Andorra is an obscure little country centered between France and Spain. It speaks Catalan (the only country to do so – however, after October 1st, we will see) and it’s surrounded by the Pyrenees mountains. There’s less than 100,000 people who live there and they do not even have a University. There’s also no train or plane that goes to Andorra which means the only way to get there is by driving, bus, or a plane/bus, plane/taxi, train/taxi combination.

This makes for some beautiful scenery and ski opportunities. It’s actually known for it’s ski resorts and as a tax-haven, which means shopping and banks. Honestly, I won’t lie – that’s where the attractions end.

So how and why did we end up in Andorra? It’s not like there’s Skiing in September or any desire to shop since we are traveling with backpacks.

It’s simple really.

One day, likely almost 10 years ago, I was on YouTube watching travel videos. I watched a short 3 minute video on Andorra where a guy claimed “All they [the people of Andorra] do is smoke cigs and drink coffee before 1:00pm.”

To 20 or 19 year old me – that sounded like paradise and I made a promise to myself to go there and do it.

Not one to break a promise to myself I made sure to add Andorra to our itinerary. We took a train from Brussels to Barcelona. It was a painful nine hour train crammed in with two people right in front of me who had no concept of leg room. After the train ride we spend the night in Barcelona and rented a car to drive the two and a half hours to Andorra.

The drive was breathtaking. Akin to driving to Tahoe from San Francisco- minus the ocean. Instead you get lakes that stretch as far as the eye can see. So here’s a quick guide on what you can do with three days and two nights in Andorra la Vella .

First day (arriving in late afternoon)

Stay:

Barri Antic Hostel and Pub. As the names suggests it is a hostel and pub frequented by bikers who are all over Andorra. Bikers who ride bikes also exists but I am talking about motorcycle drivers. The rooms are large and they have unique designs based on different themes, like 60’s Rock n’ Roll, Motorcycles, and other fun themes. It’s centrally located in the heart of the old town of Andorra and it’s walking distance from everything. For a hostel, the views from the rooms are breathtaking. It’s a good, less expensive alternative. We stayed in a private room.

Gluten Free Eating:

El Refugi Alpi Restaurant specializes in French Alpine Cuisine. They had little gluten free options outside of steak but they did understand what celiac disease was and advised christian on what to eat.

Plato Restaurant. This is a restaurant attached to a hotel that specializes in tapas. They had the menu marked for items not appropriate for celiacs. They knew about the disease and the waiter noted which items could work. They even brought gluten free bread for our Salmon Tatar!

See:

Take a walk from the old city quarters (which is also the city center) to the shopping district where you can see the Pont de Paris bridge and window shop all the expensive stores.

To-do:

Enjoy a refreshing (and very easy) hike on the Paseo por la Acequia del Solá trail. It has fantastic views of Andorra la Vella and can be done within an hour or two. It’s along a little spring which is quite adorable.  It’s mostly flat (with the exception of getting there and getting back down) and it also leads to a path where you can visit the Font de Ferrús. It’s supposedly a natural fountain that was blessed at some point. We opted not to climb the rocky path (which would have taken 30 minutes) to the top but we were encouraged by some locals to do so.

Second full day in Andorra:

Eat:

L’Isard. Hands down this became our favorite breakfast spot. It has outdoor seating and offers gluten free bread for breakfast. They are so careful with celiac requirements that they will not toast the bread in the same toaster as other breads. Here is where I achieved my young adult dream of drinking coffee and smoking cigs until 1:00pm. Truthfully, it was 12:30pm (girls gotta eat). FYI: I quit smoking two years ago. This was a brief lapse and I have now quit again.

To -See:

To-do:

Claustrophobia Andorra: At a loss for what to do we booked a game with Claustrophobia Andorra. It was actually quite a fun experience. It was my first “Escape” Game experience and my husband’s second. He had been trying to get me to try one and now I’m looking forward to the next game. They have a few experiences for 2 or more people and it was perfect for us. Plus the woman who worked there had lived in America, was extremely pleasant, and made the experience all the better. We played the game involving an avalanche that trapped us in a cabin and we had to find our way out.

Third Day (Leaving Early in the Morning)

Eat:

Again at L’Isard to enjoy their perfectly toasted Bacon and cheese sandwich for the second and last time.

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