THE PHOTO ESSAY

THE PHOTO ESSAY ANDORRA

TAX-FREE SHOPPING IN A COUNTRY WITH GREAT SKIING AND SPECTACULAR VIEWS

I travelled from Pamplona, Spain to the principality of Andorra, following the beautiful N260 national road in Spain for most of the six-hour drive. It is the northernmost east-west road in the country and is an incredibly scenic drive into Andorra. The views are spectacular as the route cuts through gorges and makes its way up and down the foothills of the Pyrenees.

By Michael Doherty

Michael Doherty is a film and television editor based in Toronto. He is also an avid traveller with a keen eye and some amazing experiences.

Andorra, the sixth smallest European state with a population of 77,000, lies 1,000 metres up in the Pyrenees mountains. It is bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. It is also the only country in the world with Catalan as the official language.

I stayed in the main city, Andorra La Vella, which lies in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. I travelled in late September, a perfect time to go, with few tourists and daytime temperatures between 23 and 25 Celsius. The city is easily walkable, with narrow streets in the oldest sections, and wider boulevards on the outskirts.

There is a wooden walkway that winds its way on a north/south axis, partway up the mountainside. It offers terrific views back down to the city and is an extremely comfortable hike in the early fall. The country has three national parks covering much of the land area and they are perfect for day hikes. Madriu-Perafita-Claror is the biggest, covering about 10 per cent of Andorra – it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Andorra’s national dish is escudella – a hearty stew made with meat and pasta shells. Snails are popular, as are wild boar and rabbit. These dishes are available in the very charming local restaurants.

For those who prefer winter travel, Andorra gets abundant snow in the winter and becomes a haven for ski lovers.

Andorra is a tax-free country, so it is a popular shopping destination for the French and Spanish. Though Andorra is not part of the European Union, the euro is the local currency.

I’ve travelled to 52 countries in the world so far. Andorra was number 51!