Andorra is a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains, tucked between the borders of Spain and France. Visiting Andorra takes a bit of extra time and effort, as there is no airport in this mountainous region. We flew into Barcelona, and took a 3.5-hour ride on Direct Bus to the capital city of Andorra la Vella.
Andorra
Andorra la Vella is a cute ski town, with lots of shops and picturesque stone and granite buildings. It reminded us a bit of Breckenridge, Colorado or of Monaco, with the hills and curvy streets. We wandered around to see the sights, and many shops, in the pedestrian zone. Shopping is tax-free in Andorra, and many visitors come just to buy cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and electronics.
We stopped into Pub Corinthia to get out of the heat and have a drink. This is a cute and friendly pub, with air conditioning, Guinness available in a can, and some lovely wines.
Our dinner plans took us into the narrow twisty streets of the Old Town, on a bit of a hunt to find Restaurant El Crostó. This is a tiny restaurant, with around 7 tables, tucked into the side of a stone buildings. It’s best to make a reservation in advance, as it is a popular spot, not just for the excellent meals, but for the whole atmosphere and experience. Our dinner of steak and frites and grilled octopus was a real highlight in our short time in Andorra.
We had a relaxing morning to explore the Old Town more, and stopped into the pretty church of St Esteve. A local crafts market was just getting set up all around the churchyard, and we found some lovely handmade pottery to buy for our souvenir.
At noon, it was time to walk to the bus stop and board our Direct Bus for the ride back down the mountain.
Barcelona
On a great heads-up call by Rob, we got off the bus in central Barcelona, instead of taking it back to the airport stop. A short taxi ride brought us to our hotel, and we had time to relax before dinner.
I made a dinner reservation at Els 4 Gats, a historic restaurant from 1897 that Picasso, Gaudi, Dalí, and many other artists and writers frequented. I first read about Els Quatre Gats in The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and I thought about how cool it would be to eat there. The restaurant serves traditional Catalan meals, and our dinners were once again outstanding, especially the melt-in-the-mouth kid goat. The interior is unique and picturesque, and keeps a bohemian vibe with full tables and lots of chatter in many languages.
We’ve been to Barcelona before, so with one free day in the city before heading home, we decided to just hit a few highlights. The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia is still under construction, but still beautiful to see. It’s truly incredible how large this church is.
In December of ’21, we had a wonderful time at Flaherty’s Irish Pub’s Christmas Lunch celebrations, so we knew we wanted to see this favorite spot again.
Lunch was a lot more calm and quiet this time, but still enjoyable.
After taking a siesta to wait out the heat of the day, we walked to the harbor to see the statue of Christopher Columbus, pointing out to sea. A seafood dinner looking out over the boats while the sun set was a perfect end of the day, and end of our short holiday.
Visiting Andorra was worth the extra effort to see this unique country set completely within the Pyrenees.
Andorra Logistics
| Flights | EuroWings direct STR – BCN |
| Bus to / from Andorra | Direct Bus Highly Recommend! |
| Hotel in Andorra la Vella | Hotel de L’Isard Highly Recommend! |
| Pub in Andorra la Vella | Pub Corinthia Recommend! |
| Dinner in Andorra la Vella | Restaurant El Crostó Call to make a reservation Highly Recommend! ***** |
| Hotel in Barcelona | Hotel Casa Teva Recommend! |
| Dinner in Barcelona | Els 4 Gats Highly Recommend! |
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