Lleida

Llerida, the Garden of Catalonia and the Pyrenees

The province of Llerida covers the north west of Catalonia and it’s dominating feature, without a doubt are the beautiful Pyrenees, an area synonymous with nature, wildlife, spectacular scenery, peace and adventure.

To the south Llerida is mainly agricultural, where you’ll find some of Spain’s largest commercial orchards and can drive for mile upon mile through apple, pear and peach trees, a sight not to be missed when the trees are in blossom in the early spring.

Llerida is also home to the wine region of Costes de Segre, whose vineyards are now producing some of Catalonia’s best wines and are beginning to make the experts sit up and take notice.

The capital, also called Llerida, was the chief city of the Iberian tribe the Llergetes, who in ancient times defended it fiercely from Roman invaders. Its museums and cathedral are well worth visiting to find out all about the city’s rich history.

Unspoilt and largely off the tourist radar, Llerida is an ideal destination for nature lovers where the mountain paths of the Pyrenees provide the ultimate rural escape. If you love adventure and extreme sports this is definitely the place for you, with plenty of opportunity for rafting and canyoning, the high adrenaline sport of abseiling, jumping and swimming down wild mountain streams.

The Lleida Pyrenees

Stretching right across the north of Spain the beautiful mountain range of the Pyrenees reach their easternmost point in Girona as they drop down into the Mediterranean, but in the province of Llerida they are at their most spectacular, with many peaks over 3000 meters making up some of the most stunning scenery to be found anywhere in Spain. The main regions of the Lleida Pyrenees are La Cerdanya, the Vall d’Aran, Pallars Jussa and L’Alt Urgell

Aiguestortes National Park

The national park of Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici is without doubt one of Spain’ most spectacular and beautiful places. Home to many peaks over 3000 metres, more than 200 lakes, rivers, waterfalls and forest, it also has a fantastic range of wildlife.

Aiguestortes is an ideal place to explore for nature lovers and our comfortable hotels and B&B’s serve as the ideal base from which to explore everything. We have local guides on hand whose expert knowledge of the area gives an extra dimension to hikes and tours.

Mountain Adventure

From gentle paced to full blown high adrenaline, these are some of the most popular activities we can organise at locations all over the Pyrenees. Please get in touch for more details.

Guided fly fishing
Go fly fishing for mountain trout in unbeatable surroundings. Your English speaking guide is an expert of the many waters of the Pyrenees and he will make sure that you get plenty of bites. For the less expert there is help and advice on improving your casting and there are also classes available for beginners. Rods are provided and all fishing is catch and release.
Family fishing trips
Take the children out for an unforgettable day learning to fish in the wild. Your expert guide knows all the best spots and will share his skills on how to catch the fish there. Coarse or fly fishing, rods are provided and all fishing is catch and release.
Guided hiking
Explore the Pyrenees in the company of an expert local walking guide. Go in search of local fauna and flora on interpretative trails and find out all about the features that
Ancient forest walks
Guided walks in the region’s ancient forest with a specialist guide who follows the practice of the Japanese tradition of Shinrin Yoku, which is an immersion in nature that focuses on stress relief and the curative power of your surroundings, which your guide explains along the way.
Canyoning and Rafting
The Pyrenees are ideal for rafting and canyoning (the sport of abseiling down streams and gullies with waterfalls) so if more extreme experiences are your thing we can arrange them for you at a number of different locations. We partner with the best and most experienced operators wh. pioneered these sports in Spain and have over 30 years experience.
Skiing
Catalonia has 12 ski resorts in the Pyrenees and the biggest of them, Baqueira Beret has some of the best skiing in Europe, with over 150 km of slopes, off piste skiing and heli-skiing on offer. For more information about skiing holidays, please see our Ski Page

Catalan Romanesque

The Catalan Pyrenees boast a higher concentration of Romanesque art and architecture than anywhere else in Europe. Most valleys are home to a Romanesque church and there are also many hermitages and monasteries scattered over the mountains.

Of particular value are the medieval frescos the churches housed, though a lot these were unfortunately sold at the beginning of the 20th century with many going to museums and private collections in the US.
The nine churches of the Boi valley, which are a World Heritage site, resisted this trade though and while their original frescos are now safely on show in Barcelona excellent copies of the paintings can be enjoyed in their original settings.

These 11th and 12 centuries treasures are worthy of a holiday in their own right and you can do just that on one of our tours that takes you to the best of them. You’ll stay at charming places on route and you’ll get to enjoy the best local food.