Stage 1: Andorra to first camp
I had read about the famous Smugglers Route leading over a pass from Valnord in Andorra down to Alins in Spain. Driving this route meant going in the opposite direction to the Mediterranean, but it didn’t matter, we had plenty of time. I found a 4WD gpx file on Wikiloc that we could pick up and follow to the coast.
It was to be a mix of asphalt and dirt roads, snaking around in a rough easterly direction. We had no deadlines to work to, so it would take as long as we wanted. There were plenty of towns along the route for us to resupply. We would spend a few hours going through some remote areas on dirt roads, then pop out onto an asphalt road that would take us to the next dirt road. I’d say it was an approximate 50-50 ratio of tar to dirt.
We filled up the 140-litre tank with duty-free diesel and headed across to Valnord to the start of the trail. Upon reaching the pass at the Spanish border, the road changed from smooth tar to gravel. We followed the route as it snaked down the side of the mountain into the valley below, and through to Alins. It is really beautiful here, and a worthwhile addition to any itinerary. I was surprised to see a 3 series BMW heading up the gravel road towards us, they would have probably driven up from Alins. If a rear-wheel drive BMW can make it up this road then most cars could also do it. It wouldn’t do the car much good though!
Off-road Smugglers Route to Alins
From Alins we rejoined the tar road and headed south. On Google Maps I had seen a reservoir to the south which had some nice prospects for a wild camp spot. I wanted our camp spots to be on lakeshores so we have nice views. In fulfilling this criteria we drove past many otherwise suitable camp spots. In the Pyrenees, you don’t have to look hard to find a suitable camp spot, especially with a 4×4.
We then found what was to be our favorite campsite of the whole trip. It had everything we needed: a remote location, dark skies, access to clean water, and beautiful views. That evening we had front row seats to the Perseids meteor shower. A truly memorable night!
Stage 2: Through the wild Cadi Moixero
Day 2 of our off-road trip took us through the remote Cadi Moixero Nature Reserve, a refuge for the Pyrenean Brown Bear and Wolves. The forests stretch for miles in all directions, the mountain passes are remote, and the gravel roads are well-graded.
Our camping spot for the night was again on the edge of a reservoir. After driving around the whole reservoir we finally found a place. This spot was fine, but we couldn’t get down to the river below us: The reservoir was so low that the stream running through it had steep muddy banks that prevented us from bathing in the water.
Alins to Cadi Moixero
Stage 3: A little off-roading, then tarmac to the beach
The next day we continued heading east, coming across a more challenging gravel road along the way. It was a blur of forests, mountain passes and twisty gravel roads through some very remote areas. Its amazing here. We found a nice secluded camping spot in a forest next to a small shaded river. It was nice to wash in some cool clear water. There were a lot of cars coming past us throughout the afternoon, it wasn’t as remote as I had originally thought. Looking at the map, its hard to see where all this traffic was coming from or going to. But a very pleasant night camping nonetheless.
The 4WD route that we were following was taking us longer than expected. At our current pace, it would take us another 3 days of driving on dirt roads to reach the coast. I was more than happy to do this, but Suma and the kids were starting to have their fill of slowly trundling through forests along bumpy dirt roads. So that evening around the campsite we decided to hit the asphalt road to the coast and go hang out on a beach for a while.
Drive to the Med – Roses
Stage 4: Mediterranean beach resorts: Roses, Port De La Vall & Argeles-Sur-Mer
The drive from our last campsite in the Pyrenees to the coast was uneventful. We arrived in the Costa Brava resort of Roses, and started to look for a hotel or lodgings. On the way to look at a cheap hotel, we came across Camping Joncar Roses. It is a small campsite in the middle of the resort, 2 blocks back from the beach. The pool is great, the toilets and shower area is clean and the pitches are partly shaded.
We decided to stay here for 2 nights. Being so close to town was great. We were within easy walking distance of a great beach, bars, shops, and restaurants. It felt like we were on a package holiday. A big contrast to the past few days of remote bushwacking.
Roses is a lovely resort. Being so close to France, it mostly caters to French tourists. It is a lot classier than the package-tour destinations further south which are full of drunk Brits. We had a couple of very pleasant evenings strolling the promenade, the kids were happy enough to be left watching Rambo movies on the laptop in the tent. There was even a Shisha bar on the beach, serving drinks, food and tasty Shisha until late.
It was extremely hot here though. During the day, the only way to keep cool was by swimming in the sea, the pool, or by taking cold showers. The shade-awning was very useful. The roof-top tent was really hot at night too. After a night of uncomfortably hot sleep, I unzipped the flysheet. This allowed more airflow through the tent and made it easier to sleep.
We moved a short distance along the coast and soon found a nice campsite: Camping Port De La Vall. This was about a 1.5-mile walk down a promenade to a quiet fishing/tourist village: El Port De La Selva. We stayed here for 2 nights before moving on to our next stop: Argeles-sur-mer over the border in France.
We booked 2 nights at the Camping Roussillonnais site. It was a fairly short walk into the lively and classy Argeles Plage resort. Unfortunately, the large toilet, washing, and shower block had some plumbing issues which made everything smell of turds. We cut our stay here short and left the next morning.
I had originally planned to head back towards the UK via the Route Des Grande Alpes, driving from Nice to Geneva. On the way, I wanted to do some more hiking and mountain biking in the Alps, around Bourg-St-Maurice. The weather forecast for the Alps was not looking good. We were approaching late August, and the weather starts changing in the Alps this late in the summer. There were storms forecast, and some areas were flooded.
A rethink of our plan was in order. I had heard that the Ardeche region of Southern France was a place worth visiting. The weather forecast for the Ardeche was looking good…
