Hike the Catalan Pyrenees
Spain's Top 20 Adventures
It's called the Parque Nacional D'Aiguestortes/Estany de Sant Maurici, but don't let the long name deter you. Within the park's 50 square miles are more than 50 lakes and ponds, fed by waterfalls and icy streams (the "twisting waters" of the park's title). Leave behind its two main glacial valleys, scoured and eroded over 2 million years, and head up high. Woods of pine and fir give way to alpine grassland, then granite and slate, soaring all the way to 8,000-foot-plus peaks. From Espot at the park's eastern limit, there's inspiring trekking for just a day or up to a week. For the latter, you can overnight at a selection of the park's 11 refugios and take either a circular loop or walk westward, exiting via the Vall d'Aran.
