The comarca (local district) of the Val d'Aran (Spain) thas a total surface area 620 km2, a population of almost 8,000 inhabitants and a total of 9 municipal areas with various population nuclei. This territory is surrounded by mountains that are over 3,000 metres high and is connected to El Pallars by the Port (mountain pass) de la Bonaigua and to Ribagorça by the Vielha tunnel. Its inhabitants speak Aranès, a variety of the Gascon dialect and part of the Llengua d'Oc (Occitan language).

In recent decades, traditional activities associated with agriculture, fisheries and forestry have given way to tourism as the main sectors of the region’s economy. This tourism has been based on the beauty of the area’s landscapes, on hiking, skiing and adventure sports, and on the region’s rich monumental patrimony. In all, there are 354 km of forest paths in the Val d'Aran, of which about one hundred have a tarmac surface. This provides numerous opportunities for excursions. There are also numerous climbing routes and a wide choice of hostels and mountain shelters at which to stay. It is also possible to contract mountain guides for summer excursions, whether conducted on foot, on horseback or by bicycle and for winter ski crossings and climbs. The Val d'Aran has one of the most important winter sports resorts in the whole of Spain, Baquèira Beret, which offers around fifty different ski slopes.