High Altitude Camping with Hot Showers
The campground at Malniu Refuge is one of my favourite campsites in Catalunya.
Set apart from the refuge, out of season or midweek, you can often feel like you’re wild camping. A 3-minute trot through the woods though and you’ll find a bar, toilets, hot shower and barbecues you can use.
Situated at just over 2000m, overlooking the valley of Cerdanya with the peak of Puigpedrós behind you, there are very few official camp spots that give you such impressive vistas.
Amazing Value
Not only is Malniu one of my favourite campsites, but it’s also amazing value.
At the time of writing they just charged €5 per person, plus 50c per tent, and €5 for parking (if you arrive by car) per day. Bargain!
As the refuge is easily accessible by car, prices for food and drinks are also very affordable.
Take a Good Sleeping Bag
Bear in mind that this campsite is at high altitude. It gets cold at night, even in the summer.
Take some warm clothes and a good sleeping bag. Your Decathlon summer sleeping bag will not cut it!
Routes in the area
Malniu is situated on the GR11 route which crosses the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Coast.
Doing the whole thing is a major undertaking, but you could certainly do the section from Puigcerdà to Andorra la Vella over a weekend. From Barcelona, you can take the train to Puigcerdà, hike to Malniu and camp, day 2 hike to L’Illa in Andorra and either stay in the refuge or wild camp, then day 3 hike to Andorra la Vella and take the coach back to Bcn.
Malniu is also the perfect basecamp from which to do a summit of the 2914m Puigpedrós.
It’s not all about serious hikes either. The surrounding area is spectacular, with Malniu lake just a 25-30 minute walk away. A great day out for families and people of all fitness levels.
