Highlights
- Backpack the Carros de Foc hiking circuit in the Spanish Pyrenees
- Hike to spectacular views in the heart of the Pyrenees
- Kayak the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean
- Walk the fabled streets of Barcelona
Trip Details
- Start: Barcelona, Spain
- End: Barcelona, Spain
- Age Range: 15 - 18
- Cost: $5,399
Dates
Jul 11 - Jul 23 (Available)
Jul 27 - Aug 8 (Available)
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Trip Itinerary
The recipe for an incredible international adventure? Generously mix two cultures, three unique towns, palm trees, snowy peaks, and one world-class city. The result? Our Pyrenees Mountains & Coast trip. This adventure packs a huge amount of excitement and culture into thirteen days in Spain. You will experience Spanish and Catalan cultures – each proud, unique, and fascinating. As your adventure unfolds, you will hike through emerald forests and beneath towering peaks from your camp nestled in a deep mountain valley; you will climb past sparkling lakes and under snowy passes in Spain’s Aigüestortes National Park; you will sea kayak the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean; and you will cap it all off by exploring the fabled, lively streets of Barcelona.
The Mediterranean Coast: Kayaking in Sitges
After arriving into Barcelona’s international airport, we’ll transfer just down the coast to the Mediterranean town of Sitges. With the mountains of the Parc Natural del Garraf rising behind the town and world-class beaches dotting the coastline, Sitges makes for an ideal place to shake off that jetlag and head out on a sea kayaking adventure! We’ll spend a day out on the water with local guides, exploring crystal clear water and quiet coves before we set off for the heart of the Pyrenees.
Hiking From the Village of Port de la Selva
From the coast, we’ll transit to the Catalonia coastal village of Port de la Selva, which lies tucked into the northeast corner of Spain. There, we’ll get our hiking legs warmed up by hitting the mountain trails that surround the village. We’ll hike through forests to spectacular vista points, all while experiencing the charm of a small Spanish village nestled against the water and under the mountains. After a these first days of hiking, we’ll be primed and ready to take on our circuit of the high Pyrenees.
The High Pyrenees: Backpacking the Carros de Foc & Celebrating in Barcelona
Leaving Port de la Selva, we’ll transfer to the high Spanish Pyrenees and the small town of Espot, where we will set out on the famous “Carros de Foc” hiking circuit through Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. We’ll trek along the length of crystal clear mountain streams, past thundering waterfalls and sparkling alpine lakes, and through flower-filled valleys until we return, days later, to where we began. Around every corner the scenery is astonishing, delivering colorful vistas underneath the bright Catalan sun. We’ll get to know each other over hearty mountain meals and spend our nights in the simple mountain refuges that dot the national park. After our capstone five-day trek, we’ll head back to Barcelona to spend a day exploring and celebrating our accomplishments in the heart of this vibrant city – a perfect way to close out this Pyrenees Mountains & Coast adventure!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Please see our General FAQ page for many more frequently asked questions and answers!
How physically challenging is Pyrenees Mountains & Coast?
Given a rating of Challenge Level 6 (out of a maximum of 10), we consider Pyrenees Mountains & Coast (PMC) to be an advanced hiking trip. We believe that any moderately fit, motivated student who trains ahead of time can successfully rise to the challenge of this trip. Compared to similar hiking trips, we believe Pyrenees Mountains & Coast is a step above our Alaska Mountains & Coast trip (due to the more rigorous elevation gain and hiking mileage) and less challenging than our Dolomite Mountains & Croatian Coast trip or Alps Explorer trip (mostly due to total mileage covered and the fact that our Pyrenees groups don’t have to carry as much weight while hiking as our Alps and Dolomites trips do). The group will hike around 10 miles on their most challenging day, while their daily mileage typically spans 5-8 miles. Please note that all of Apogee’s Challenge Levels are not scientific and are subjectively calculated by the Apogee staff.
Where will my child be sleeping at night?
Our Pyrenees Mountains & Coast group will be camping for seven of the twelve nights over the course of the trip, and each of those nights will be spent in established, front country campsites. They’ll spend the other five nights of the trip indoors (four nights in mountain hostels called refugis and one night in a Barcelona hostel). Leaders will separate students by gender into tent groups, and will rotate those groups several times over the course of our trip. Students will generally share a tent with two or three other students. Our groups will have access to running water and showers every night of the trip.
What does a typical day on Pyrenees Mountains & Coast look like?
The wonderful thing about our programs is that every day is different and exciting, so no two days will be exactly the same. That said, the general layout of a day on Pyrenees Mountains & Coast starts with a morning activity (usually from about 8:30 AM until lunchtime), then an afternoon activity (after lunch until about 4 PM). The morning and afternoon activity may be the same (e.g., hiking on the Carros de Foc circuit in the morning, eating lunch alongside a pristine lake, then completing the hike to that evening’s refugi in the afternoon), or, on some days, they will be different (e.g., kayaking in the morning and exploring a nearby town in the afternoon). After the afternoon activity, the group settles into that night’s accommodations, prepares dinner, and plays some evening games before the evening “Apogees and Perigees” circle that wraps up each Apogee day. For more detailed information on the day-to-day schedule of this trip, please contact us.
What is the maximum number of students I can expect on my child’s Apogee trip?
There are never more than twelve students on an individual session of this trip. Additionally, we limit enrollment by gender to two-thirds/one-third. Groups are always led by two of our excellent trip leaders.
How will I communicate with my child while they are on this trip?
We are a technology-free program, meaning that your child won’t have access to their phone or other electronics over the course of their trip. That said, students on international trips will call home at some point on arrival day, depending on schedules and arrival times. We have one email stop on our Pyrenees Mountains & Coast program: parents, relatives, and friends are welcome to use this to send messages to our office, which will be forwarded along to the group on a designated “email day.” If you have an urgent message to get to your child, please call our office and we’ll work to get you connected with your child.
My child will be flying to this trip start. How will they connect with their leaders? Given that this trip starts outside of the United States are there any special travel considerations for minors?
Please note that Apogee staff members do not travel with students; our trip leaders will already be in Barcelona on arrival day and will stay in Barcelona after the trip ends. We will ask you to share your child’s detailed flight itinerary with us prior to the trip so that Apogee staff can be fully prepared to be at the airport to greet them on arrival. Once students are with their leaders, they will call home to let their parents know they have arrived and are with their group. Please see our blog post for specifics regarding students traveling using an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor escort service. Further, we encourage you to coordinate travel with other attendees; we’re happy to put you in touch with other enrolled families from your region. We will provide enrolled families with a Travel Information document covering details specific to traveling to and from Barcelona, including airport information and arrival and departure time windows. Please contact Apogee with any specific questions or concerns regarding drop-offs and/or pick-ups.
For international trips, your child will need a passport that is valid for at least 90 days after the trip start date. We will also ask you to send your child with a signed Declaration of Consent to Travel document (which we will make available to enrolled families in February). Please note that flights to Barcelona from the United States or Canada will leave the night before the trip start date, arriving in Barcelona in the morning on the trip start date.
How does the group move from place to place on the trip? Do they have a van?
Pyrenees Mountains & Coast will not have a dedicated van to transport the group. Instead, the group will utilize a private shuttle company to move them from place to place. Otherwise, once they are set-up at a campground, they’ll be walking everywhere they go!
What is the difference between front-country and backcountry camping? What will the backcountry camping portion of Pyrenees Mountains & Coast be like?
How much weight will my child carry on the hiking portions of this trip?
During their exploration around the town of Port de la Selva, the hikes will all be day-hikes, meaning students won’t be carrying overnight camping supplies. During these sections, students will be carrying between five and ten pounds during their hikes, composed mostly of an extra layer of clothes, rain gear, water, and snacks. For the backcountry hiking portion on the Carros de Foc, your child should expect to carry somewhere between 15 and 25 pounds in their pack.
Aside from the trip cost, what are the additional expenses for this trip?
Apogee’s tuition costs are meant to be all-inclusive and include all meals, accommodation, and activity fees. The most significant additional expenses on our Pyrenees Mountains & Coast trip will include travel to and from Barcelona, Spain, hiking boots, sleeping bag and pad, and personal gear. We suggest that you review the packing list (downloadable on this webpage) to determine what personal gear you already own and what you might need to acquire for this program. Please also check out our Gear Recommendations blog post for links to our personal recommendations.
