Hello! We are traveling with our two teenage boys in late June and would like some suggestions on a driving route to take from San Sebastian to Barcelona through the Spanish and possibly French Pyrenees. We have 5 nights / 6 days to make our way there by car. We would love to go to destinations that might have lots outdoor adventures and unique experiences. We would love to do try things like hiking, via ferrata, mountain biking, river rafting or a unique overnight stay somewhere. Towns you would suggest to stay in? Thank you!
Posted by
Paris
7294 posts
On the Spanish side (it would be faster to stay on that side, in my opinion), Alquezar (in the foothills) would be quite interesting, with some very unique canyon hikes (including some where you have to get wet!). For more conventional hiking, Ordesa national park would be excellent too!
Closer to Barcelona, and a bit out of the way, you have the Vall de Núria, accessed by rack railway, which is quite unique.
If you do want to cross into France, the cirque de Gavarnie and the area around Pont d'Espagne provide some excellent hiking. Cauterets is a good base for the area.
This list is by no means exhaustive.
Posted by
1229 posts
Second Alquezar. If you Google search "Wild swimming" you will find some fun places. Here's a link I just found. Number 1, 8, 9, and 10 are in the Spanish pyrenees (can you tell I have a teenage boy and did this search when we went ;) ? Alquezar is #8:
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/wild-swims-spain-red-bull
I didnt cross over to the French side, so no ideas for that. There's a lot of climbing around Barcelona, and some in the Pyrenees, but it will be hot in June for that. Riglos has climbing, and right near it is a river for rafting and Im seeing a company called Guru river rafting and adventure. But I see other rafting companies northeast of Huesca too (the former are northwest).
Posted by
Paris, France
15 posts
Ainsa is something of a mecca for mountain biking, but it will be quite hot. Second the suggestion for Ordessa national park, it was spectacular.
Posted by
480 posts
Ainsa and Ripol both had several rafting kayak and canyoneering outfitters. Broto, Torla, Benasque Boi, Bielsa all give access to jaw dropping mountain scenery/hiking. Hwy260 contours along the base of the Pyrenees..great drive. In France Areau, Luz Saint Sauveur are good gateways to beautiful peaks.
Brad
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
On the Catalan side of the Pyrenees there are plenty of quaint villages and other POIs one can visit, a small selection:
Rupit
Ribes de Freser
Queralbs
Camprodon
Vielha
Aigüestortes i Estany de Saint Maurici National Park
Vall de Boí
Vall de Núria
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
3069 posts
Hi Laura,
Just adding some more suggestions for when you pass thru "my side of the Pyrenees", that is, the Catalan Pyrenees :))
- Congost de Mont Rebei
- Parc Nacional d'Aigüestores i Estany de Sant Maurici
- Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí
- Molló Parc, the animal park of the Pyrennes (is NOT a zoo or a theme park!)
Obviously, in mountainous terrain like the Pyrenees, there are no straight roads but a myriad of secondary windy roads to get from A to B that sometimes make you take a hell of a ride to get from one place to another, but is very often worthwhile.
Just some food-for-thought, coming from Euskadi via the Pyrenees, if your final destination is Barcelona, one would probably turn South towards the city once arrived at the area of Ribes de Freser (and Vall de Núria), HOWEVER... you'd be missing some great places in the most Eastern side of the Catalan Pyrenees, such as Castellfollit de la Roca, Besalú, Camprodon, Sant Pere de Rodes or, finally by the seaside, Cadaqués, among other.
If you're visiting in "late June", I'd do the utmost not to miss one of the several heritage festivals happening in 60+ towns in the Pyrenees (Catalan, Spanish, Andorran and French towns) to celebrate the Spring solstice. Many of these are very old festivals dating back to pagan pre-Christian times and one of the most spectacular is the "baixada de les falles". It was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2015. They're celebrated from mid-June to mid-July albeit many are in or around St. John's (24th June). One of my preferred is in La Pobla de Segur.
But for any "baixada de les falles" you'd need to stay overnight as the highlight of the festival is at night. And no, it's not 'dangerous', this has been going on for centuries and the young and the old participate :) More info: https://www.vallboi.cat/en/falles or also https://www.descobrir.cat/ca/notices/2021/06/les-falles-mes-magiques-dels-pirineus-catalans-4860.php
Some online resources that might be useful
What is Catalonia
Hiking Costa Brava thru her Camins de Ronda ... what are Camins de Ronda you may ask... http://velvetescape.com/hiking-costa-brava-coastal-trails-camins-de-ronda/
Romanesque Routes in Catalonia
Map-guide gastronomy in Catalonia
Welcome to Catalonia
Catalonia Experience
Map of roads in Catalonia
Routes and getaways