Catalan Pyrenees: Mont-rebei, the Vall de Boí and Aigüestortes

Route description

Begin in Lleida with the Seu Vella, the old cathedral on the hill above the city. Then drive north on the N-230 for about 90 km to Pont de Montanyana, where a narrow road leads to La Masieta car park for the Mont-rebei gorge. The walk, on a ledge cut into the rock and over suspension footbridges, is about 8 to 10 km there and back. Parking must be booked online for a fee, and vehicles over 2.3 m high are not admitted.

Continue east on minor roads over the hills to Tremp, in a wide basin known for its dinosaur finds and dinosaur footprint sites. From Tremp the N-260 leads north and west over the mountains to El Pont de Suert, where the L-500 branches east into the Vall de Boí. Its nine Romanesque churches are a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Sant Climent in Taüll is the best known.

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park lies above the valley. Private vehicles are not allowed inside the park; from Boí, 4x4 taxis run up to the Aigüestortes meadow, and from there you can walk to Estany Llong and other lakes. The high trails are usually free of snow from June to October. The park has refuges but no camping, so stay in the valley.

Return to the N-230 and drive north through the Vielha tunnel, about 5 km long, into the Val d’Aran, a valley with its own Occitan language, Aranese. Vielha is the main town, with a Romanesque church and a small museum. The route is about 260 km from Lleida. The roads are good, but the L-500 and the side roads to villages such as Taüll are narrow for large motorhomes.