.