The Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley is the last remnant of a pastoral landscape in Andorra, whereas the rest of the small country has developed during the past decades almost entirely in a ski resort and a shopping paradise for bargain hunters. The valley has been preserved mainly because it is connected with the rest of Andorra only by small paths, there are no roads.

We visited the valley in May 2014. The tourist website of Andorra suggests several hiking routes within the inscribed area, we had chosen the Madriu valley route: a 13.5 km route starting in Les Elcades alongside the Madriu river up to the Lake Bova, and on the same route back. We started our hike at the old Pont d'Escaldes and followed the Carni de la Muntanya uphill. This section is already in the core zone of the WHS. After one kilometre, near the crossing of the Road Cornella I de la Plana and the Road to Engolasters, we reached the area of the National Park. An information board explains the flora and fauna of the valley, but there is no WHS sign. The route runs constantly uphill, in the first two thirds on a stone paved path, certainly convenient in the past for donkeys and mules, but strenuous for hikers, in particular downhill and as on our tour, because the stones were slippery from the rain in the night before. We passed drystone walls, terraced fields and huts, but we've seen no cattle and no shepherd. The valley was almost deserted, we met only a few other hikers and some locals who worked on the renovation of a farmhouse. It is surprising to find such a remote area in short distance to the busy traffic and the crowded city. After one and a half hours we came to the hamlet Ramio, one of the two settlements in the valley, and after another 45 minutes we reached the Fontverd refuge. This section is identical to a part of the route described by Els above.

After Fontverd we saw more huts and a few buildings that could be the remains of the iron smelting, but I'm not sure. In the last section of the trail we left the Madriu river and walked uphill to the Lake Boca (photo) at a height of 2400 metres, rather a wetland covered with cattails. It was a special atmosphere, a bit sombre and melancholy, due to the windy and cloudy weather and due to the fact that we were all alone, no other hikers and no sound, only now and then the cry of a vulture or an eagle and our own voices. Another 30 minutes uphill and we came to the Lake Illa at the eastern end of the core zone. Then we went back on the same route.

It is not a brilliant WHS and the mountain scenery is more impressive in the Mont Perdu WHS that we visited a few days before, but we enjoyed our day-trip. The capital Andorra la Vella is not worth to visit, the historic centre consists of the Casa de la Vall, the seat of the Andorran Parliament, and a few narrow streets around. The rest of the city looks more like the duty free zone of an airport than a lively city centre.