Hostal La Fuen

After a day following GR-11, it was lovely to get a warm bed and a quiet night. The balconies have beautiful views, and there’s a parking lot next to the hostel. Rooms are clean and roomy enough, with their own bathroom and even a bathtub. The prices are great for what you get. Meals aren’t included, but there’s a restaurant next door. There’s no lift. Highly recommended.

Parian is tucked away behind the road, a sweet little hamlet where the locals live. There’s one hotel, some apartments, two supermarkets and two or three restaurants. The restaurant attached to the hotel is good and gets busy. I loved it. It’s a great little inexpensive hotel right on the France-Spain border. You’d mainly come here while travelling through, to buy cheap alcohol and food in the two Spanish supermarkets if you’re French, or as a long-distance hiker on the Atlantic-to-Mediterranean route, the GR 11 or the Haute Route Pyrenees.

The room was really nice and spotless, and the bathroom was just as clean. Wi-Fi in the bedroom came and went, but that was a bit of a relief since I spend too much time on pointless things online. I could still get online using my SIM card. There’s a restaurant downstairs with good food, I think it’s a separate business. Huge supermarkets, a petrol station and an okay café are 200m away.

The service was great, and the Spanish food was really decent, with a rustic feel. The table wine was exceptional. All together, it was a very good experience.