Archive for the ‘Andorra’ Category

Ordino

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

The city Ordino is the most northerly parish in the Principality of Andorra, located between the capital Andorra La Vella and France. Other nearby settlements include El Serrat, Ansalonga, Sornàs, La Cortinada, Llorts, Segudet, and Arans. With a population of 4 thousand people as of latest measurement its one of the smallest cities in the country though it covers the largest area within the country.

The town of Ordino lies on the foot slopes of the Casamanya, a 8980 ft. tall mountain. As Ordino’s exact geographic location is in the center of Andorra it gives a spectacular panoramic view on several nearby cities as Andorra La Vella and Arinsal. The most important reason for Ordino to have tourists returning every October since 1983 is the International Narciso Yepes Festival which is a series of classical music concerts. The festival was once started by the guitarist Narciso Yepes, and later named after him. Ordino has a lot of small and narrow street with local bars and pubs, drinks are rather low prices, the town isn’t use to much tourists and hasn’t adjust yet to these standards.

The parish area of Ordino borders not only with France, but also other parishes of La Massana, Canillo, and Encamp. Each has its own unique kind and factors, when looking to travel outside Ordino it’s recommended to visit any of these settlements, to be amazed by the locals and their daily habits. In the extreme northwest at the height of 8612 ft. lies the ski resort Vallnord Ordino-Arcalis.

American and European citizens can enter Andorra after showing their valid passport and a return ticket to immigration. If the duration of your stay does not exceed 90 days, there’s no requirement for any type of visa. In general the city of Ordino has a low crime rate.

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Encamp

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Encamp is a town in the parish Encamp in the northeast of Andorra, it’s situated between Andorra la Vella and the French boarder at Pas de la Casa and located on the banks of the Valira river and connected to a 4 miles long cable car to Lake Engolasters. As of latest measurement the parish has a population of 12 thousand people.

The main town shares the same name Encamp and is about 3 miles away from the capital city of Andorra, Andorra la Vella. The highest mountain in Encamp is Pic del Pessons with a height of 9400 ft. The economy of Encamp is mostly based on the tourism industry with as biggest categories skiing and hiking. There’s also a retail industry for skiing and hiking stores, covering a lot of local stores. Several supermarkets and post offices are spread out over the town.

Local transportation within the town could be done by car or foot. In the town there’s a road tunnel which connects Encamp with Anyós in the neighboring parish La Massana, it cuts down a 45 minutes journey to just 5 minutes going through the tunnel. When staying in the town, or passing by there’s several of local sightseeing worth seeing including historical and cultural ones. One of them is the historical complex at les Bons, consisting of a Church Sant Roma, defense tower, water tank with irrigation channel to cut rock and the remains of a fortified house from the beginning of the Middle Ages. During the months from July to August there’s free guided tours.

American and European citizens can enter Andorra after showing their valid passport and a return ticket to immigration. If the duration of your stay does not exceed 90 days, there’s no requirement for any type of visa. In general the city of Encamp has a low crime rate.

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Escaldes Engordany

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Escaldes Engordany is one of the parishes and administrative divisions of Andorra la Vella. The parish composed of the following areas including les Escaldes, Engordany, Vilars d’Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of latest measurement the parish has a population of 20 thousand people.

The main city shares the same name Escaldes Engordany and is about 1 mile away from the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella. It’s also situated on the road to La Massana and Ordino. One of the notable events being hold and also one of the reasons travelers visit and come back to the city is the yearly is the annual Jazz Festival. The city of Escaldes Engordany is of pretty small size, it’s easy to get around by foot. Besides, the greater part of the town is stretched towards Spain and the east, which is wonderful playground for walks heading towards Riu Madriu, Pics del Pessons and Coll de Vall Civera where in certain areas several beautiful lakes are located.

When in or around the city it’s advised to visit the local sightseeing including the Sant Miquel d’Engolasters which is a Romanesque style church dated from 12th century which was recently restored. Walk by the Casa Crue on 67 Carlemany Street, and a unique style home address from the 1930s designed by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. When looking for time to relax, visit Roc del Metge which is a hot spa, considered to be one of the hottest spa’s in Europe with heat up to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

American and European citizens can enter Andorra after showing their valid passport and a return ticket to immigration. If the duration of your stay does not exceed 90 days, there’s no requirement for any type of visa. In general the city of Escaldes Engordany has a low crime rate.

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Arinsal

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Arinsal is a village located at the head of valley with small mountainous and rocky landscapes in the Pyrenees mountains of Andorra, Europe. Nowadays the village is known as a ski resort which has shown significant growth in the recent years which attracted new hotels and restaurants owners to this area. The ski resort is only seasonal and pretty much everything is closed once the season is over. The Arinsal Ski Resort is very popular with foreign travelers.

The city of Arinsal can easily be reached by car through the main road up from La Massana which originally comes from Andorra La Vella within 10 minutes. If you prefer public transport, you can choose to travel by bus. Be sure to check the time schedule since its not a daily service.

Arinsal is a good city for outdoor activities, besides skiing for novice and intermediate skier it possible to take a long walk and enjoy the mountain scenery, or to go up hiking and climbing the mountains. All over the town there’s ski and snowboard stores along with a couple of supermarkets, if you go to Andorra for shopping purposes you’re better of visiting Andorra la Vella for duty free shopping at department stores. During off and/or no season months the area is suitable for hiking and/or biking around the mountains.

If you are an American citizen seeking to enter Andorra, Arinsal you will need a valid passport. You also need to present a return ticket from Andorra towards an foreign destination. You can stay up with 90 days without the need of any visa.

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Andorra la Vella

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

To be the only town of a tiny principality must be something special. Because of being the only town, Andorra la Vella is understandably the capital of Andorra. Andorra la Vella is nestled between France and Spain. Though only 11.6 square miles, this city earns money from tourism and from its local products, which are brandy and furniture. According to the latest measurement, the tiny city’s population is a mere 23 thousand.

Andorra la Vella is all about embracing the present, with its focus on business involving luxury items and electronics. This does not mean, however, that history is not taking a peek. Why not? The very name Andorra la Vella means “Andorra the Old”. If you walk the streets of the city, you will find old stone streets and historic buildings. This is quite the opposite of the central city, which is where the ultra-modern, shiny buildings are located. Having both worlds in a tiny city is part of the Andorra la Vella surprise.

Although Andorra la Vella is a capital city, it is three hours away from the nearest airport. So if you want to visit the place, you need to have your flights connected to a final stop at airports in Barcelona, Girona, Perpignan or Toulouse. From any of those stops, you can finally travel by land to Andorra la Vella. When in the city, prepare yourself for some crazy traffic. If you tend to get easily frustrated in such situations, you may need to ride a bus or hail a taxi instead of driving yourself. The average temperature in Andorra la Vella varies from a very cold 28 degrees Fahrenheit to a mild 73 degrees Fahrenheit. It is best to visit the place during the summer months.

If you are an American seeking to enter Andorra, you will need a valid passport. You also need to present a return ticket from Andorra. If you are staying only up to three months, you wont need any visa. Within 10 minutes driving of Arinsal which is a popular travel destination for skiing in Andorra.

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