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Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park

Guided hiking in Catalonia's wonderland of imposing granite peaks and glistening alpine lakes

Dates

From Mid-May to end of September

Level

3 - moderate

(see levels)

Guided

Accompanied by a professional guide

Accommodations

Day hikes sleeping in a hotel each night

5 Days/4 Nights

Can be longer or shorter

INTRODUCTION

Join us on this exclusive itinerary to explore Spain’s Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, a wonderland of shapely granite peaks and hundreds of glacial lakes. Located in the autonomous region of Catalonia, this is the crown jewel of the region’s protected areas, the only national park within its territory.

The remoteness of this area is demonstrated by the fact that the Moorish Conquest of Spain did not penetrate this part of the Pyrenees.You’ll sleep at 2 different overnight bases, each in an ancient Catalán mountain village, allowing you to closely experience traditional culture and get a sense for the area’s fascinating history.

Best of all, you’ll have enjoy classic hikes in some of the most spectacular terrain in the entire Pyrenees!

DAY 1: ESPOT

Morning pickup in Barcelona & private transfer to the pretty stone-built village of Espot in time for lunch. After checking in to your comfortable hotel, ride in a 4x4 taxi shuttle operated by the national park up to the Estany de Sant Maurici lake, where we’ll explore and visit a local mountain hut, then walk a pretty trail back down to Espot.

Transfer time from Barcelona to Espot: approx. 3 h 30 min.

Overnight: Espot. 3* hotel (1st of 2 nights)

DAY 2: HIKING IN THE NATIONAL PARK – SANT MAURICI SECTOR

We use several options, depending on the local conditions and group makeup. These hikes provide the perfect introduction to the granite and aquatic treasures of the Parque Nacional, whose glacial origin is evident in the labyrinth of meandering streams and over 200 lakes giving rise to its name “Aigüestortes” meaning “twisted waters” in the local dialect. Hike choices include:

Estany Negre de Peguera & Valle de Monestro. A 4x4 taxi take you to the most photographed lakes in the entire national park – Estany Negre de Peguera and the J.M Blanc mountain hut. From here, hike past several more lakes en route to a pass leading into the wild Monestro valley, ending at the Estany de Sant Maurici lake.

Port de Ratera and Refuge d’Amitges. From Estany de Sant Maurici follow the GR-11 trail to the Ratera pass. If you’re feeling strong, join our guide for an easy ascent to the summit of Pic de Ratera for incredible views over much of the national park. On our return, we’ll visit a friendly mountain hut for a refreshment and enjoy views over granite spires popular with rock climbers.

DAY 3: TRAVERSE ACROSS THE NATIONAL PARK.

Today we’ll hike to our new overnight base in Taüll, on the western side of the national park. This is a classic route crossing the park from east to west following a section of the trail used in the famous “Carros de Foc” (Chariots of Fire) hut-to-hut race that is now a fixture on the international trail running circuit – created back in the 1980’s by bored national park mountain hut wardens during low seasons, as a quick way to go to visit each other. During the course of the hike you’ll enjoy superb views over some of the most famous features of the national park.

Overnight: 2* (3* equivalent) hotel in Taüll (1st of 2 nights)

DAY 4: HIKING IN THE AIGÜESTORTES SECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARK

Today we’ll hike to the Ventosa i Calvell mountain hut, spectacularly situated above the Estany Negre lake. At the hut, you can drink a tea or coffee and chat with the warden while enjoy superb views.

On our return, we’ll end the day with a visit to Taull’s 16th C Romanesque St. Climent church and enjoy the amazing “laser-mapping” visual display about the church’s beautiful frescos.

DAY 5: DEPARTURE AND END OF TOUR

After breakfast, we’ll arrange a taxi transfer to Lleida and from there you can take a high-speed train to Barcelona (1 h 5 min) or Madrid (2 h 15 min). Alternatively, we can arrange a transfer all the way from Taüll to Barcelona.

Transfer time from Taüll to Lleida: approx. 2 h.

Transfer time from Taüll to Barcelona: approx. 3 h 30 min.

ESPOT - Days 1 & 2: a 3* comfortable and characterful family-run hotel. Espot is an attractive stone-built village offering the best location for exploration of the eastern or “Sant Maurici” sector of the Aigüestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. At 1489 m/ 4885 ft elevation above sea level, Espot sits halfway up the valley leading to the most famous lake in the national park – Estany de Sant Maurici.

TAÜLL - Days 3 & 4: a 2-3* charming family-run hotel. Taüll is one of the highest towns in the Pyrenees, at 1489 m/ 4885 ft. above sea level, and located in the Val de Boí. This lovely little medieval village is the perfect access point to the western or “Aiguestortes” side of the Aigüestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. Its meandering medieval streets are also home to the 2 of the most impressive of the Boí Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage Romanesque churches.

We will be happy to provide specific details of our accommodations upon request.

NOTE: for those seeking luxury lodgings, unfortunately, this is not an option for this particular itinerary. However, if you want luxury accommodations, we CAN design a trip in another sector of the Aiguestortes National Park - just contact us!

Overall Level: 3 or "Moderate". Each day there’s are easier, shorter hikes and longer, more challenging ones. You’ll discuss the options with our guide to decide the best plan! The hikes described above are our preferred suggestions for reasonably fit hikers, but in reality, you’ll have a wider range of options, including some very easy ones if you just want to take it easy!

Distances: from 5 to 19 km (3.1 to 11.8 mi) depending on route

Elevation gain: from +200 to 1000 meters (+656 ft to +3281 ft), depending on route

Time: from 2 to 7 hours, depending on route choice

Terrain: Mostly hilly with occasional steep and/or rocky ascents/descents (use of hands not required!). Typical walking surfaces include medieval “paved” paths and sheep drovers' trails, forestry tracks, grassy meadows & paths and rocky mountain trails.

Both Espot and Taüll are approximately 3 h 30 min. drive from Barcelona and about 2 hours from Lleida. At Lleida there is a high-speed AVE train station, with connections to Barcelona (just over 1 hour) and Madrid (just over 2 hours).

We can arrange a private transfer between either Espot or Taüll and Lleida or Barcelona (airport or city). Transfers can also be arranged to & from other areas of interest in northeast Spain such as Pamplona, Bilbao or San Sebastian.

We can also easily arrange a transfer between either Espot or Taüll across the Spain-France border to/fromToulouse (3 hours), which has a major international airport.

Medieval mountain villages – our itinerary includes overnights and visits to various of these stone-built cradles of authentic rural Catalonian culture. You’ll be able to observe traditional lifestyles, architecture and customs, where local inhabitants harvest their fruit and vegetable orchards, and tend their livestock as in years gone by.

Vall de Boí – your base for the 2nd half of the trip, this narrow, steep-sided valley is one of the principal gateways to the National Park. The valley's 9 Early Romanesque churches are considered the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in Europe, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Val de Boí boasts the highest ski resort in the Pyrenees and is famous for its medicinal waters.

Glorious views, exuberant flora and abundant fauna – a nature photographer’s dream. A great location for alpine flowers, including the famed Eidelweiss. Marmots and chamoix observe us from rocky perches and birds of prey soar overhead, including the Lammergeier – one of Europe’s rarest birds of prey.

Begin & end in Barcelona – explore the architectural, culinary and cultural jewels of Spain's most dynamic city.

BOOK, CUSTOMIZE OR CREATE

This sample itinerary has been designed to showcase just some of the main highlights of the Aigüestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. It can be booked just as described above, but it’s also 100% customizable and can be used as the foundation around which we can build a personalized trip just for you Make it shorter or longer. Add rest days or mix hiking days with other adventure or cultural interest activities. We operate in a variety of areas on both the Spanish and French sides of the Pyrenees as well as northern Spain in general, so we can easily craft a completely personalized trip, combining differing activities and experiences in various locations. We want to create a memorable travel experience just for you! No itinerary is too complicated for us to arrange…any number of days, at any time of year, for any size group. Pick this or another of our suggested itineraries and we'll customize it to meet your party’s criteria...or…let’s work together with you to craft a personalized, tailor-made itinerary to suit your interests, level of physical challenge or technical difficulty, and other criteria. Just send us an email or send in our contact form describing your idea in as much detail as possible and we’ll get back to you…and together we’ll start making your dream become reality!

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