Vall de Boí & Aigüestortes

You individually travel to the Vall de Boí, by either private (rental) car or public bus and / or train from Barcelona via the nearby town of El Pont de Suert. From there we can arrange a taxi to Barruera for you. If you are early, you can relax in one of the bars of this small village or do some lunch shopping for tomorrow. Dinner is included tonight: a set menu of typical Catalan dishes in the small restaurant of Farré d’Avall.

The day starts with a climb from the valley to the higher mountain village of Durro. Here you can decide to do an extra loop high over the flanks of the valley. On your way, the chapel of Sant Quirc de Durro, situated on a beautiful viewpoint, where the annual bonfire is lit during the Fallas festivities. Then you continue via Durro across the panoramic Camí del Pago to the village of Boí, where you can visit the Romanesque church of Sant Joan plus the National park Visitors’ center. After a short final ascent, you reach the village of Taüll, where the most beautiful of all Romanesque churches can be seen: the Sant Climent with its impressive bell tower.

Challenge: 8 km / 5 mi, 3.5 - 4 hrs, 690 m ascent, 300 m descent.

With extra loop: 14 km / 8,5 mi, 6 hrs, 975 m ascent, 390 m descent. 

From Taüll you do a there-and-back walk across the high ridge above the village, the so-called Pala de Taüll. Your first stop en route is the top of the peak Tossalet de Creuetes (1921 m) from where you have a splendid view over the valley of Boí. If you to walk want more, follow the path further alongside the ridge and through an alpine pine forest with wonderful flowers and many birds. The end point is the former pasture area Casesnoves where you have a beautiful view across the heart of the National Park: the Aigüestortes valley with lakes Estany Llebreta and Estany Llong. Then you walk back to Taüll via the same path.

Challenge: 6 km / 3,5 mi, 3 hrs, 440 m ascent and descent.

Extension: 11 km / 7 mi, 6 hrs, 850 m ascent and descent. 

After breakfast a taxi will pick you up and take you to the entrance of the National Park where a meandering river (Aigüestortes) cuts its way through a bucolic alpine valley. There you start a steep but shady walk through a pine wood to a series of glacier lakes called Estany Dellui which are absolutely lovely for a picnic, you may be lucky and see the marmots leaving their shelters and showing themselves. During the descent you will traverse a scree slope with huge boulders and then descend through an open wood of black pines and alpenroses with dark pink flowers. After a drink at the refuge Estany Llong, you return to the start of the walk. Finally, the taxi-van takes you to the hotel in Caldes de Boi, for a well-deserved relax in the outdoor pools or indoor SPA circuit.

Challenge: 14 km / 8,5 mi,  5.5 - 6 hrs, 675 m ascent and descent.

In this stage of the trip you will experience an overnight stay in a typical Spanish mountain hut, you will be taken after breakfast by taxi to the Cavallers dam. With some basic luggage in your backpack you start a beautiful walk, first along the Cavallers reservoir and then gradually ascending through an increasingly rocky and barren mountain landscape to the Ventosa i Calvell hut, where you will spend the night at 2215 m altitude.

Challenge: 5 km / 3 mi, 3 hrs, 580 m ascent, 135 m descent.

After breakfast, you pick up the pack lunch that has been prepared for you. Because the walk back to Caldes de Boí is short, we offer you an alpine hike through the impressive mountain world of Aigüestortes. You walk through a rugged granite landscape along the glacier lakes of Travessani and Estany de Monges to the mountain pass Port de Rius (2475 m) and then along the Estany de Mangades to the Port de Colomèrs, from where you look out over the beautiful Cirque de Colomers on the north side of the National Park. Then you descend via the same path as yesterday to the reservoir of Cavallers and continue down through the valley to Erill la Vall.

Challenge:

Morning walk: 9 km / 5,5 mi, 4 hrs, 470 m ascent and descent. 

Afternoon return route to Caldes de Boí: 9 km / 5,5 mi, 4 hrs, 25 m ascent, 740 m descent.

For the seventh day of your itinerary we have designed a route for walking and visiting Romanesque churches along the River Noguera valley and past villages you have already visited before: Barruera and Boí. You can stop for provisions or a drink in any of them along the route.

NOTE: If you have parked your car at Barruera on the first day, you might want to pick it up during the route.

Challenge: 9 km / 5,5 mi, 3 hrs, 240 m ascent and descent.

Make sure you book an extra transfer if  you have parked your (rental) car in Barruera during the week or you want to be taken to the bus station in Pont de Suert.