Discovering Madriu Valley
What will we find in this excursion?
The Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in the cultural landscape category. This territory represents about 10% of the surface area of Andorra. It is about 12 km long and has an altitude difference of almost 1,900 metres. The preservation of a major valley in its entirety is an unprecedented event and the only case that has occurred in the Pyrenees.
The three levels will cross the valley and/or its areas of influence in one way or another.
Walk grade
Path de les Fonts-Coll Jovell-Tossa de Braibal peak-Path de la Molina-Pardines-Engolasters Lake
We will start the walk along the path de les Fonts to Coll Jovell pass. Here we will have splendid views over the valley of Madriu-Perafita-Claror. At this point we will take the path to the left, which, with a steep slope, will follow the hill until we reach the objective of the day, the Tossa de Braibal peak. On the way down we will look for the path de les Pardines along the new flat path. From Les Pardines we will arrive to the Engolasters lake.
Encamp (GR11)- Engolasters lake -Path de les Fonts-Coll Jovell- Font de la Closa
In the village of Encamp begins the route that takes us along the path of the Riu Blanc to the Engolasters lake. This lake is used by Andorrans and tourists as a leisure and industrial area. The route continues to the Coll Jovell pass. In this stretch we will enjoy two viewpoints, one with views of the capital and the Comapedrosa Nature Park and the other, at the same pass, over the valley of Madriu-Perafita-Claror. From Coll Jovell we will go down to Font de la Closa along a shady and mossy path through a magnificent forest of birds and pines. We will finish the route very close to the church of Sant Miquel d'Engolasters, the summit of Romanesque art in Andorra.
Path de les Fonts-Coll Jovell-Ràmio-De la Plana road
We will start the excursion by following the GR11 to Coll Jovell pass. During the route we will enjoy a panoramic viewpoint over the capital and the Comapedrosa Nature Park. At the same pass there is another viewpoint over the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley itself. From the pass we will start the descent towards the bordes de Ràmio, at the bottom of the Madriu valley. Here we will see the interaction between man and nature that has been established over the centuries and that has been preserved to the present day. We will finish the route along a magnificent cobbled path until we will reach la Plana road, where the transport will pick us up.
Photo galleries
