Madriu Perafita Claror Valley

Andorra's only UNESCO World Heritage listing, this site covers 9% of the total territory of Andorra and it represents the high Pyrenees at its most dramatic. What is most fascinating about the region is that man has lived and carved out a mountain culture here since medieval times. It's not 'virgin' or 'untouched', but rather it shows how man has learnt to coexist with nature in what is often an extreme environment. Here you’ll see both remnants of and complete terraces, irrigation ditches, huts, barns, and drystone walls, as man sought to work the land, raise animals and use the forest for wood.

But still nature reigns supreme, from residents such as the cheeky marmot and the muscular bearded vulture to the textbook examples of glacial geomorphology – how the glaciers and avalanches of the region have shaped the dramatic landscape. There are over 700 species of flowers and plants here to discover and a hike up to the refuge at Fontverd will have you wondering how such a small country can have such extraordinary natural wonders so close to its capital city – and be accessible on a half day hike.