Iran: The Pyrenean Village with One Resident and Sixty Bends

A travel guide from Lleida to this remote Alta Ribagorça settlement located at 1,280 meters above sea level.

Generic image of a winding mountain road with many curves leading to a Pyrenean village.
IA

Generic image of a winding mountain road with many curves leading to a Pyrenean village.

The small village of Iran, located in the Alta Ribagorça region and part of El Pont de Suert, currently survives with just one permanent resident at 1,280 meters altitude.

Featuring the 11th-century church of Sant Climent and five houses, the village is a two-hour drive from Lleida. The final approach involves a narrow four-kilometer road branching off the Vall de Boí highway, famous for its more than 60 hairpin bends.
Iran was an independent municipality until 1847, when it joined Llesp due to having fewer than 30 residents. Since 1968, it has been part of El Pont de Suert, a municipality with 24 scattered settlements and a population density lower than that of New Zealand.
Travelers from Lleida can choose between three routes. The most direct path follows the A-14 and N-230 roads. Other options include driving through Barbastro or Altorricón, all eventually leading to the mountain pass that provides access to this unique Pyrenean spot.