Skiing in Spain
When most people think of skiing in Europe, they think of Switzerland, Austria, and France. Yet Spain, the second- most mountainous country in Europe, has excellent skiing facilities that seem to be one of the country's best kept secrets. In the north, there are the Pyrenees, which guard the border with France, and the Picos de Europa, between Cantabria and Asturias; in the south, the Sierra Nevada range, which rises 10,000 feet just Southeast of Granada; and in the center of the country, the Guadarramas, north of Madrid. In addition, there are ski areas in the provinces of Burgos, Soria, La Rioja, and TerueJ. Skiing is possible from January through May in the north, and from January through March in the south and lower elevations.
Spain offers novice through advanced skiers the thrills of a Iifetime. Once experienced, these hills will not Soon be forgotten. Spain is also one of Europe's bargain ski capitals; hotels, meals, drinks, equipment, and lift passes are available at prices far below those found in the Alps. Other benefits include an abundance of snow, relatively mild weather conditions, and plenty of sunshine. Some large international resorts, such as Tuca Betren, Baqueira Beret, and Cerler (all in Catalonia) and Pals (in Andorra) have it all - a vast array of runs and lifts, troops of multilingual instructors, a selection of other winter sports such as ice skating and tobogganing, an abundance of shops, shimmering hotels, high-speed nightlife, and the glossy aura of Europe's leisure classes. But there also are numerous cozier, family-oriented villages, many of them linked to a constellation of neighbors by far-reaching networks of chair lifts and cable cars.
Ski resorts in Spain
Throughout most of the resort regions, those who like their luxury rugged can hire a helicopter for a quick trip up a mountaintop blanketed with glittery virgin powder, and enjoy the subsequent opportunity to carve a Solitary trail back down through miles of untracked mountainside. Those whose special pleasure is crosscountry skiing should be aware that the sport is beginning to boom here; a wide choice of trails and excursions (and a good supply of the necessary equipment) is readily available. And no matter where you go, there's a very high standard of cooking in the restaurant dining rooms adjacent to the slopes.
Words of caution: If you need an English-speaking instructor from the area's ski school, say so when signing up, or risk having to learn to recognize Bend your knees enunciated in alltoofaultless Spanish. Know the local trail markings - green for novice, blue for intermediate, and red for expert. Be prepared for sometimes hair raising traffic both on the mountain roads and on the slopes.
Since skiing as a mass activity is a Juanito come lately in Spain, the average level of expertise is lower than is routinely found in Switzerland, France, or Austria, and the traditions of slope safety and etiquette are not always readily apparent. For those familiar with European skiing, be aware that the high and low skiing seasons in Spain are significantly different from those of the better-known Alpine regions.
All weekends are designated as high season, with premium prices on hotels, lessons, and lifts. High season also applies to the period from Christmas through New Year's, and the first week of January. Prices rise again during February and the first two weeks of March. What follows is a list of the best skiing spots in Spain, arranged alphabetically by province and town, followed by a review of the ski resorts in the tiny country of Andorra.
Cerler Huesca Aragon
Close to the French border, Cerler boasts 5,875 acres of spectacular terrain for skiers of all abilities. The 23 trails, the highest ski slopes the Pyrenees have to offer, provide plenty of challenges; the majority of the trails are over three miles long. There are 11 chair lifts. The resort also has an ice skating rink and a wide variety of other activities, including sledding and swimming.
El Formigal Huesca Aragon
Huesca, Aragon is a favorite stomping ground of the current king of Spain and his family, this is just one of five resorts in the area (Astun, Cerler, Panticosa, and Candanchu are the others). Together they constitute one of the most attractive and unspoiled regions in Spain, guaranteed to motivate even the most sedentary to hit the hills. As the western most resort in the Pyrenees, El Formigal lacks woodland, instead boasting great open spaces perfect for beginners and intermediates. Only two of the 24 runs are designated for experts, but most are rated as difficult.
The wideopen off piste possibilities compensate, however for those strong enough to handle heavy snow. A double chair lift rises out of the town, reaching the midstation and the main mountain restaurant. From here, beginners can enjoy gentle slopes, intermediates can drop down to the lower gondola station, and experts can take a chair lift or T-bar to the summit and enjoy a 3,000 foot drop back into the village. There is also a slalom course. The resort offers six hotels, and a wide variety of activities, including very lively nightlife.
Alto Campo Santander Cantabria
This is one of several spots where the skiing season lasts until late May. The resort lies in the Brana Vieja Valley, sheltered from harsh winds. On a clear day, the distant peak of Tres Mares, the Polaciones Valley, and the heights of the Picos de Europa are visible. The slopes here vary from easy to extremely difficult, making skiing enjoyable for enthusiasts of all levels.
La Molina Girona Catalonia
This is one of the oldest ski resorts in Spain, as well as the closest to Barcelona. For this reason, it attracts a weekend crowd that usually overwhelms the 8 chair lifts. During the week, however, there are rarely any lines. Only four of the 29 trails are listed as difficult, making La Molina a favorite with beginner and intermediate skiers. There is also a threemile crosscountry course, and three ramps for ski jumping. The resort was created with skiers specifically in mind, and features modern, self-contained hotels, good restaurants, a smattering of shops, and a group of lively discos and bars. Nine hostales are located nearby.
Vall Daran Lleida Catalonia
Past the orchards and vineyards of Catalonia and up into the Pyrenees Mountains bordering France lies one of the most beautiful alpine valleys in the world and the ski resorts of Tuca Betren and Baqueira Beret. Tuca Betnin, the lesser known of the two, offers a wide variety of slopes and trails that will challenge even the most experienced skier. In fact, all of the resort's 18 slopes and trails are marked either advanced or expert. The first trail starts at the 5,000 foot level; the highest peaks overhead top off at 9,000 feet. Eight miles (13 km) away is Baqueira Beret, one of the most extensive ski resorts in Europe outside the Alps. It attracts a predominantly French clientele from north of the border, although King Juan Carlos also is a frequent visitor.
The facilities and restaurants are more modern and sophisticated here than in Tuca Betren. Baqueira Beret offers 43 slopes and trails, 22 lifts, two slalom courses, and helicoPter service to the peaks for the thrills of fresh powder. Due to the terrain steep slopes and wide courses, there is great skiing variety. The skiing on the Baqueira side is down tight trails with a dense lift network of Tbars and double chair lifts. The skiing above Beret is in a wide open bowl served by three strategically placed triple chair lifts. Of special note is the descent from the peak of Cap de Baqueira, the highest point. Vall d'Aran's two distinct segments are separated by a row of natural stone and mortar villages, scenery for which the word charm was coined.
Much of this area looks the way it did in the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries give or take a few power lines and Seats (Spanish built Fiats). This area has almost 5,000 rooms in hotels, inns, and quaint pensiones.
Sol y Nieve Sierra Nevada Granada
This resort whose name might be translated Sun 'n' Snow is a cluster of concrete buildings huddled above the tree line in the far south of Spain, only 20 miles (32 km) from Granada and 60 miles (96 km) from the coast at Malaga. Here, the perpetually snow-covered mountains rise to 11,420 feet. The scenery is inspiring and the snowfields are seemingly endless.
The skiing, though extensive, is tame and not particularly demanding, but it will keep advanced beginner and intermediates happy. With its wide, treeless slopes and patient Spanish instructors, Solynieve also is perfect for beginning skiers. The resort boasts 19 lifts, which serve some 30 miles of trails. The village itself is rather soulless; even the southern Spanish personality can't seem to help fire up the nightlife. Granada, a short trek down the mountain, makes up for this. But in the spring, Solynieve does offer dependable snow and the opportunity to ski in the morning and then drive down to the Costa del Sol for an afternoon of sun on the beach or a round of golf so be sure to pack sunscreen and sunglasses.
Car hire at Granada Airport Spain
If you are planning a trip to the Sierra Nevada to take advantage of the ski slopes, make sure you hire a car from Malaga or Granada Airport before you travel. You can save time and money by pre-booking Malaga Airport and Granada Airport car hire, and also pick up a map of the Sierra Nevada and Granada at the same time.
Andorra skiing
This tiny country, wedged into a few valleys of the Pyrenees between Spain and France, has abundant snow from November through April. Combined with an excellent climate of dry air and sunny skies, this is truly a skiers' paradise. Some of Europe's best inexpensive skiing can be found at the resorts of Pas de la Casa Grau Roig, Soldeu El Tarter, Pals, Arinsal, and Ordino Arcalis. Pas de la Casa Grau Roig, just within the French border, is the oldest resort, and has 18 trails for advanced skiers, a slalom course, and several tame slopes for beginners, as well as 25 lifts and 33 hotels.
Soldeu El Tarter is the largest complex, with 28 slopes (including five designed especially for children), a 7.5mile cross country course, 22 lifts, 20 hotels, and three self-contained apartment blocks. Pals features 20 trails, a forest slalom course, two children's slopes, and 14 lifts. Arinsal, next to the village of the same name, has 23 slopes ranging from beginner to expert, all served by 15 lifts. Ordino Arcalis is the most dramatically beautiful of Andorra's resorts, offering 16 slopes, 11 lifts, and four modern hotels in nearby El Serrat.
Spain offers novice through advanced skiers the thrills of a Iifetime. Once experienced, these hills will not Soon be forgotten. Spain is also one of Europe's bargain ski capitals; hotels, meals, drinks, equipment, and lift passes are available at prices far below those found in the Alps. Other benefits include an abundance of snow, relatively mild weather conditions, and plenty of sunshine. Some large international resorts, such as Tuca Betren, Baqueira Beret, and Cerler (all in Catalonia) and Pals (in Andorra) have it all - a vast array of runs and lifts, troops of multilingual instructors, a selection of other winter sports such as ice skating and tobogganing, an abundance of shops, shimmering hotels, high-speed nightlife, and the glossy aura of Europe's leisure classes. But there also are numerous cozier, family-oriented villages, many of them linked to a constellation of neighbors by far-reaching networks of chair lifts and cable cars.
Ski resorts in Spain
Throughout most of the resort regions, those who like their luxury rugged can hire a helicopter for a quick trip up a mountaintop blanketed with glittery virgin powder, and enjoy the subsequent opportunity to carve a Solitary trail back down through miles of untracked mountainside. Those whose special pleasure is crosscountry skiing should be aware that the sport is beginning to boom here; a wide choice of trails and excursions (and a good supply of the necessary equipment) is readily available. And no matter where you go, there's a very high standard of cooking in the restaurant dining rooms adjacent to the slopes.
Words of caution: If you need an English-speaking instructor from the area's ski school, say so when signing up, or risk having to learn to recognize Bend your knees enunciated in alltoofaultless Spanish. Know the local trail markings - green for novice, blue for intermediate, and red for expert. Be prepared for sometimes hair raising traffic both on the mountain roads and on the slopes.
Since skiing as a mass activity is a Juanito come lately in Spain, the average level of expertise is lower than is routinely found in Switzerland, France, or Austria, and the traditions of slope safety and etiquette are not always readily apparent. For those familiar with European skiing, be aware that the high and low skiing seasons in Spain are significantly different from those of the better-known Alpine regions.
All weekends are designated as high season, with premium prices on hotels, lessons, and lifts. High season also applies to the period from Christmas through New Year's, and the first week of January. Prices rise again during February and the first two weeks of March. What follows is a list of the best skiing spots in Spain, arranged alphabetically by province and town, followed by a review of the ski resorts in the tiny country of Andorra.
Cerler Huesca Aragon
Close to the French border, Cerler boasts 5,875 acres of spectacular terrain for skiers of all abilities. The 23 trails, the highest ski slopes the Pyrenees have to offer, provide plenty of challenges; the majority of the trails are over three miles long. There are 11 chair lifts. The resort also has an ice skating rink and a wide variety of other activities, including sledding and swimming.
El Formigal Huesca Aragon
Huesca, Aragon is a favorite stomping ground of the current king of Spain and his family, this is just one of five resorts in the area (Astun, Cerler, Panticosa, and Candanchu are the others). Together they constitute one of the most attractive and unspoiled regions in Spain, guaranteed to motivate even the most sedentary to hit the hills. As the western most resort in the Pyrenees, El Formigal lacks woodland, instead boasting great open spaces perfect for beginners and intermediates. Only two of the 24 runs are designated for experts, but most are rated as difficult.
The wideopen off piste possibilities compensate, however for those strong enough to handle heavy snow. A double chair lift rises out of the town, reaching the midstation and the main mountain restaurant. From here, beginners can enjoy gentle slopes, intermediates can drop down to the lower gondola station, and experts can take a chair lift or T-bar to the summit and enjoy a 3,000 foot drop back into the village. There is also a slalom course. The resort offers six hotels, and a wide variety of activities, including very lively nightlife.
Alto Campo Santander Cantabria
This is one of several spots where the skiing season lasts until late May. The resort lies in the Brana Vieja Valley, sheltered from harsh winds. On a clear day, the distant peak of Tres Mares, the Polaciones Valley, and the heights of the Picos de Europa are visible. The slopes here vary from easy to extremely difficult, making skiing enjoyable for enthusiasts of all levels.
La Molina Girona Catalonia
This is one of the oldest ski resorts in Spain, as well as the closest to Barcelona. For this reason, it attracts a weekend crowd that usually overwhelms the 8 chair lifts. During the week, however, there are rarely any lines. Only four of the 29 trails are listed as difficult, making La Molina a favorite with beginner and intermediate skiers. There is also a threemile crosscountry course, and three ramps for ski jumping. The resort was created with skiers specifically in mind, and features modern, self-contained hotels, good restaurants, a smattering of shops, and a group of lively discos and bars. Nine hostales are located nearby.
Vall Daran Lleida Catalonia
Past the orchards and vineyards of Catalonia and up into the Pyrenees Mountains bordering France lies one of the most beautiful alpine valleys in the world and the ski resorts of Tuca Betren and Baqueira Beret. Tuca Betnin, the lesser known of the two, offers a wide variety of slopes and trails that will challenge even the most experienced skier. In fact, all of the resort's 18 slopes and trails are marked either advanced or expert. The first trail starts at the 5,000 foot level; the highest peaks overhead top off at 9,000 feet. Eight miles (13 km) away is Baqueira Beret, one of the most extensive ski resorts in Europe outside the Alps. It attracts a predominantly French clientele from north of the border, although King Juan Carlos also is a frequent visitor.
The facilities and restaurants are more modern and sophisticated here than in Tuca Betren. Baqueira Beret offers 43 slopes and trails, 22 lifts, two slalom courses, and helicoPter service to the peaks for the thrills of fresh powder. Due to the terrain steep slopes and wide courses, there is great skiing variety. The skiing on the Baqueira side is down tight trails with a dense lift network of Tbars and double chair lifts. The skiing above Beret is in a wide open bowl served by three strategically placed triple chair lifts. Of special note is the descent from the peak of Cap de Baqueira, the highest point. Vall d'Aran's two distinct segments are separated by a row of natural stone and mortar villages, scenery for which the word charm was coined.
Much of this area looks the way it did in the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries give or take a few power lines and Seats (Spanish built Fiats). This area has almost 5,000 rooms in hotels, inns, and quaint pensiones.
Sol y Nieve Sierra Nevada Granada
This resort whose name might be translated Sun 'n' Snow is a cluster of concrete buildings huddled above the tree line in the far south of Spain, only 20 miles (32 km) from Granada and 60 miles (96 km) from the coast at Malaga. Here, the perpetually snow-covered mountains rise to 11,420 feet. The scenery is inspiring and the snowfields are seemingly endless.
The skiing, though extensive, is tame and not particularly demanding, but it will keep advanced beginner and intermediates happy. With its wide, treeless slopes and patient Spanish instructors, Solynieve also is perfect for beginning skiers. The resort boasts 19 lifts, which serve some 30 miles of trails. The village itself is rather soulless; even the southern Spanish personality can't seem to help fire up the nightlife. Granada, a short trek down the mountain, makes up for this. But in the spring, Solynieve does offer dependable snow and the opportunity to ski in the morning and then drive down to the Costa del Sol for an afternoon of sun on the beach or a round of golf so be sure to pack sunscreen and sunglasses.
Car hire at Granada Airport Spain
If you are planning a trip to the Sierra Nevada to take advantage of the ski slopes, make sure you hire a car from Malaga or Granada Airport before you travel. You can save time and money by pre-booking Malaga Airport and Granada Airport car hire, and also pick up a map of the Sierra Nevada and Granada at the same time.
Andorra skiing
This tiny country, wedged into a few valleys of the Pyrenees between Spain and France, has abundant snow from November through April. Combined with an excellent climate of dry air and sunny skies, this is truly a skiers' paradise. Some of Europe's best inexpensive skiing can be found at the resorts of Pas de la Casa Grau Roig, Soldeu El Tarter, Pals, Arinsal, and Ordino Arcalis. Pas de la Casa Grau Roig, just within the French border, is the oldest resort, and has 18 trails for advanced skiers, a slalom course, and several tame slopes for beginners, as well as 25 lifts and 33 hotels.
Soldeu El Tarter is the largest complex, with 28 slopes (including five designed especially for children), a 7.5mile cross country course, 22 lifts, 20 hotels, and three self-contained apartment blocks. Pals features 20 trails, a forest slalom course, two children's slopes, and 14 lifts. Arinsal, next to the village of the same name, has 23 slopes ranging from beginner to expert, all served by 15 lifts. Ordino Arcalis is the most dramatically beautiful of Andorra's resorts, offering 16 slopes, 11 lifts, and four modern hotels in nearby El Serrat.
Labels: Alto Campo Santander Cantabria, Car hire at Granada Airport Spain
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