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Table of Contents - Pyrenees Mountains[click the links below to see photographs of these places] |
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Page 1 - Introduction Welcome to our first featured journey. In this magnificent adventure we intend to share with you, our photographed experiences from our trip through the Pyrenees mountains. The Pyrenees mountains stretch out from the Mediterranean sea to the Atlantic Ocean, along the border of Spain and France. We started out our journey in Barcelona. From there we traveled north along the Mediterranean coast till we reached the Pyrenees mountains. Page 2 - The road to Puigcedra Since you can not point out the place where the Pyrenees begin we will share with you our experiences starting form the town of Puigcedra (Spain). On the way to Puigcedra we encountered an interesting village located on a massive cliff. Page 3 - The road to Puigcedra Some interesting rock formations that we encountered by the side of the road. Page 4 - Puigcedra At night we arrived at the town of Puigcedra. We did not find anything of
special interest in this town but we will use it as a reference point.
Page 5 - Grotte de Niaux From Puigcedra we drove in the direction of Andorra. On the way we slightly deviated from our path in order to visit the Grotte de Niaux cave, which is located on the French side of the border. If you are interested in going directly to Andorra and skipping the cave it is better that you drive on route N260 - it's an interesting green road. If you would like to visit the cave you should take route N20 (E9). In the cave you will find a collection of very rare and amazing paintings of animals drawn 14,000 years ago by its prehistoric residents. No doubt that the small deviation is worth it. A tree that looks like it doesn't belong amongst the wild Pyrenees scenery. Page 6 - Grotte de Niaux The visit to the cave is a very unique experience! It is important to point out that you can visit the cave only as part of a group accompanied by a local guide. You should make reservations in advance (the number of daily tours is limited to prevent damage to the cave). Note that only one tour a day is in the English language (all other are in French). The telephone number for making reservations is 0561058837. Visiting the cave is not free of charge, of course. The tour is about one hour long and you should take (very) warm clothes with you since it is very cold inside the cave. Photographing in the cave is prohibited, sorry. Page 7 - Andorra From the cave we continued to the state of Andorra. Following the only major road in Andorra we reached it's capital, Andorra La Vella. The only reason to stop in this tiny country is the simple fact that they charge no sales tax on all purchases made there. So if you are interested in buying a small home appliance, a camera, or the latest electronic gadget this is definitely the place. You should take into account that the shops close at 7pm. The main shopping area is concentrated in the capital city, Andorra La Vella. The city is constructed mostly of one long shopping street which is usually jammed with cars and crowded with tourists. You can find there shops specializing in cosmetics, clothes, electronics, liqueurs, photo equipment, and gifts of course. The gift shops and clothes shops are expensive as in any other place and are not worth the bother. You should try and park your car on the city's edge and not enter the traffic jams in its center. We wouldn't recommend staying the night in the city since it seems overcrowded with tourists. Note that you may encounter a customs inspection when you leave Andorra's territory. Page 8 - La Seu d'Urgell After spending the day in Andorra, we stayed the night in the town of La Seu d'Urgell (in Spain), about 20Km south of Andorra. We got there through route N145. Page 9 - From La Seu d'Urgell to Espot From La Seu d'Urgell we traveled in the direction of Espot. We chose a slightly longer route to get there but we think it was worth it. Page 10 - From La Seu d'Urgell to Espot We drove through beautiful countryside and amazing roadside scenery. We left route N60 (C1313) and turned east towards route L511. From there we continued on C1412 and when it ended we took the N60 road in the north direction till Espot. On the way we encountered a small obstacle: Page 11 - Espot, Agues Tortes Espot is a small Pyrenees town on the border of the Agues Tortes national park. This national park is a "must see" for all who are fond of nature treks and beautiful scenery. We recommend staying in Espot and entering the National Park the following morning. Page 12 - Espot, Agues Tortes From Espot you need to take a taxi service (which leaves every few minutes in the mornings) till the park. The more money you'll pay the taxi will take you deeper into the park. There are many walking paths through the park with various difficulty levels. The taxi will take you to the location you choose and leave you there. It is up to you to get back, by foot, to the pick up station at the base of the mountain, where a taxi will be waiting to take you back to Espot. Page 13 - Espot, Agues Tortes The taxis are actually off road vehicles and it is impossible to get there by private car. We asked to be dropped off at the most remote location the taxis get to. The taxi ride is something to remember. It is not recommended for pregnant women, or for people who get nausea easily. Also, you shouldn't eat too much at breakfast. The drivers do not speak English so it is essential to verify all the details at the taxi station before leaving Espot. Remember, it is a speedy and very bumpy ride. Our ride took about an hour. Page 14 - Espot, Agues Tortes Relative to other parks that we visited on this trip, this park is unspoiled by tourist and is not too crowded. You can actually feel the nature around you. It's quiet except for the singing of birds and the scenery is amazing. If you plan to try the more isolated tracks you should take a map of the park (you can buy a map in Espot), but for the mainstream tracks you can do without one. We found our way using the park's signs and by asking other travelers on the way. Take warm clothes with you, especially if you intend to start at the top of the mountain. The wind up there is quite fierce and it winds down as you climb down the mountain. Don't miss this park! You can get to several waterfalls, lakes, and flower beds by taking different paths throughout the park. The whole trip from mountain top to taxi pick up point took us about 4 hours of not so fast walking. Page 15 - Espot, Agues Tortes This is the only park were we couldn't find a restaurant along the way to have lunch so you should bring your own food (and water of course). Nevertheless, we stopped at a mountain shelter, located near the mountain's top. We had there a cup of much needed hot cocoa. The shelter also offers very basic sleeping accommodations for young people only. Not recommended. Page 16 - Espot, Agues Tortes Peace and quiet - Agues Tortes style. Page 17 - Espot, Agues Tortes And some more snapshots.... Page 18 - Espot, Agues Tortes A sign posted in the park, details the time it takes for various objects to decompose. Amazing discovery: it takes 500 years for gum to decompose (almost as bad as nuclear waste). At the entrance to the park thrash bags are handed out to the visitors, please use them and keep the park clean. Page 19 - Espot, Agues Tortes At the end of our trip we met some lovely horses roaming freely. They seemed friendly enough. Page 20 - Vielha From the town of Espot we continued to the town of Vielha taking route C142, a recommended green road. On the way we passed some beautiful scenery and a lake with some ducks that were not bothered of the cold weather outside. Page 21 - Vielha In Vielha we stayed at hotel Toca that mainly serves as a lunching base for skiers. We got there during low season, so the room prices were lower but the service remained high as usual with a nice and cozy four star hotel. Ask for a back room with a view of the mountain. At summer they have a nice swimming pool, and at winter you can play pool (billiard). The town itself has nothing unusual to offer, a small little town. We stopped there just for the night. Page 22 - The road to Torla From Vielha we continued to Graus, taking route N230 south, through a tunnel, and then west to route N260. The route takes a turn to the south and then its name changes to A139, then south till Graus. The road was beautiful and peaceful: scenery, flowers, and butterflies everywhere. No need to enter Graus. The emphasis was on the route taken and not on the towns themselves (the goal was to reach Torla by evening). Page 23 - The road to Torla From Graus we traveled to El-Grado, using route N123, and then immediately to the west to route A2211. Again, there is no cause to stop in this town. From El-Grado, we drove to Ainsa, using route A138. We recommend on stopping to view the impressive dam on the way. Page 24 - The road to Torla We entered the town on Ainsa, but found nothing of particular interest there. We continued on. From Ainsa we drove to Torla, using route N260. Page 25 - The road to Torla The remaining road to Torla was decorated with interesting, twisted rock formations. Page 26 - Torla, Ordesa National Park Torla is a nice little town that is positioned as a base for trips to the Ordesa National Park which is warmly recommended. If you plan on visiting the park, you'd better sleep in Torla, and enter the park the following morning. The town is very small, with only a few very basic shops and restaurants. Page 28 - Torla, Ordesa National Park To enter the park you need to take a special bus from Torla that will take you into the Ordesa park (Private cars are not allowed in the park). The bus climbs for about 15 minutes, till the park. It's an easy and pleasant ride. Page 29 - Torla, Ordesa National Park At the entrance to the park you will find a gift shop and a coffee house. There is a large choice of routes through the park. At the park's entrance you will receive a small map that will help you find your way through the park. We choose a path about three hours long. Page 30 - Torla, Ordesa National Park We passed some waterfalls and traveled through an impressive forest. The park itself is very nice (Agues Tortes was nicer), but we almost couldn't see any open scenery (because of the dense vegetation throughout the park). The walk was quite easy and suitable also for the young and for the elderly. Page 31 - The French Pyrenees From Torla we drove towards the French border with the intention of reaching the town Cauterets. Page 32 - The French Pyrenees We took route N260, and then north to N260, N260 turns into A136 at some point - this road took us past the border and into France. The road turns into D934, still north bound and then east to the curved road D918. Page 33 - The French Pyrenees This road (D918) passes through the French Pyrenees mountains, through some magnificent mountain passages. Page 34 - The French Pyrenees At the top of the mountain passage you will find one or two modest restaurants, and breath taking view. You should drive carefully and keep your eyes on the road. Page 35 - The French Pyrenees Note that this road (D918) might be closed during the snow season. From there we took road D921 south, and then D920 till the town of Cauterets. We stopped by the side of the road just a few kilometers before Cauterets and had a well deserved meal near a small waterfall. Page 36 - Cauterets Cauterets is a French ski resort that acts as a perfect launching base for trips in the French Pyrenees. The town itself is likable. It has a good variety of quite expensive stores, an ice-skating center, bakeries, restaurants, etc. All in all, there is nothing to see there, but it's a good place to stay and dine. The town is filled with hotels of all sizes. It's better to get there in the afternoon, before dark, and choose a nice hotel aligned with your budged. You can get a list of all the hotels at the local tourist office. We stayed at a beautiful homely hotel, with a charming landlady that spoke only French. The rooms at the hotel are decorated in blue or pink pastel colors: curtains, flowers, wallpaper - everything is very adorable. We stayed there four nights. It's a very sweet hotel, and not at all expensive. The hotel is named: Lion D'Or, Tel. 0562925287, Fax. 0562920367. Page 37 - Grottes de Betharram As we said before, Cauterets is a good staring point for trips in the area. A special place to visit (especially on a rainy day) is the magnificent cave Grottes de Betharram. It's a vast cave, which holds a large display of amazing rock formations created by water over the centuries. The tour of the cave takes about one hour to one hour and a half. The explanations are given in four languages: Spanish, German, English, and French. You are allowed to take pictures inside (use ISO 800 film and a good flash). Inside the cave it is very cold of course, and you should be equipped with at least a warm coat. To get there: from Cauterets take D920 north till it meets D921 north, which will connect to N21 north. Now pass the town of Lourdes, which we will discuss shortly. From Lourdes take D937 westwards, till you see road signs directing you to leave the main road in the direction of the cave. There is no need to reserve a place in advance, but there is a chance that you will be required to wait till the next tour starts. It might be a good idea to find out in advance at which hour a tour begins. The tour includes a short boat trip inside the cave and an underground train ride. Great experience! Page 38 - Lourdes We did not find Lourdes very interesting, but if you are interested in a restaurant or in shopping you can most surely find it in Lourdes, thought it might be quite expensive. Lourdes is a Christian religious center; it has a big church with a long history to it. It is also a center of pilgrimage, and the streets of Lourdes are filled with religious gift shops. In Lourdes we visited Le Petit Lourdes - the miniature city. If you have children or are especially fond of history this place might interest you. The place houses a miniature reconstruction of the old town of Lourdes. It has a water-mill, bridges, city walls, old buildings, and a castle. It's nice but not spectacular. It should take about half an hour. Page 39 - Tres Nature Zoo Another interesting place in the area is a Pyrenees Zoo called "Tres Nature", located near Argeles-gazost. If you like animals or have kids we recommend you visit the Zoo. It is small and should take about one hour and a half to visit. Page 40 - Tres Nature Zoo The entrance to the park takes you through several rooms of rare stuffed animals. You can take a portable audio guide with you as you go through the stuffed animal displays. After you pass the stuffed animals you step outside to see the groundhogs, rain dears, antelopes, and other animals that habit in the area. Page 41 - Cirque de Gavarnie Cirque de Gavarnie is a must see location for the trips and scenery fans. Page 42 - Cirque de Gavarnie To get there, take road D920 north from Cauterets and then D921 south till the village of Gavarnie. Cross the village, and park your car at the edge of the village. The rest of the journey to the crater must be done by foot. Page 43 - Cirque de Gavarnie On the way you will see waterfalls, white mountain tops, and breath taking scenery. At the highest point in front of the crater (1570m) there is a nice restaurant. We sat there and ate a much-needed lunch to help us recuperate from the walking and cold weather outside. You can also take a walking path and continue up to the crater itself. The crater is relatively crammed with tourists but it is definitely worth it. We spent there three to four hours. Page 44 - Cirque de Troumouse In the crater's near vicinity there is another crater named Cirque de Troumouse (see the road signs). It's a less impressive crater but the road taking you up to the crater is superb. Page 45 - Cirque de Troumouse This crater is also less visited by tourists, which is a plus. The road leading to the crater is a small and twisted toll road. During our visit the road was free of charge, but it probably has something to do with our timing. Page 46 - Pont d'Espange Another location for enjoying magnificent scenery and forest walks is Pont d'Espange. It is located slightly south of Cauterets on D920 south. Page 47 - Pont d'Espange At the park's information office you can get a map of the area. Using it you can choose which path to take in this large nature park. We had to route some cow traffic in order to get through to our destination. Page 48 - Pont d'Espange A funicular network is spread throughout the park, and you can use it to get to different locations within the park faster. Page 49 - Pont d'Espange We took the first funicular up and wandered around the Makadu valley for a while. Then we took another funicular in the direction of the Gauloe lake. There we traveled on foot till the lake. Page 50 - Pont d'Espange Near the lake we found a nice restaurant with great food, we stopped for a good lunch and some rest. Take into consideration about 3 - 4 hours for an enjoyable excursion. Page 51 - Tarbes Tarbes is the largest city in the area and it is located north of Lourdes. We did not find anything of interest there. The only thing that we found there is a few (expensive) shopping boulevards. The mushroom pictures are not related to Tarbes. Page 52 - Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo In the same area as the Grottes de Betharram cave we located an amazing little zoo. If you travel with kids or you like animals, then we highly recommend visiting this zoo. To get there, drive west from Lourdes on D937, till the town of Nay. Continue for about 6 km and you'll get to the Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo. Page 53 - Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo The kangaroo habitants of this zoo roam freely throughout the grounds. You can also see peacocks, and other animals running about freely. You can buy peanut bags at the entrance and use it to feed most animals in the zoo. That is really fun and unique since most zoos do not allow you to feed the animals. Page 54 - Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo Most of the animals in the zoo are in cages or behind fences like in any zoo, but for some animals you have the possibility to actually walk through their cage. Page 55 - Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo It is best to come in the middle of the week when you'll have the whole zoo for yourselves and not on crowded weekends. That way you will get the undisturbed attention of the kangaroos. Page 56 - Parc Aux Kangourous - Zoo Dwasson zoo The zoo itself is not very large and an hour and a half is quite sufficient to see most of it. Great experience, highly recommended. Page 57 - The end This ends our journey through the Pyrenees mountains. From here we drove south into Spain, to Zaragoza, and then to Madrid. If you have more time we recommend on continuing west till the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Art lovers should stop in Bilbao and visit the Guggenheim museum which hosts an impressive art collection. You can then continue to Picos De Europa, which is an impressive Spanish national park. | |
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