La Caldea
A Super Spa
In Andorra
W
hen I made my way to
Andorra two weeks ago,
I packed sturdy shoes, a
rain coat (just in case)
and a few light sweaters.
It may be the middle of summer, but
the tiny country is surrounded by the
mighty Pyrenees mountains, some of
them snow covered even in August
and wedged in between Spain and
France. Therefore, I did not expect
the sun drenched days of my current
home town on Spain´s Costa Blanca,
which was my starting point.
By Inka Piegas-Quischote
Hiking in summer and skiing in
winter, that’s what Andorra is
famous for. I was prepared for
long walks along streams, through
meadows covered in wild flowers,
cobbled streets in the mountain
villages and a stroll around La Vella,
as the capital of Andorra is called.
I was however not prepared for the
surprise I got the next morning.
I had arrived in the middle of the
night and therefore had not seen
much. But, when I opened my hotel
window the next morning, I was
nearly blinded by a stunning sight.
The sun reflected off a decidedly
futuristic structure just across the
road, entirely covered with mirrored
tiles. A peek pointed into the
flawless blue sky and made me
think that this building might be
a church or even a cathedral.
But no, as my enquiry at reception
revealed I was indeed looking at a
place of `worship`, but to health and
beauty. What lay nearby was La
Caldea, a super luxury spa and
a landmark of Andorra La Vella.
Conceived by a French architect,
it was designed to symbolize the
Andorra mountains and to reflect
the sun and, in winter, the snow;
hence the mirrored tiles.
Given that I felt still a little stiff from
my long journey by train and bus from
Alicante to Andorra via Barcelona, I
couldn’t think of anything better to do
but to enjoy a day in a first class spa.
In 10 minutes flat, I was on my way.