Skiing highs
With 11 ski resorts in the high Pyrenees, over 450km of ski slopes, 81 ski lifts and an uplift capacity of 115,000 skiers per hour – not to mention some of the heaviest snowfalls in Europe over the last few seasons – Lleida’s snowsport credentials are undeniable. With charter flights now using the regional airport at Lleida-Alguaire, transfer times to the mainly family-oriented resorts are short too.
Hiking heaven
This mountainous region boasts some of the most dramatic and beautiful walking and hiking locations in the Pyrenees mountain range, and an extensive network of walking routes to explore them by. Long distance Grand Randonnee routes include the Catalan section of the famous Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago) and The Good Men’s Way (Cami dels Bons Homes), a trans-Pyrenean itinerary of around 200km (GR-107).
Biking bliss
Lleida has more than 2,300km of marked trails for mountain bikers, including the magnificent Pedals of Fire, a circuit around the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The park is blanketed with fir trees and ancient forests of Corsican pine, watered by almost 200 mountain lakes, and is a refuge for species such as chamois, capercaillie, marmot and the mythical lammergeier or bearded vulture.
Wet and wild!
In the spring, all that abundant winter snow melt brings to life the fast-flowing waters of the rivers Noguera Ribagorçana, Noguera Pallaresa, and Segre for adrenalin sport seekers. These rivers are ideal for water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, and in particular white-water rafting. The remote Aran Valley in the north-western tip of the province is particularly good for rafting with its wild river Garona a favourite.
For more information on these and countless other reasons to visit this spectacular Spanish province, see aralleida.com
