If just like me, you are curious about random destinations and perhaps collect Hard Rock Cafe shot glasses, then Andorra is a nice little find for a stopover in between France and Spain. that I discovered is that the entire place is like one big Duty-Free so the tax-free prices are indeed a reason for the large influx of tourists. Happy shopping!
Andorra La Vella is a very alpine, woody-type place, which I think would be brilliant for skiing (although I haven’t tried it yet)! We only drove through to stop for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then continued to our next destination in Spain.
As this was our longest drive (about 8 hours in the day) we had to be efficient about it and make a move as soon as possible. My thoughts on Andorra La Vella? I would probably come back for skiing as it looks very appealing. The other secret that I discovered is that the entire place is like one big Duty Free so the tax-free prices are indeed a reason for the large influx of tourists. Happy shopping!
The first thing to mention about our next destination, Charo in Spain is that it is TINY. I cannot even begin to explain how difficult it was to find this place, because of its size and location! It was the smallest village I’ve ever stayed in with only around 4 houses being lived in permanently throughout the year, guarded expertly by the village "mayor", who with four furry legs and a very waggy tail greets each new arrival like an old friend.
After we finally managed to find it, having gone up a two-ways Roman road that could barely fit one car (!) – not that I was scared or anything, the wonderful hosts got us settled in, and off we went for a quick walk around the village before dinner; needless to say, it wasn’t a long one!
We were staying for two nights in this place, so the following morning we went hiking through the Monte Perdido, a 3-hour hike through lush forests and heavenly waterfalls. It was so beautiful, it is hard to describe. So if you like nature, mountains, and looking down on eagles, this is the place…
After enjoying a relaxing Nordic bath and having dinner cooked each night by the talented Ferran, whose food I honestly cannot praise enough (the place is called the O Chardinet d’a Formiga), sadly, we had to make a move for our next destination, Rioja, which turned out to be just as amazing - read about it here.