Page 232 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

230  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

SPORTS AND OUTDOOR

ACTIVITIES

Thanks to its diverse geography and Andorra and Catalonia, outdoor activities
temperate climate, Northern Spain is an ideal are possible all year round. Hiking and
destination for outdoor enthu siasts. The climbing are popular in summer, while
Atlantic coast offers excellent opportunities in winter skiers can take advantage of the
for water sports, especially windsurfing, numerous well-maintained pistes. Northern
while inland, rafting and canoeing trips are Spain’s verdant landscapes can also be
organized along fast-flowing highland rivers. explored on horseback or by bicycle,
In the Pyrenees, spanning Navarra, Aragón, thanks to an extensive network of trails.

Aerial Sports
“Historical Trail”, which starts at
the ruins of Empúries, on the The best way to take in
Mediterranean coast near Northern Spain’s landscape
Girona, and proceeds to Cabo is to view it from above, and
Fisterra (Cape Finisterre) in this part of the country
Galicia, via the Pyrenees, the provides an excellent
Basque Country, the northern environment for aerial sports
part of Burgos province and enthusiasts. For those who
the Pilgrims’ Road to Santiago. have forever been fascinated
The GR 1 reflects the philo­ by birds’ ability to fly,
sophy behind the planning paragliding and hang­gliding
of hiking trails in Spain, which are two excellent options.
is based on linking active Paragliding is especially
leisure with culture and popular on account of the
sightseeing. This philosophy is beautiful mountain scenery.
visible, too, in the GR 12 Euskal The Real Federación
A trail through the Parc Nacional Herria (Basque Country) trail, Aeronáutica Española will
d’Aigüestortes in the Pyrenees which incor porates the most send information about
important places associated Spanish airfields and clubs
Walking and Trekking with Basque culture. Another where visitors can practise
The most accessible form of trail well worth taking is the GR flying, gliding and parachuting.
leisure activity in Northern 11 (Pyrenean Trail), which goes The organization also provides
Spain is walking, particularly from Hondarribia, through information on the best
mountain­walking. Its Elizondo, Roncesvalles, locations for ballooning, hang­
increasing popularity is due Ochagavía and Isaba in gliding and paragliding.
largely to the preponderance Navarra, the Ordesa valley, A foreign private pilot’s
of well­marked trails, good Andorra and Puigcerdà to licence is valid in Spain for
accommodation and excellent Cap de Creus in Catalonia. a maximum of six months.
guides. There are scenic trails
throughout the mountains of
Northern Spain, particularly in
the Pyrenees, as well as in the
Cantabrian Mountains, from
the Ancares range on the
border of Galicia, León and
Asturias, through the Picos de
Europa in the northern reaches
of the Iberian Mountains.
The principal network of
marked trails includes Major
Trails (Grandes Rutas or GR,
marked by red­and­white
signs) and Minor Trails
(Pequeñas Rutas or PR, marked
by white­and­yellow signs).
One of the most famous trails
is GR 1, also known as the Paragliding above the Vall d’Aran in the eastern Pyrenees

230-231__Pract_.indd 230 13/09/16 5:28 pm