Pyrenees — the Border with France
The Pyrenees stretch over 430 km from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean, forming the natural border between Spain and France. The Spanish side is sunnier, drier, and — away from the ski resorts — significantly less visited than the French side.
Aragón — the Heart of the Pyrenees
The Aragonese Pyrenees offer the most dramatic landscape: The Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (UNESCO World Heritage) houses the 1,000-meter-deep Ordesa Canyon — Spain's Grand Canyon. Monte Perdido (3,355 m) is the third-highest peak in the Pyrenees. The Pineta Valley, the Añisclo Valley, and the Escuaín Gorge complement the national park area.
The Aneto (3,404 m) in the Maladeta Massif is the highest peak in the Pyrenees — climbable for experienced mountaineers (glacier equipment required, although the glacier is rapidly melting).
Catalan Pyrenees
The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park in western Catalonia is a labyrinth of over 200 mountain lakes, waterfalls, and granite peaks. In the Vall d'Aran — Spain's only valley draining north — Aranese (a variant of Occitan) is spoken, and the Romanesque churches of the Boí Valley are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Winter Activities
The Pyrenees have 15+ ski resorts on the Spanish side, significantly cheaper than the Alps:
- Baqueira-Beret (Val d'Aran) — the largest and most snow-sure, favorite of the Spanish royal family and Barcelona's high society
- Formigal-Panticosa (Aragón) — extensive and family-friendly
- Candanchú & Astún (Aragón) — close to the French border, steep and challenging
- La Molina & Masella (Catalonia) — closest to Barcelona (2 hours), can be combined