Andorra, thanks to its cultural heritage, offers many places to ski. The two best known are Vallnord and Grandvalira, but how do you choose between these two areas?
The Vallnord ski area
First of all, the Vallnord ski area passes through several villages, which also have their own ski resorts, including Le Pal, Arinsal, and Ordino.
The Pal resort
The resort of Le Pal is specialised for beginners in skiing. It is therefore available to all, especially families. It has 63 km of ski runs and is connected to the resort of Arinsal by a cable car.
The resort of Arinsal
Arinsal is the smallest resort in Andorra. It has a vertical drop of 1,000 km, but is best known for its freestyle runs. If you like thrills, this is the resort for you! The atmosphere is festive, especially in the tapas bars that are present around the slopes. This resort is especially dedicated to young people and people who like to ski freestyle.
The resort of Ordino
The resort of Ordino offers diversity! In fact, it has 442 hectares of virgin snow and 140 different downhill itineraries, which can be used by everyone. In fact, there are multiple levels of ski runs, from green to black.
The Grandvalira ski area
The Grandvalira resort covers about 2 hectares and offers 110 ski runs.
There are 210 km of ski runs available and they pass through the towns of Pas-de-la-Case, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo and finally Encamp.
The resort of Pas-de-la-Case
The resort of Pas-de-la-Case offers a wide range of accommodation and steep slopes that allow all skiers to enjoy themselves. What’s more, this town is unbeatable when it comes to shopping! If you want to shop during your winter holidays, this is the place to go.
The resort of Soldeu
The Soldeu area has a beautiful setting where skiers can enjoy some great runs. One of them even hosted the Women’s Ski World Cup in 2012.
The resort of El Tarter
El Tarter is the most famous resort in Granvalira. It has a large SnowPark, as this resort was designed to practice extreme snow sports. It is one of the largest freestyle modules in Europe. This resort is therefore intended for the most experienced skiers.
The resort of Canillo
The ski resort of Canillo is available for everyone, young and old. Indeed, beginners can ski here in complete peace. The atmosphere, whether on the slopes or in the village, is really calm.
The resort of Encamp
Finally, the resort of Encamp is the first access to Grandvalira when you come from Spain. There, there are the remains of a medieval town from the past. In addition, you can find the largest funicular in Europe in this station. It connects the station to the houses in only 6 km. A short 15-minute ride over beautiful mountain scenery is sure to relax you.
Conclusion
In both resorts you can practice your favourite winter sports: downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, …. Andorra is the ideal place for a skiing holiday. There you will find everything you need for skiing: ski lifts, accommodation at the foot of the slopes, ski equipment rental, ski instructors and many après-ski activities.
