Juberri, the last village before Catalonia

Juberri sits on the southern slope of the Sant Julià de Lòria valley, almost within sight of Catalonia, and it holds a small but rather charming record. Its church, Sant Esteve, is the southernmost in the whole Principality. That alone is enough to get me up the hill, and then the village adds its gardens and a woodland path from town.

Sant Esteve, the country’s last church

Sant Esteve de Juberri stands on a slope with a sweeping view of the valley. It follows the plain pattern of most Andorran churches, with a rectangular nave, semicircular apse, bell gable and slate roof. What sets it apart is the ground. The apse is half-buried by the hillside and faces due east, which exaggerates the sense of height inside. As with many buildings here, the north wall, the side that takes the tramuntana wind, has no openings at all.

Andorra Turisme highlights the jumble of stones of every size and type, which gives the church a very rustic look, and on those features dates it to the late 11th or early 12th century. There are no published opening hours, so to see inside I’d call the Sant Julià tourist office first. If you only see it from outside, look for that sunken apse, because that’s what makes it distinctive.

The gardens next door

A few steps from the church are the Juberri Gardens, with geometric beds, water features and animal sculptures that Andorra Turisme recommends as a family outing. They get their own page because they’re what most visitors search for, and there I set out what’s known about opening times and access.

Walking up on the Senyoreta path

The Senyoreta path starts at La Riberola, kilometre 8.5 of the main road, and climbs hard through the woods to Juberri, arriving beside some fields. It’s the same route as Sant Julià Màgica, the family trail built around the legend of the White Lady. From Juberri you can carry on to Auvinyà, another village perched above the valley, or pick up the trail route that links Juberri with the woods of La Rabassa, home of Naturland.

If you’re looking for the Juberri animals

Plenty of people arrive in Juberri searching for its animals, so it’s worth being clear to avoid disappointment. It isn’t a zoo. They’re the garden sculptures, largely designed by Àngel Calvente according to Andorra Turisme’s former listing, with strikingly lifelike horses, elephants, a gorilla, a giant panda and giraffes among the clipped hedges. Children love them all the same, and I find them a cheerful way to finish after the church. If it’s a family day, the natural pairing is the Tobotronc coaster at Naturland Andorra, a few kilometres away, and between the two you’ve filled a morning without going anywhere near the shops.