There are 2 excellent Paradors within the Val d’Aran. Gayle and I stayed at the Parador Hotel Vielha(up the hill towards the Tunnel) and thoroughly enjoyed the stunning Valley views and a delicious Catalonian dinner. Gayle and I were heading out the next morning(towards Andorra) and decided to stop in Arties to see what we missed. Arties is a cute Village that probably doubles as a ski town during the Winter season. We were here in the fall and most things were quiet, including the well-regarded Casa Irene. Also interesting is the Santa Maria de Arties. For skiers, the Baqueira Beret station is four and a half miles away. The Parador Arties(AKA Hotel Don Gaspar de Portola). The property also includes the House of the namesake discoverer of the State of California. The architecture is consistent with that of the Village. The design has a steeply sloping roof so that a heavy weight of snow cannot accumulate. This results in the bedrooms having ‘dormer’ windows looking out onto the roof. The traditional mountain design is continued in the wooden beams featured in the bedrooms. The 2-level lounge area was comfortable and spacious and it was fun to walk the property and speculate how we would have spent our time here. In hindsight, I think Gayle and I made the right Parador choice during our too-brief stay in the Val d’Aran. However, we’re also sure that we would have also had a wonderful time here at the Parador Arties. And if you’re lucky enough to come here, you too will have an equally rich choice.
