
Spanish Pyrenees
Exceptional holidays, beautifully local & certifiably responsible
Stellar Tella A hike to remember Chasing vultures No need to worry Wet weather option Vineyard in the hills Simple pleasures Picnic in a volcano crater
From Tella, Spanish Pyrenees
The road ran out at Tella. A few stone houses, a medieval church and the odd cat - el medio de la nada as they say in Spain. The middle of nowhere.
But it's just a 15-minute walk to the first of three Romanesque chapels, hidden away on the edge of a steep cliff in the shadow of a big outcrop. In the distance are the even bigger peaks of the Ordesa National Park. You need not always go to the far side of the world to see such incredible places.
From Ordesa National Park, Spanish Pyrenees
We slogged up the switchback path, the end demoralisingly out of sight. People twice our age passed us in all manner of lycra, walking poles in hand. We had no poles, just a bag of nuts and flasks of warm coffee and cold water. Was it worth it? Like you wouldn't believe.
Mountains look different from up high; truer proportions, more texture, more detail. Valleys stretch out longer, peaks roll off further and the air feels so invigoratingly fresh. I remember it all so vividly still, the day we took the difficult path and won the greatest view of our lives.
From Aínsa, Spanish Pyrenees
We went in search of vultures, preferably of the Bearded kind. We hadn't yet made it to the valley where they are often seen, when we saw two circling in the sky, pointed out by a friendly Frenchman on the side of the road.
Down in the valley, we saw only Griffon, not Bearded vultures. But it didn't matter. Not one dot. Watching a dozen majestic creatures swooping across a forested canyon to within metres of our heads is something I'll never, ever forget. Nature can be so wonderful when you sit back and watch.
From Pineta Valley, Spanish Pyrenees
Sergio led us merrily around on our first ever eBiking experience. He's possibly as softly spoken and laid back a man as you'll find in these parts.
He worries about his English. I meant to tell him not to. The way he helped trace out our route for the rest of the day, maps spread out over the bonnet of our hire car, proved beyond doubt that he has a strong grasp of our language. But the fact that he cares so much is so endearing.
From Aigüestortes, Catalonia
It takes a special landscape to retain its full charm in the rain. One early October morning, Aigüestortes pulled it off effortlessly.
Silvery waterfalls rushed furiously and autumnal reds and yellows spread through the mixed forests which colour blocked the mountainsides. Chaffinches hopped from lush pine to lush pine, grey clouds shrouded the pointy peaks in a mysterious cloak and a rainbow formed against the deep green surface of the lake.
From the Costa Brava, Catalonia
I think I inadvertently awoke Núrea from her afternoon nap at her organic vineyard, tucked away in the hills up a bumpy dirt track. Her pride at what she and her husband Diego Soto have achieved here shone through with no airs or graces. They simply fell in love with this place, respected the terrain enough not to contaminate it and are pleased to share it with anyone interested.
They are, like many I've met in Spain, deeply appreciative of their lot in life.
From Cadaqués, Catalonia
Though Dalí ended his days in Cadaqués, the town rarely feels overrun and as local families still own nearly everything, there are no high-rise hotels. Everything shuts down in winter for people to rest and recharge. A relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle dominates.
This moment celebrates the simple pleasure of fresh food and a drink, with feet resting in the sand after a walk along the coast through the beautiful Cap de Creus.
From La Garrotxa, Catalonia
We were always going to take the detour. Why wouldn't we walk an extra 2km to visit a mysterious Romanesque chapel in a volcano crater?
Through the beech trees our trail wound until emerging on a sunny clearing, like a high mountain pasture. Only this was nothing of the kind. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims trod these paths for religious ends. For us, our pilgrimage led us to a picnic spot which will take some beating.
Sweeping canyons and soaring vultures; wildflower meadows and pine forests lush from the roots up. If the high mountains are calling, there's no one who knows them better.

More great walking

If you are a walker, you’re going to be right at home in the Spanish Pyrenees. On just about any trip we could design for you here, you could easily spend most of your days out on mountain, forest or coastal trails, walking notes in hand.
We’ve already done a deep dive on the Ordesa Valley, but just a couple of valleys east you find yourself in altogether different alpine surrounds and another strong contender for best hiking country in Spain.
Catalonia’s Aigüestortes National Park is named after its ‘twisted waters’; plunging waterfalls, crystalline mountain streams and glacial lakes which mirror the distinctive black pines and granite towers.
If you’re here in the early summer, the rhododendron blossom is a sight to savour. In autumn, the forests are ablaze with ochre and crimson.

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Coming off of the big mountains and dropping into the Pyrenean foothills, our scenery changes, but the feeling of wilderness and untamed nature holds firm.
We’re now in the precious Irati Forest, whose expanse of beech and fir trees rolls out unchecked by civilisation, all the way up to France. This is one of Europe’s great forests and is an absolutely beautiful place to go walking. It comes alive in autumn, offering one of the best symphonies of amber and orange hues on the entire Iberian Peninsula.


We encourage you to combine a morning hike in the forest with an afternoon amble to the deep ravines of Arbayún, nestled in a landscape of oak woodland and wide valleys. These cliffs and the surrounding forests are rich in birdlife and the viewpoint is an ideal place to watch birds of prey circling.
Along with Ordesa, you’ve already had four memorable walks briefly sketched out. There are more we want to share; a unique formation of red sedimentary rocks where vultures and eagles nest by the hundreds, extinct volcanic cones covered in thick beech forest and ‘Dalí's’ rocky headland, where the Pyrenees sink into the sea...
For more on those, it’s probably best you take a look at this Pyrenees self-drive itinerary, which combines everything you’ve read here. If it's of interest, let us know and we'll send all the details.
High Pyrenees: Hike & Drive Holiday
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£1,575 ppn/a
- 8 days
High Pyrenees: Hike & Drive Holiday
When: Apr-Oct
Price: £1,515 per person
Duration: 8 days
Handpicked hikes by day, gourmet food and boutique hotels by night. Guided days and our support helps unlock the full beauty of the mountains, at your pace.
Pyrenees Inn to Inn Walking Holiday
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£1,370 ppn/a
- 8 days
Pyrenees Inn to Inn Walking Holiday
When: Apr-Jul; Sep-Nov
Price: £1,370 per person
Duration: 8 days
Reconnect with the great outdoors in the Pyrenees, where stunning landscapes, remote hamlets and cosy hotels make for a varied week of world-class walking.
Bilbao to Barcelona: Pyrenees Drive & Explore Holiday
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£3,775 ppn/a
- 18 days
Bilbao to Barcelona: Pyrenees Drive & Explore Holiday
When: Apr-Nov
Price: £3,775 per person
Duration: 18 days
From the Basque Country to Catalonia via the high Pyrenees, this road journey celebrates the beautiful variety of Spain's northern frontier.
Travel Positive with Pura Aventura
Exceptional holidays in exceptional places.
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Your holiday will be deeply rooted into its local surroundings, from the people you meet and the places you stay, to the food on your plate and the wine in your glass.



