L'Aldosa in La Massana, barns and horses

There are two L’Aldosas in Andorra, and this is the one in La Massana. The other, L’Aldosa de Canillo, lies in the eastern valley, so if that’s the one you were after, you’re in the wrong place. This one is small and quiet, and it has something no other village in the parish has, the riding club.

A village of barns on the hillside

L’Aldosa sits on the slope rising from La Massana, and the CS-335 links it with Anyós. The Comú describes it as a place of contrasting colours, with scenery best enjoyed on foot or on horseback. Its tourism website adds that it has kept its mountain character, with distinctive Pyrenean houses and barns.

I won’t sell you what isn’t there. It has no museum, and no church on Andorra Turisme’s list of the country’s places of worship. What it does have is peace a short hop from town and the parish’s best starting point for a ride.

What is there to do in L’Aldosa?

Club Hípico La Aldosa is in the village, at 1,250 m, and according to Andorra Turisme it has been going for more than 20 years. It runs a riding school, beginner lessons, jumping, dressage and trekking, and a good range of outings, on cross-bred Spanish horses chosen for their temperament in high mountains.

To start, the one-hour loop round La Massana, along the Molleres path and the Giberga slopes, is designed for people with little or no experience. The two-hour ride climbs through Anyós and the Solà path, with a gallop of over a kilometre, and calls for intermediate riders. In summer there are guided rides every day through Comapedrosa Natural Park, for all ages. I compare it with the other centres in horse riding in Andorra.

With children, the club has ponies for ages 2 to 10 and half-hour pony rides or taster sessions. To my mind it’s among the best family activities in the whole valley, and far better value for a small child’s attention span than a long walk.

On foot to the Estall col

L’Aldosa is also the end point of a walk. Andorra Turisme suggests setting off from km 1 of the CS-335, climbing the Solà path and the Cortals d’Anyós to the Estall col, then coming back down the Gonarda road to L’Aldosa. It’s under 8 km and about 4 hours, graded moderate.

Getting there and where to stay

You drive up from La Massana on the L’Aldosa road, where the riding club itself is. There’s a small place or two to stay in the village, such as the Residencia Aldosa, which the Comú’s website places on a little traffic-free square, but most of the choice is down in town. The areas are compared in hotels in La Massana.