# Andorra la Vella and Escaldes Andorra's capital and Escaldes: Caldea from €31, the Casa de la Vall, the Romanesque church of Santa Coloma, the Madriu valley on foot and where to eat and sleep. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/andorra/andorra-la-vella · Revisado: 2026-11-13 Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany are in practice a single city, split by the River Valira, at the bottom of the valley where the country's roads meet. It is the part of Andorra that works in any month: shops on Avinguda Meritxell and Carlemany, Caldea for a rainy afternoon, the old town with the Casa de la Vall and, for anyone who wants the mountains without taking the car, the Madriu valley, which starts on foot from Escaldes. ## How do you get to the capital? Via La Seu d'Urgell and the Sant Julià de Lòria customs post: the Comú gives 185 km from Lleida and 208 from Barcelona. From Lleida you go up the C-14, through Ponts and Organyà; from Barcelona, by the same C-14 or by the C-16, the Cadí tunnel and the Cerdanya. Carry your ID card or passport: there is a check. Without a car, several bus companies link the city with Barcelona, its airport and Lleida; Caldea lists Andorra Direct Bus, Alsa, Novatel, Autocars Nadal and Andbus. Once there, leave the car. The Comú manages 21 public car parks with more than 4,500 spaces, and the Centre Històric one gives the first half hour free. ## What to see in a day In the morning, the Barri Antic: the Casa de la Vall, the 16th-century manor house that was the seat of parliament until 2011, and the church of Sant Esteve, with free entry. Then, to the south, Santa Coloma and the Espai Columba, where a six-minute projection restores the 12th-century Romanesque paintings to the walls. In the afternoon, Caldea: three hours of thermal lagoons with the Classic ticket, from age 5. The Govern museums close on Mondays and on Sunday afternoons. If you arrive on a Monday, do Caldea and the walk. ## And the mountains? Without leaving the city. The Rec del Solà is an almost flat walk of nearly six kilometres beside an irrigation channel, halfway up the hillside, which can be done all year. The Madriu valley, a World Heritage site, climbs from Escaldes along cobbled paths, past bordes and mountain huts: the full route is 13.6 km and 1,180 metres, for fit walkers, but the first stretch, as far as Entremesaigües, is already worth the morning. From late June to September is when it is free of snow. If you are staying more days, Ordino and La Massana are a few minutes along the northern road, and Grandvalira climbs from Encamp. ## A hotel with parking or next to Caldea? To arrive by car and not think about parking, the Andorra Park Hotel, five stars with gardens and more than a hundred spaces, or the Hotel Cérvol, three stars on Avinguda Santa Coloma, with paid parking and a buffet dinner. If the plan is the water, the Termes Carlemany has thermal water throughout the building and is a short walk from Caldea. ## Where to eat in the capital Mountain and market cooking: canelons, kid, mountain rice dishes, chargrilled meats. The Celler d'en Toni has been cooking in the centre since 1964, and La Pérgola, the bistro at the Andorra Park, prepares steak tartare at the table. Check the menu: in Andorra prices may or may not include the IGI, the 4.5% tax. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Pyrenees - Cerca: La Massana (a 4.2 km), Ordino (a 5.5 km), Grandvalira (a 14.3 km), Cerdanya (a 34.4 km · Spain) ## Qué hacer - **Caldea, the thermal baths of Escaldes-Engordany** (3 h · Couples, families with children from age 5 and bad-weather days · Desde 31 € early-bird Classic ticket, 2 h): Caldea is the thermal spa of Escaldes-Engordany, beneath a pointed glass tower visible from all along Avinguda Carlemany. It is thermal water, it opens every day of the year except Christmas and it is the plan in Andorra that works in snow, in rain and in August. Which ticket to choose Classic, from age 5, is three hours in the large indoor lagoon, which flows outdoors, the panoramic lagoon, the Indo-Roman baths, the saunas, the hammam and the relaxation areas. Plus, from 12, adds a grapefruit and lemon bath, the solarium and the terrace. Premium, from age 16 and four hours, also opens the adults' spa: a three-level indoor lagoon, the Berlingot lagoon, the outdoor one with a waterfall and a chromatic sauna with a salt wall; it includes bathrobe, towel and flip-flops, and wellness workshops. For ages 3 to 8 there is a children's spa. How much does it cost? The price changes with the time slot. On the Classic, the cheapest is the early-bird one, two hours entering between 9:00 and 9:30, from €31; in the morning, from €46; in the afternoon, from €49.50; on Saturday night, two hours from €41. There is a weekday duo ticket, two hours for two, for €65. The Premium goes from €60 first thing to €82 for the whole day. The children's spa, from €22.50. Booking and entering The ticket is for a day and a time: you enter at that time, not before or after, and the time you spend changing counts within your hours. If you cancel 72 hours in advance you get a full refund. Until 23 November 2026, because of building work on the hotel going up next door, the outdoor lake opens on weekdays only from 14:30. What to bring Swimwear, a bikini or a burkini: you cannot enter in underwear or sportswear. Hair tied back; a swim cap is allowed, street flip-flops are not. With the Classic and Plus the bathrobe can be hired for €5.50 and the towel for €3.50; reusable water shoes are included. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 1.30 m wear the armbands the centre lends. Getting there and parking Caldea is in the Parc de la Mola, in Escaldes. Next door there is a covered public car park, independent of the centre, open 24 hours. On the way out, the Casa de la Vall and the Barri Antic are a stroll away, and for dinner you have the Celler d'en Toni. - **Casa de la Vall, Andorra's old parliament** (30 min · Everyone · Under-10s free · Desde 5 € general admission): The Casa de la Vall is a manor house from the late 16th century, that of the Busquets family, built on a rock overlooking the Valira valley, in the Barri Antic of Andorra la Vella. The Consell General, the Andorran parliament, bought it in 1702 and had its seat here until 2011: it brought together the representatives of the parishes and also served as a court. What you see On the ground floor, the old Criminal Court, with its wooden furniture. On the first floor, the Hall of Lost Steps, with 16th-century wall paintings, the session chamber, the kitchen, the bell that called the plenary sessions and the cupboard of the seven keys, where the country's documents were kept, among them a mid-18th-century manual on its history, government and customs. The attic on the second floor is now a multipurpose room. The self-guided visit is done with an audio guide. The building is not adapted for people with reduced mobility. Hours and tickets From January to May and from October to December it opens Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00. In June and September, Tuesday to Friday with the same hours, on Saturday until 20:00 and on Sunday morning. In July and August it stays open until 19:00 on weekdays. It closes on Mondays and on Sunday afternoons, and hours may change for official events. The ticket costs €5, €2.50 reduced, and under-10s do not pay. The guided tour adds €1.50. The Consell General presents the visit as guided, 30 minutes, with compulsory booking through the central booking office: call +376 839 760 or write to reservesmuseus@govern.ad before you go. Nearby You are in the centre of the Barri Antic: a couple of steps away, the church of Sant Esteve and the historic-centre tourist office, on Carrer de la Vall. If you want to stretch your legs, the Rec del Solà starts above the town. - **Santa Coloma and the Espai Columba, the Romanesque paintings of Andorra** (1 h · Everyone · Under-10s free · Desde 7 € general admission to the church and museum): Santa Coloma is a Romanesque ensemble in the neighbourhood of the same name, south of Andorra la Vella. Its wall paintings, from the 12th century and attributed to the circle of the Master of Santa Coloma, are no longer on the walls: they are kept in the Espai Columba, the museum of Andorran medieval art, and inside the church a six-minute projection puts them back in their place. Church, projection and museum The visit combines the two. In the church, the video mapping recreates the paintings on the walls where they once were. In the Espai Columba are the original murals from Santa Coloma and those from Sant Esteve, the church in the Barri Antic. There is an audio guide in Spanish, Catalan, French, English and German, and the museum is wheelchair accessible. The projection may affect people with epilepsy. Hours and price The same calendar as the Govern museums: from October to May, Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00; in summer also on Sunday morning and a little later on Saturdays. Projection times may change because of services. The ticket costs €7, €3.50 reduced; under-10s do not pay, and the guided visit adds €1.50 with booking on +376 839 760. Bus L1 or on foot along the river Santa Coloma is south of the capital, at Avinguda Verge del Remei, 19, on bus line L1. If you walk, the path from Santa Coloma to La Margineda follows the river for 3.9 km, an hour and a quarter, to the medieval bridge at La Margineda. - **Vall del Madriu from Escaldes, the World Heritage valley** (6 h · 13.6 km · Fit mountain walkers · Short stretch to Entremesaigües for everyone else · Free): The Madriu is the valley that opens above Escaldes and that UNESCO declared a World Heritage cultural landscape: bordes, farming terraces, cobbled paths and shepherds' huts in a valley without roads. And it starts on foot from Escaldes itself. The route Visit Andorra describes an itinerary of 13.6 km and 1,180 metres of ascent, taking 3 to 6 hours, which it rates as hard. It leaves Escaldes along the road to La Comella and La Plana, about thirty metres past the junction with the Engolasters road, signposted. It climbs to Entremesaigües, continues past Ràmio to the Fontverd refuge and carries on towards the Riu dels Orris and the Estany de Bova. You do not need to reach the end: Entremesaigües, the first confluence, is already a good half-morning walk. Mountain huts Fontverd, at 1,880 metres, is open all year, unstaffed, with about fourteen places, a fireplace and water nearby. Riu dels Orris, at 2,230, has ten places, also open to all. Higher up, L'Illa, at 2,488 metres, is the staffed hut, with about sixty places. Rules of the valley No motor vehicles are allowed in. Camping in some cases requires permission from the comú: ask at the Portal de la Vall. Follow the marked paths, close the gates, respect the livestock and do not feed the animals or the sheepdogs. From September to February it is hunting season: wear brightly coloured clothing. In May 2026 the valley answered a public question to say that dogs may enter on a lead. Before you set out The Portal de la Vall, in the Borda Gabriel on Carrer de l'Obac, in Escaldes, gives free information Monday to Friday: from 9:00 to 16:30 between Easter and 1 November, and from 8:00 to 15:00 in winter. In summer it organises free guided outings with registration, on +376 823 000. You can park at the Circuit de les Fonts car park, on the CS-200, on the Engolasters esplanade or on the La Plana road. - **The Rec del Solà, the flat walk above Andorra la Vella** (2 h 15 · 5.8 km · Families · Easy · All year · Free): A rec is an irrigation channel, and the Solà one runs halfway up the sunny side of Andorra la Vella, with an almost flat path beside it. It is the walk for someone in the city who wants an hour or two of mountains without climbing. The route The Comú rates it easy: 5.76 km from the Bonavista car park, about two and a quarter hours, with 90 metres of ascent and a maximum altitude of 1,115 metres. Visit Andorra starts it at the Sant Ermengol flats and gives it 5.13 km. It is part of the Anella Verda, the ring of paths around the city. Other Anella Verda walks On the other side of the valley, the Passeig del Rec de l'Obac is shorter: 3.34 km and an hour and a half, almost no climb, from the Serradells car park. And the path from Santa Coloma to La Margineda, 3.92 km, links the church of Santa Coloma with the medieval bridge at La Margineda. In any month It can be done all year; in winter, check for ice on the shaded stretches. Bring water. With a dog, on a lead. - **Church of Sant Esteve, in the Barri Antic** (20 min · Everyone · Free): Sant Esteve is the parish church of Andorra la Vella, on the Plaça del Bisbe Benlloch, in the Barri Antic, a few steps from the Casa de la Vall. Entry is free and so are the guided tours; the hours are those of worship, so avoid Mass times. What to see Some of its wall paintings are now kept in the Espai Columba, alongside those of Santa Coloma: if they interest you, complete the visit there. The church is not adapted for people with reduced mobility. How to fit it in It is a quarter-hour stop on a stroll round the old town, between the Casa de la Vall and the historic-centre tourist office, on Carrer de la Vall. To continue with medieval art, the Espai Columba is to the south of the city, in Santa Coloma. ## Dónde comer - **Celler d'en Toni** (Restaurant, Andorra la Vella, €€€). Qué pedir: the house canelons and the shoulder of kid, or the Galician entrecôte - **La Pérgola, Andorra Park Hotel** (Restaurant, Andorra la Vella, €€€). Qué pedir: the mountain rice with rib and black pudding, for two, or the Andorran chicken with foie gras ## By car: Andorra la Vella by car, with parking sorted You reach Andorra la Vella by car via La Seu d'Urgell and the Sant Julià de Lòria border: the Comú gives 185 km from Lleida and 208 from Barcelona. In the city, you leave the car and walk; there are plenty of public car parks, but a hotel with a space saves driving round in circles. The budget, per person and day, includes a shared hotel, lunch, dinner and a ticket to Caldea or a museum. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–220 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Andorra Park Hotel** (Spa hotel): Five stars with a garden in the capital The Andorra Park Hotel presents itself as Andorra's first five-star. It is on Carrer Les Canals in Andorra la Vella, surrounded by 15,000 m² of gardens, and has more than a hundred parking spaces, covered and outdoors, with valet parking and charging points for electric cars. The spa and the rest A spa with a heated indoor pool, sauna, hammam and jacuzzi; an outdoor pool in summer; a gym and padel courts. For eating, La Pérgola, its bistro restaurant, and La Pâtisserie, open from 8:00 to 1:00. There is 24-hour room service. Pets, times and what the website leaves out The website says it accepts pets, but does not publish the conditions, the check-in and check-out times or the number of rooms: ask when booking on +376 877 777, also by WhatsApp. Caldea is a walk along Avinguda Carlemany. - **Hotel Spa Termes Carlemany** (Spa hotel): Thermal water at home The Termes Carlemany is on Avinguda Carlemany in Escaldes-Engordany, the shopping street, a short walk from Caldea. It is a four-star of 33 rooms with thermal water throughout the building and its own spa, with jacuzzi, hammam and sauna, which guests use free; non-guests pay €15 an hour. From 20 June to 31 August an outdoor pool opens, at €4.75 a day for guests. The table Its restaurant has the Cuina Tradicional d'Andorra seal awarded by the Govern, with dinners from 20:00 to 22:30. Breakfast is a buffet, and the reception is open 24 hours. The car It has no garage in the building. It offers private paid spaces that it assigns day by day, without a guarantee: 22 outdoors 100 metres away, at €15 a day, and 11 covered 300 metres away, at €18. If you arrive late, think about a public car park. - **Hotel Cérvol** (Hotel): Practical, with parking The Cérvol is a three-star of the Nexta chain on Avinguda Santa Coloma in Andorra la Vella. It is the hotel for anyone arriving by car, dining at the hotel and wanting to head out early to the mountains or Caldea: it has parking, though at €22 a day and depending on the spaces left on arrival, with no booking, and an electric-car charging point. Meals and services The restaurant is a buffet: breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:30. It has a gym, and a sauna and hammam for €5.50 an hour, a 24-hour reception and a games room. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 11:00. Keep in mind Animals are not accepted. From here, the church of Santa Coloma is to the south, in the Santa Coloma neighbourhood. ### Servicios - **Centre Històric car park, P6A**: Covered car park with 160 spaces next to the Barri Antic · first half hour free · night rate €10.80 ## As a family: The capital with children, between water and flat walks Andorra la Vella and Escaldes work well with children if you mix a morning of water at Caldea with flat walks and short visits: the Govern museums do not charge under-10s, and the Anella Verda paths start in the city itself. ### What works best Caldea with the Classic ticket, from age 5; for ages 3 to 8, the children's spa, from €22.50 The Rec del Solà, almost flat, of which you can do just a stretch The six-minute projection at Santa Coloma, which puts the paintings back on the walls The Casa de la Vall, a short half-hour visit ### Where to sleep Andorra Park Hotel, with gardens and an outdoor pool in summer Hotel Cérvol, with a games room and a buffet dinner ### Where to eat La Pérgola, with XL canelons and rice dishes to share ### Keep in mind At Caldea, under-18s must be accompanied by an adult and children under 1.30 m wear armbands The Premium ticket and the adults' spa are from age 16 The whole Madriu is too much for children: stay at Entremesaigües ### Qué hacer as a family - Caldea, the thermal baths of Escaldes-Engordany - Casa de la Vall, Andorra's old parliament - Santa Coloma and the Espai Columba, the Romanesque paintings of Andorra - The Rec del Solà, the flat walk above Andorra la Vella ## Consejos ### Book Caldea in advance The ticket is for a day and a time; first thing in the morning is the cheapest. ### Check the museum calendar They close on Mondays and on Sunday afternoons. ### Keep the receipt for what you buy Andorra is not in the European Union and there are limits on what you take through customs. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### What is there to see in Andorra la Vella in a day? The Barri Antic with the Casa de la Vall and Sant Esteve, Santa Coloma and the Espai Columba, and Caldea in the afternoon. ### How much does Caldea cost? From €31 for the early-bird Classic ticket and from €60 for the Premium. ### Where can you park in Andorra la Vella? In the Comú's public car parks; the Centre Històric one gives the first half hour free. ### Can you go walking in the mountains from the city without a car? Yes: the Rec del Solà and the Madriu valley start on foot. ### How many kilometres is it from Barcelona to Andorra la Vella? 208 km, according to the Comú; from Lleida, 185.