Hiking in the Aran Valley

Enjoy hiking in an exceptional natural setting in the Aran Valley and the Catalan Pyrenees.

In spring and summer, the Aran Valley shines brighter than ever! With many green shades in its mountains, meadows, and forests, along with beautiful lakes and rivers, it is the ideal destination for thousands of activities in nature.

Any season is a good time to come and enjoy an exceptional natural landscape in the Catalan Pyrenees.

Many of the people who rent apartments and houses in the Aran Valley are fond of hiking, among other mountain sports.

Therefore, we have prepared a small Guide with Hiking Routes that you should not miss if you want to fully enjoy nature in its purest form.

Senderismo en Valle de Arán

The ideal hiking routes to do with the family in the Aran Valley

1st The Saut deth Pish waterfall

From the Plan de Artiguetes, an excursion that you can also do in spring and autumn, it will always depend on the snow, because the forest track does not open in the winter season.
It is one of the most visited waterfalls in the Val d’Aran, a very easy excursion and ideal to go with children.


Route: 1.2Km. Difficulty: Low

At the height of the town of Pont d’Arròs, we take the track by car that will take us to the Plan des Artiguetes, from where we will begin the route. The most adventurous can start the walk from this same point, which will extend their itinerary up to 12 kilometers.

Once in the Plan de Artiguetes, we begin the ascent towards the Saut deth Pish waterfall through the beautiful and narrow Varradòs valley, populated by lush forests of beech and fir trees. After crossing the Varradòs bridge, we will come across a sign that we must follow to the left towards the waterfall.

The Saut deth Pish is the most representative waterfall in the Aran Valley and is formed by two waterfalls. The main and most spectacular one throws water from a height of about 20 meters, while the smaller one does so from just 5 meters.

This tour, which will not take more than an hour, is perfect for going with children or elderly people who are not too keen on walking. It is not necessary to be equipped with more than comfortable clothing and footwear for the mountains.

Senderismo de montaña en Pirineos

2nd Artiga de Lin and Uelhs deth Joèu

In the summer season (from July 20 to September 10), access with vehicles is restricted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., only authorized vehicles can access, for this purpose a parking area has been enabled and if you do not want to walk the approx. 3 km to the Pla de la Artiga you can take the tourist train.
In 2018 the Artiga de Lin interpretation center was inaugurated, which you can visit in the summer season (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

The Interpretation Center of the Artiga de Lin takes a tour through different areas of the area from the glaciations that shaped the Ribera de la Artiga 50,000 years ago, to the native fauna and flora, passing through the birth and the Uelhs deth Joeu, the history of the Hermitage of the Artiga de Lin and the old Hospital, the route of Es Bordes, of shepherds, traffickers, hikers and refugees, since it was one of the routes used by people who managed to escape from the Nazis during the Second World War, the curiosities of insects and the family hiking routes that can be carried out.
The Artiga de Lin Interpretation Center offers the user an interactive visit that uses audiovisual and new technologies to transmit every last detail of the visit.”

Route: 3km – Difficulty: Low

Artiga de Lin is one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in the Aran Valley, full of hazel, oak, fir and beech trees. The route that we propose through the area is a circular excursion of one hour or an hour and a half that will take us to the side of the Joèu river (Uelhs deth Joèu), to the Artiga de Lin refuge and to the Pomèro waterfall.

To get to the starting point, we will take the paved road towards the Joèu river valley from the town of Es Bòrdes. 7 Kilometers later, we will leave our vehicle in the Uelhs deth Joèu car park. You can also get to Artiga from Gausach but the most comfortable way is from Es Bòrdes

Along the way we can enjoy the spectacular waterfall of the Uelhs deth Joèu, we will cross a metal bridge ascending along a path with trunk steps, we will pass next to the Artiga de Lin refuge and we will finish with the Pomèro waterfall. As it is a circular route, we will end at the same starting point.

This route is a bit longer, but there will be no problem in being able to enjoy it as a family.

From the Artiga de Lin you can do other high mountain routes for the most mountaineers, among them the Aranese Route of the Aneto through the Còth deth Hòro (approx. 9 hours).

rutas de senderismo por el valle de aran

3rd Bassa d’Oles and Varicauba forest

Route: 0.7km – Difficulty: Low

Easy and short route suitable for all ages and that surrounds the small lake of Bassa d’Oles through the thick forest of fir and red pine trees of Varicauba. Even ideal for mountain biking, as it joins two circuits widely used by lovers of two wheels. Ideal family excursion, it is very close to Vielha, and if you go early do not rule out seeing some roe deer, it will delight the little ones because you will see ducks in the same lake

To get to the Bassa d’Oles by vehicle, we take the paved track that crosses the Varicauba forest, starting from the town of Gausac. This track also leads to Artiga de Lin, passing through Plan Batalher and Guardadèr de Betlan.

In addition to walking, you can take advantage of this environment to spend the day with the family, play or have a most entertaining picnic

Senderismo en pirineos y valle de Arán

4th Sanctuary of Montgarri

It is an easy route for the whole family, which can be done all year round.
It is an old sanctuary surrounded by a spectacular landscape, it is beautiful (postcard landscape), it can be done at any time of the year, and depending on how much you like to walk you can do the approx. 13 km (round trip) from the Beret car park along the path that starts to the left of the car park, or you can go with the car (which is not too low) along the forest track (it is not paved but they always fix it before the month of July) and you will reach an area where you can park the car and go down the path to Montgarri, if your car is 4*4 you can get to the same sanctuary.
For bicycle lovers this route is fantastic, (medium difficulty) and you could continue to Isil, Esterri d’Aneu and return through the Puerto de la Bonaigua (I advise someone to pick you up in Esterri or Valencia d’Aneu that the ascent of the Puerto de la Bonaigua is quite hard).

In Montgarri there are two mountain refuges where you can eat, have a drink…. They are;
– Amics de Montgarri (located next to the Church) (they organize excursions with snowmobiles, dog sledding, snowshoes…..)
– Casa Vall de Montgarri

In winter you can reach Montgarri practicing cross-country skiing, by snowmobile, dog sled or snowshoes.
You can take a snowshoe excursion on full moon nights, fantastic (regarding snowshoes there are companies that organize outings with a guide, but you can rent some snowshoes yourself and do the excursion without any problem).

Practica senderismo en el valle de Arán
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Author: Totiarán

At Totiaran, we know the Aran Valley like the back of our hand. We have been managing vacation rentals for years with a professional, close, and fully adapted approach to this unique destination. We select each accommodation, take care of every detail, and support both owners and travelers to guarantee quality, authentic, and worry-free stays. Our local experience is the foundation that allows us to offer trust, results, and a way to experience the Aran Valley as it deserves.