Family donkey-trekking holiday in the Spanish Pyrenees

As my donkey bent his head to another thistle I watched layers of mountains recede in deepening shades of eggshell blue, accompanied only by wind, marmot squeals and the giggles of my two young children. Our animals were on loan from Burrotrek, run by Swiss-born Denise Wirth, who after walking the Camino with two donkeys settled in Spain and now offers self-guided itineraries from Cadaqués and, in summer, from Cal Jan de la Llosa.

We travelled by Interrail from Paris, crossed into Catalonia at Puigcerdà and drove up unpaved switchbacks to the farm, pitched tents behind the barn and met Om and Rebot the next morning. Denise taught us to saddle, groom and check hooves; a donkey can carry a fifth of its bodyweight, about 30kg, which was fortunate given a week’s worth of food and camping gear for two small children.

A severe storm struck on our second night, but refuges such as Refugi dels Estanys de la Pera dried us out before the path climbed towards Andorra.

Spain, Catalonia

donkey trekking, spanish pyrenees, burrotrek, denise wirth, interrail, puigcerdà, catalonia, cadaqués, camping, andorra