Did you know that Andorra is home to an area listed as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO? It is the parish of Ordino, the northernmost valley of Andorra.
Declaration of Biosphere Reserve
Ordino has recently been declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2020, thanks to the fact that it has managed to maintain a balance between society and nature. These territories aim to improve people’s relationship with the environment through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, known as SDGs. It is an international recognition, specifically the parish of Ordino, which belongs to the European network of Biosphere Reserves within the mountain theme.
Visiting Ordino in summer
The parish of Ordino is made up of a total of 8 villages at an altitude of 1,300 metres, covers an area of 85 km2 and is famous for outdoor sports. In winter the snow allows you to enjoy the ski slopes of Ordino-Arcalís and in summer you can go on excursions and routes through the mountains so as not to miss the scenery. The core of the reserve is the Sorteny nature reserve, a territory that is home to 800 species of flora, including a refuge of rare and endangered flora.
The protected valley coexists perfectly with the rest of Ordino’s cultural offer. Among its museums, for example, are two of the oldest houses in the country converted into house-museums: Areny Plandolit and Cal Pal. To these we must add the trails that you can follow to discover the historical heritage of the parish, such as the iron trail or the water trail. So if you are one of those who enjoy combining nature with culture: you will love Odino!
You will certainly need more than one day to discover all its hidden corners.
Andorra is a candidate for biosphere reserve status
On the other hand, Andorra has presented its candidacy to become the first whole country to be recognised as a biosphere reserve. The core would be the 3 legally protected natural territories: the Sorteny natural park, the Comapedrosa natural park and the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley. The latter is the only one in the whole of the Pyrenees to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The candidacy will be decided in April 2023.