Travel Spain With Sophie (Guest Series: 19)

Hi there, I'm Sophie. This year has been crazy and travelling hasn't been easy, but luckily I was able to escape the craziness for two weeks in July. I'll be taking you on a trip to Spain in this post. 

After our trip to America had been cancelled, we decided to search for something a bit closer to home. We eventually booked an adventurous holiday in Spain and we would be driving through France to get there. We drove about four day sand we visited lots of beautiful cities on the way.

Day 1

As we left the big cities for the Pyrenees, we knew we were getting close to our final destination. We drove through the mountains on narrow roads with hair pin turns. Not the best if you get carsick easily, but I survived! We drove through the little village Bourisp and stopped at a small bakery. They had the best snacks for on the road! Later on we drove through the tunnel of Aragnouet-Bielsa. In this tunnel you cross the border of France and Spain. Our final destination was coming very close now, so we drove right to Aínsa from there. We were finally in Spain so our adventurous holiday could begin.

Before dinner, we checked in at the hotel. We had a little apartment, because my brother had injured his knee right before the trip and he would be spending quite some time there. It was basic, but had everything you need for a comfortable stay. 

We were ready for a lovely Spanish meal by now, so we went to a restaurant named Ordesa 88. The food was good and the weather was nice, for a while... Just before we paid it started raining. No big deal, you would think. Well I agree, until it starts hailing. I honestly thought the cars would have dents all over them at the end. A warm welcome, right? So that was our first day in Spain. 

Bakery: Le fournil de l'Ours, Bourisp

Restaurant: Ordesa 88, Aínsa

Hotel: Apartamentos Dos Rios, Aínsa

Day 2

Today we had our first activity planned. We would be going canyoning. I had never done this before, but it was AMAZING. I love adventure and would recommend this activity to everyone who likes a little challenge. There were jumps, slides and beautiful views. We went canyoning with a company called Aventura Entremontes. The best thing about adventures with this company is that they organised them in small groups. In the canyon (CanyonAñisclo) we would come across other companies with more than twenty tourists, while we were just a group of three and a guide. Besides canyoning, they also Organised rafting, climbing, hiking and so much more. The picture below is a screenshot from a GoPro video I made, check it out on Instagram! 

Also important: The company does everything to keep you safe. For example, they gave us waterproof masks to wear in the canyon and the guide wore one the whole time. The guide explain show you walk safely through the canyon and helps you in difficult spots. Our guide also gave us some information about some special plants and other things that we saw in the canyon.

After an exhausting, but fun day we ate dinner in the restaurant of our hotel. It was cosy (but safe) and the food was good. I really recommend the brownie with ice cream for dessert! It was not expensive at all, for about 25 euros you had an appetizer, main course and dessert.

Guiding company: Aventura Entremontes, Aínsa

Restaurant: Restaurante Dos Rios, Aínsa

Day 3

We started the day early so we could explore the old village of Aínsa. The village was built on a hill, so to get there you have to climb a lot of steps. When you get up there, it is totally worth it. After walking through some small street sand passing the little church, you will find yourself on the Plaza Mayor (main square). There are lots of restaurants and souvenir shops. The Spanish like to do a siesta in the afternoon and they eat dinner at 8 at the earliest. Be sure to check the opening hours before going! The restaurant on the picture is called El Portal. We didn't go there, but it has good ratings and is not expensive, so it's worth a try!

Places to visit: The medieval village of Aínsa

Restaurant: El Portal, Aínsa

After our adventure in the morning we went stand-up paddling. It was relaxing, the sun was shining and the view was beautiful. This activity was with the same company as the canyoning, but is was a different guide this time. There were also two other people with us, but obviously it was easy to maintain a safe distance.

In the afternoon we did a siesta, like real Spanish people, but we wanted to go and see more of the old village. After an hour or so we went back there. This time we went to the castle on the other side of the village. We also ate tapas in a little restaurant that was called Bar Tapas L'alfil. The only picture I have from there is one with me on it, so here you go. The tapas were really good though. Ham, calamares, croquettes, Patatas bravas... they had it all. The plants on the wall and then arrow street also made it a cosy place to enjoy your tapas. 

Restaurant: Bar Tapas L'alfil, Aínsa

Day 4

On my brother's birthday we had no activities planned. We would just spend some time together as a family and eat lunch at a really good steak restaurant. Our guide from yesterday gave us some recommendations, so we tried one of them. We went to Casa Falceto and it did not disappoint. My brother and I shared a huge steak and it was the best one I ever had. 

Restaurant: RestauranteCasaFalceto, Aínsa

Day 5

Our activity was planned for 4 o'clock in the afternoon, so we started the day with a walk through Aínsa. The river Río Cincaflows right through the village and almost goes all the way to the French border.

In the afternoon a guide took us to the place where we would be rock climbing. I had done some wall climbing and rock climbing before, so our this activity was not new for me. It still was very challenging and exhausting as we climbed about 5 different routes. I think this was the least fun activity, but if you've never done it before you should definitely try it. There are different levels for you to try and it does give you a feeling of pride when you reach the top.

After such an exhausting activity we were hungry. We wanted to try another one of there commendation sour guide had gave us. This one was remote and to get there we had to drive on a long and narrow road. We had mixed feelings about this restaurant, but when we got there and the sun began to set, we were happy we made the effort. See for yourself... Oh and we discovered that the Spanish do not know what a small steak is. It was good, but the one in CasaFalceto was better.

Restaurant: RestauranteMerenderoGarcés, Labuerda

Day 6

Today we had our last activity planned. We were going canyoning again, but this time in a more challenging canyon (CanyonBarrosa). I do recommend going canyoning twice if you can. The first time you get to know the sport and you're very careful, but the second time you can enjoy it more and you're more confident.

As our last day in Spain came to an end, we were getting more and more excited for the last part of our trip, because we had some awesome stops planned on the way home.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. If you liked it and want to read more, you can find me on Blogger: https://phietravels.blogspot.com/

You can also find me on Instagram: @phietravels

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By: Sophie Fabry | Country: Belgium

Student(Engineering Technology)