G
Grandvalira
9377
grandvalira
Andorra
andorra
Grandvalira
1.515600
42.507900
GRANDVALIRA is pround to be the biggest ski area in the Pyrenees, with a total of 193km of slopes. You can access the extensive ski area using one of the six main entrances: Encamp, Canillo, El Tarter, Soldeu, Grau Roig and Pas de la Casa. Each of these gateways are villages in their own right with their own characteristics which means between then they can cater for all tastes and budgets. The most popular places to be are El Tarter, Soldeu and Pas de la Casa which are all located at the botton of the ski slopes.
Pas de la Casa enjoys many accolades, it is the highest village in Andorra at 2.100 m, it was the place where skiing started in Andorra and it is renowned for its vibrant night life which is always a hit with the younger clients. In Pas de la Casa you will find a lively village with all facilities and it is a true ‘ski from the door’ resort where you are never more than a few minutes from the slopes. With many new state-of-the-art lifts whisking the morning hordes up from the village at 2100m towards the Coll Blanc ridge which at an impressive 2528m divides Pas from picture postcard pretty Grau Roig, it is easy to see why this resort proves to be a favourite with Spanish, French and British skiers and snow boarders. This place is a true winter wonderland with many good long red and black runs falling away down both sides of the Coll Blanc ridge. There are a good variety of nice blue and green runs which are perfect for the less advanced and being as high as 2500m they will ensure they finish the day feeling as if they have achieved something ! This place is a true winter wonderland!
Soldeu and its smaller neighbour El Tarter are a popular choice for families and couples that are looking for a quality winter sports holiday. Both resorts provide a good range of tradition stone built hotels and apartments and there is a good selection of bars and restaurants in Soldeu for those that want to break away from the hotel bar. Being near the middle of the massive Grandvalira sector there are many options open to the intermediate and experienced skier. The gondola takes everyone up to the natural plateau at Soldeu which at 2250m affords amazing mountain views and is where beginners are put through their paces at the award winning ski school. From here it is easy to ski west towards Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig via Llac del Cubil and east towards Canillo via El Tarter.
El Tarter is home to an extensive snow park and regular hosts competitions which provide much interest and entertainment. Both areas have a wide selection of eateries on the slopes and both have a fine dining restaurant for those that want a relaxed good quality lunch.
Another option is to stay in the village of Canillo which enjoys access to the ski area by gondola. Canillo is a quiet and freindly village which has good sports facilities including an ice rink and good sized pool. In the Canillo area you can enjoyed an excellent lunch at one of the best gastronomic restaurants of Grandvalira and ski in world-class mountain scenery.
Another option is the village of Encamp from where you can reach the highest point of the ski area by an impressive cable car, and enjoy breathtaking views. Encamp is close to the capital, Andorra la Vella which is just 6km away and a tax free shoppers heaven.
1700
2640
193
67
125,5
29
38,6
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V
Vallnord Ordino - Arcalis
9398
vallnord-ordino-arcalis
Andorra
andorra
Vallnord Ordino - Arcalis
1.516800
42.540300
As the most remote resort in Andorra, it's easy to assume Arcalis is not worth a day-trip but that would be a shame, as the variety of the terrain is better than most of the other resorts, even if the extent is not up to much.
The slopes are made up of two valleys which join with a central ridge, creating a horseshoe shape. To the left of the ridge is the main valley, the Cercle d'Arcalis, which is bowl-shaped and is well populated on its left flank with trees. It also contains most of the lifts, which fan out from the base lodge. The ridge provides a couple of steep, sheltered, north-facing pistes back into the right of the bowl, and access to the south-facing runs off the side.
There are long blues and reds which run down the second valley, the Cercle de la Coma, which is tree-free. These runs return to the base station around the end of the ridge. Snow reliability is good. Artificial snow covers the base area and some pistes leading into it. The height of the area, which starts a good 400m higher than Arinsal, also adds to the length of the season.
Of all the resorts in Andorra, Arcalis has the most to offer experts. The black run that leads from the ridge back down towards the base is steep, and often mogulled, while the red run it connects to starts from the top of the main chair, going through a spectacular gulley before widening out.
There is also plenty of space between runs for off-piste forays, especially in the Cercle de la Coma. Arcalis is well-known for heli-skiing; the mountains facing the area are favored by the guides. Intermediates are well catered for, with smooth, long blues and reds being the main feature of Arcalis's slopes. These head through the trees in the Cercle d'Arcalis, and a couple of variations of wide, open runs on blues and reds down through the Cercle de la Coma.
The beginners' slopes are conveniently located near the base lodge, with a couple of drag-lifts leading to some longer blue runs. Liftlines are not a problem; midweek you can explore the resort and see hardly anyone. At the weekend the area is much busier, especially in good weather, but the approach road/car park has lifts at a number of different places, and with recent investment in high-speed chairs there shouldn't be a long wait at the bottom.
1940
2625
28,5
13
7,8
5,2
13
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Vallnord Pal - Arinsal
9368
vallnord-pal-arinsal
Andorra
andorra
Vallnord Pal - Arinsal
1.516800
42.540300
Pal has escaped much of the development that other resorts in Andorra have succumbed to. Pal is a quiet and picturesque mountain village over the ridge from Arinsal (about 5 km by road), with a small, reasonably varied, wooded ski area a couple of kilometers further up the hill. It is remarkably different from its nearby neighbor, and the link between the ski areas is a great enhancement for both resorts. Arinsal is a little village of Catalan slate and gray stone, near the head of a narrow valley north of Andorra La Vella. It has seen rapid development in recent years, giving the place a building-site appearance. The gondola, from the village center to the mid-station, installed in 1999 put an end to the trek to the inconveniently situated chair-lift and the new link via a 50 person tram from Coll de la Botella in Pal's Seturia sector to Port Negre at the top of the Arinsal slopes finally linked the separate resorts of Pal and Arinsal in 2000. Snow making was also extended and now covers 17 km/11miles of slopes. Pal has a small area of local slopes which are the most wooded of the Andorran resorts. It is surprisingly different from Arinsal, which is tall and narrow with no trees; Pal is short and wide, and covered with greenery. The only thing to attract experts will be fresh snowfall, when access to off-piste through well-spaced trees is best. Tree cover is so sparse in other Andorran resorts that Pal is the only option for this. Intermediates should go high, where well-bashed reds come down from the summit to the mid-station area. There are a couple of quite steep reds leading off to the Col de la Botella, one of which can grow moguls. Beginners start off on the very gentle slopes just in front of the base lodge, and progress to the short blues that are accessed by longer lifts starting from the same spot. Arinsal's small local area is a narrow, east-facing bowl of mainly open slopes, suitable for beginners, children and unadventurous intermediates. Almost all the runs lead straight back towards the mid-station area, ideal for parents to keep a watchful eye on children. With most runs above 1950 m and a fair number of guns, snow reliability is relatively assured. Most lifts above the mid-station are drags, keeping the mountain open when it's windy.
1550
2560
63
31
34,7
18,9
9,5
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