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Summer Travel Guide In Andorra
Want to visit Andorra in the summer? Andorra is a tiny country in between Spain and France and is known for skiing in the winter. As a matter of fact, this country’s economy is driven by tourism and attracts many people for shopping because no additional sales taxes are added. A girls trip was much needed after lockdown so we decided to do a 3 day trip to Andorra to beat the Barcelona heat. Here’s my summer travel guide in Andorra.
Preparing For Your Trip
Andorra’s official currency: euros. Although the official language is Catalan, many locals speak Spanish, French and English as well.
Do I Need My Passport?
The short answer is yes as Andorra is not part of the EU. As you drive through the border crossing, immigration officers will not stop you nor will they stamp your passport. If you want the Andorran passport stamp, you can simply ask for one. However, expect to get questioned and interrogated. Many expats from think if they go to Andorra, they can beat the 90 day visa rule. Note that the Andorran passport stamp is not dated.
SIM Card
Don’t get stuck paying outrageous roaming fees while visiting here. For example, my Vodafone carrier charges 15€ for the first 20 megabytes and then a whopping 6€/megabyte after. Using 1gb will cost over 12,000€. SIM cards in Andorra start at 29€. Because we were only there for 3 days, buying a SIM card didn’t make sense. Essentially, there’s free wifi in most places but from experience, the connection was either very slow or spotty. Be sure to download the google offline maps before starting your journey.
How To Get To Andorra
Car rentals are fairly cheap in Barcelona especially renting from the airport or near Barcelona Sants Station. These following websites are the best to find prices.
Renting a hybrid SUV saved us so much money on gas. Gas is very cheap in Andorra so be sure to fill up before heading home. Compare .84€/liter in Andorra to 1.30€ in Spain. Avoid paying tolls by selecting that route option in Google Maps.
Where To Stay
Affordable accommodations can be found in the city center “Les Escaldes” and nevertheless, a wide range of restaurants to choose from and endless shopping.
Hotel Metropolis $110/night + taxes
Parking: 20€/night. Free parking does not exist in the city center
Summer Activities in Andorra
Naturlandia – Tobotronc Nature Slide
This was the highlight of our trip. After the border crossing into Andorra, Naturlandia is a 15 minute drive up the hill. This nature slide is 5.3 km long and it’s a perfect adventure. The ride lasts around 20 minutes and costs 15€ per person. Reserve tickets in advance here. Free street parking or paid parking lot available.
Mirador Del Toll Bullidor (Waterfall Lookout)
This 15 minute hike to the waterfall is fairly easy. Parking is the first left after passing La Sangria restaurant (on the right hand side). Proper shoes or hiking sandals are recommended.
Santuari de Mertixell
This religious site was nearly completely destroyed in a fire in 1972. Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill recreated this Romanesque style and is worth a visit.
In this very same town, Mertixell, eat lunch at Restaurant Borda L’ Era Del Rossell. This restaurant had many great reviews. Unfortunately, we were denied entry because we didn’t make reservations.
Mirador Roc Del Quer
15 minute drive up a windy road from Mertixell, you’ll reach one of Andorra’s spectacular viewpoint. Parking is on the left and it’s an easy 20 minute walk to the suspended bridge with the sculpture.
Summer Bar
When looking down from Mirador Roc Del Quer, you’ll see what looks like a cute farm house with picnic tables and people lounging. It’s called the Summer Bar and it’s worth checking out. I couldn’t find it on google or pinpoint a location on google maps but you can’t miss it. It’s literally a 1 minute drive down from where you parked your car. The Summer Bar has some really great bites to eat, nice music and a cool swing.
Dali’s Melting Clock “The Nobility of Time”
Back in the city’s main plaza, you’ll find Dali’s melting clock. It was gifted to the Andorran government by Enric Sabater who was one of Dali’s agent.
Caldea Spa
Caldea Spa in the largest indoor spa in Europe. Prices range from 39€ – 65€ depending on the time of day. Due to covid measures, advanced reservations are recommended. We tried to get reservations the night before for the following morning but none were available.
Other Activities
Due to our short stay in Andorra, we missed out on ATV/Quads, zip lining and hiking the Tristaina Lakes.
Restaurant Recommendations
Food in Andorra was underwhelming and customer service is almost non-existent in Andorra. The servers are rude and do not display any sense of urgency, similar to Spain. Many restaurants with several open tables refused to serve us because we didn’t call to make a reservation.
El Refugi Alpí – decent food but overpriced cheese fondue.
Aravella – Pass the border back into Spain. This restaurant is located at a country club and has a beautiful view.
Restaurant Borda L’ Era Del Rossell in Mertixell
That’s it for my Summer Travel Guide In Andorra. Hopefully this year the ski resorts will open for winter season. Headed back to Barcelona? You can check out my Ultimate Guide To Barcelona. Summer travel guide in Andorra
