Abdul's Blog

Princess Pyrene

The famous mountains known as The Pyrenees are said to be Hercules’ creation. In classical mythology, Hercules laid the princess Pyrene to rest on the mountains of Pyrenees. That is where this set of mountains gets its famous name from. This certainly gives a lot of people a reason to visit the Pyrenees, but the attractions that are offered are what most people seek after. Another reason is to not only witness off road tours in Spain, but to have an opportunity to go on them.

off road tours in Spain

The Pyrenees Attractions and Foods

These mountains should be nicknamed, the wonderland. Reason being, it offers off road tours in Spain and a wide range of many other things. Are you very active and outgoing? If yes, then take advantage of this once in a lifetime adventure by experiencing hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, and skiing from the Pyrenees point of view. After that, strap on a helmet and waste no time with testing many foods while on one of the many off road tours in Spain. While doing so, you will quickly realize that the large variety of foods you encounter while experiencing off road tours in Spain, reflects heavily on the culture you are in. Whether it is French or Spanish, you can count on the food being delicious. Not only that, but it will most certainly be attractively served.

Pyrenees Special Places

Toulouse is one of the many places to visit. Apart from the pink buildings, this city is by far one of the quietest, peaceful, and vibrant cities you will ever experience. The museums offered here are downright spectacular.

Another spectacular place to visit is the Rocamadour’s village. Here, you will find many churches that cannot be missed. Take the time out to see and experience the different views on religion.

Overall, the off road tours in Spain allows you to see beautiful views of pristine lakes, mountain peaks, and the world from a different perspective.

What are the Pyrenees?

The Pyrenees are an immense mountain range that separates Spain and France. The peaks are higher than the more famous Alps. Pyrenees tours include one of the few natural wild areas to be found in Europe and feature green valleys and clear blue lakes and rivers. The area includes volcanoes and glaciers. The range is Spain is usually divided up into the Catalonia range and the Aragon range. Both of these areas are special in their own way.

How to get to the Pyrenees

To reach Pyrenees tours by air involves taking a flight to Madrid and then a local airline to one of the airports in the Aragon or Catalonia area of the mountains. You can also drive to the Pyrenees or hire a driver from Madrid, but this is a long journey throughout Spain. If you have the time, it is a great trip.

Aragon sites to Visit

Pyrenees tours of the Aragon range include Odesa National Park which is open from May through November. This park has been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds and has a sanctuary that features species of rare birds of prey including the Lammergeier and Griffin vultures. This park is full of hiking trails for all levels as well as mountain biking, climbing and rafting. The village of Torla makes a good headquarters for touring this park. This high mountain area has many ski resorts. One of the best is Astun, which often hosts international competitions. This resort has family friendly activities including a snow park. Other resorts are Cerler, and Candanchu. Both of these resorts are higher up in the mountains than Astun.

This area of the Pyrenees includes the old Aragon capital of Jaca. Jaca is the site of old monasteries, the oldest cathedral in Spain and a museum that has one of the best collections of Romanesque paintings in the world. One of the world’s oldest monasteries is San Jaun de la Pena, built in 1025. This is the burial site for Aragon’s first monarchs. This site was supposed to have housed the Holy Grail for a time. Morisma at the village of Ainsa takes place every two years and recreates a battle between Moslems and Christians from the 8th century.

pyrenees tours

Catalonia sites to visit

Pyrnees tours of the Catalonia range have some of the most beautiful mountain areas in the Pyrenees. Catalonia has several national parks. One of these includes Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park which includes the volcanic part of the Pyrenees. This park has over 40 volcanoes and 20 lava flows. The town of Santa Pau is a good place to stay while touring this park. The largest national park is Alt Pirineau. It has the largest volcanic lake in the Pyrenees plus numerous caverns and galleries to visit under the mountains. Catalonia is home to the most ski resorts in the Pyrenees. Some of these include Baquiera Beret Ski Resort and the Tavascan Ski resort. Catalonia is famous for having the best river rafting in Europe. Hiking, mountain biking, dog sledding, canoeing are all available here in abundance.

The Vall de Boi is world famous for having the densist concentration of Romanesque architecture in the world. This area is filled with churches, monasteries, and museums dedicated to the Romanesque period. Some of these buildings date from the 800s.

Catalonia festivals are famous for their dance of the giants, their gypsy dance, their stick dance and human castles. Medieval Market of La Seu d’Urgall is held every June. This recreates a typical Medieval market complete with plays and performances by various trades and craftsman. Another La Patum of Berga is another festival that features parades, firework displays and theatrical performances.

Spanish Pyrenees Tours

Places to stay during your Pyrenees tours

One of the best hotels for your Pyrenees tours in Catalonia is the La Pleta Hotel and Spa. This hotel has easy access to the ski slopes and great service. There are snow park activities as well here if you don’t ski. This hotel is located Baquiera Beret. The mountain views from this location are exquisite.

The Roca Blanca hotel is located in Espot, a jumping off site for several national parks. This hotel includes comfortable rooms with television and wifi and has a jacuzzi and a gym on site. The Iori Hotel is located in Vielha in the Aran Valley near several tourist destinations. This hotel is a Japanese style hotel and provides free guided tours of the area.

In the Aragon part of the Pyrenees, several places to stay are the Hotel Bielsa in Bielsa, the Gran Hotel in Jaca, and the Villla de Sallent in Formigal. These hotels all feature spas, skiing, access to the national parks and modern conveniences.

Spanish Pyrenees tours are an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. It is clearly an area not to be missed on your travels.