The GR11 is populated with mountain refuges, staffed huts where you can buy food and spend the night sharing a dorm with lots of other great-smelling people. They can be good options for many, but it’s an expensive compared to camping. While camping is not allowed in many places, a bit of stealth will secure you incredible views for free.

 Refugio de respomuso

Funnily enough, you’re not officially allowed to camp near Refugio de Respomuso, but everyone does it anyway. The refuge itself is massive and nearly always full due to its proximity to the town of Sallent de Gallego. When I arrived hoping to secure a bed, there were hikers and families lining every available inch, and the warden told me that they allowed camping when the refuge was full. And thank goodness for that! A small trail climbs steeply down from the refuge and onto the hilly and high shores of the lake. Here you will find numerous camp spots on soft grass. I picked a spot right next to the trail encircled by stones, by the prettiest grove of first I’ve ever seen. A mere 10 metres away stood a fir tree in the shape of a full-sized bonsai. The finest sunset view on the whole trail, I cooked dinner splashed in golden rays underneath the incredible tree. I’ll never forget this camp for as long as I live!

aguas tuertas

If you, like me, came all the way here past the La Mina carpark from just past Zuriza, you will be pretty smashed by the time you reach Aguas Tuertas after a big climb. I stupidly forgot to wear my cap, and felt an inch away from heatstroke as I dragged my nauseous corpus. Having done two day stretches in one day, I needed flat ground and ice cold water. Agues Tuertas provides. This enormous river valley has a flat grass bed, a big herd of (thankfully disinterested) cows grazing, and an iconic river snaking itself through. Cold water trickles right out of the rock next to the trail. A mind-blowing place to go to bed and to wake up in. Thankfully I had my earplugs, as the cows all have loud bells on them. Jake wasn’t s lucky and commented drily from his tent “So, at what time do they turn off the cows…?).

refugi de baiau

I allowed this GR11 icon a place on the list despite technically being a refuge and not a camp, mainly because it is free and unstaffed, and its utter remoteness and small size gives it more of a camp feel compared to the bustling refugios. This tiny metal bunker sits perched on Spanish soil beneath the massive crest of Pic de Comapedrosa, the highest mountain in Andorra. Its tiny size doesn’t stop it from housing way more people than it’s built for, we fit 14 people despite it only having 9 narrow bunks! Water is found at the lake outlet below the outcrop (a few mins steep walk). Be prepared for cold evenings as it sits at over 2500 m, but the inside is easily heated up and has a small fireplace. The sunsets here will be among the best of your life.

Baños de Panticosa ridge

This slightly anonymous camp actually turned out to be on of the prettiest on the whole trail, despite the light rain drizzle that kept us in our tents and away from the pretty view. We camped here the day after the Respomuso camp, and it’s an absolute whopper. A massive climb up the GR11 high point, the Collado de Tebarray, hours traversing Jurassic rock landscapes, a knee-crippling descent into Baños de Panticosa (a resort and thankfully alsoa  refuge), and then back up. Panticosa was so crowded that we decided to keep going, and this little meadow lay just off the trail before the dammed lake of Ibón dero Brazato. The downside of this camp is the lack of water sources. I filled water from a 2 inch puddle, otherwise the next sources is the lake above. But a stunning sunrise spots overlooking yesterday’s mountains!