While the Alps dominates the winter sports landscape in Europe, it isn’t the only mountain range to choose from. The Pyrenees have often been seen as the distant second best option, often regarded as the budget choice. And high up, in the heart of the Pyrenees, you’ll find the Principality of Andorra.
You might have heard about Andorra’s rep as a hotspot for apres ski and duty free.
And you might also have heard rumblings about skiing in Andorra not being quite as snow sure or as good as the Alps. In fact, when we were looking at a snowboarding trip to Andorra, we were told it was patchy at best.
Well…
We went to Andorra to check the ski resort of Grandvalira. So, how does it measure up?
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Where is Andorra?
OK, first things first. Andorra is a small nation high in the Pyrenees sitting between France and Spain. As an independent Principality, it is a sovereign nation and not part of the EU. But it does use the Euro as currency. The official language is Catalan (the only country in the world to have Catalan as it’s primary language), although Spanish and French are widely spoken. Many residents also speak English too, but it can be handy to have one of the other languages under your belt.
As the country sits entirely in the mountains, it is mostly a series of valleys, with towns dotted along them. The biggest town, and the capital, is Andorra la Vella. This is where you’ll find many hotels offering ski packages and access to Grandvalira and the other ski resorts in Andorra, which we will talk about in a moment.
The entire country is pretty small, measuring 30 kms east to west, and 25 kms north to south. As such, nowhere is that far away when you’re in Andorra.
But with that being said, some places are better to stay than others when it comes to accessing the Andorra skiing. So even though when it comes to Andorra ski holidays, you won’t have to worry about transfers too much, you do want to make it easy on yourself.
Is Andorra/Grandvalira good for snowboarding?
In a word, yes. Grandvalira is a dream for snowboarders with some great terrain, including wide open pistes, off-piste sections, a couple of snow parks and even some forested sections. And yes, this might depend on snowfall – but there is so much area to cover that even limited pistes would still be a lot of fun.
I must have timed my trip to Andorra perfectly, as I found the terrain and the snow cover in Andorra excellent. Based in El Tarter, the runs from the mountain back to Pi di Migdia and into town offer a good fast and wide descent, with lots of opportunity to enjoy some leisurely carving and even a spot of off-piste.
In fact, while this isn’t really freeriding or crazy backcountry, there are a few spots where you can pop into off-piste mode and hit up some powder. Because it snowed while we were in Andorra, we did get to ride a little bit of pow’ which was a treat for sure. And although there were a lot of people about, the powder pockets didn’t really get tracked out until a couple of days later.
Saying that, the valley around Grau Roig and Pas de la Casa I found was pretty heavy on traffic and the off-piste sections were quite popular. But, there are so many routes to take around this area that you can easily do your own run and barely see any other skiers or snowboarders.
And I also found that there were some nice long runs to enjoy too, for those that love cruising. The run from the Tosa de Llosada, in the El Tarter section, back to base at Soldeu or El Tarter is a great leisurely cruise through a mixture of open mountain, through a tree lined zig zag and into the village – which is something like 8-10kms.
For snowboarders and skiers looking for some jumps, the snow park at El Tarter was clearly the place to be, with a ton of kickers, rails, bowls and jumps. There was also a snow park at Grau Roig, which looked pretty sick too.
Where to stay to ski Grandvalira, Andorra?
So when talking about Andorra, we have to talk about the Grandvalira Super Ski Area. Previously a patchy network of independent ski resorts, today Grandvalira offers over 200kms of skiable terrain. It’s by far the biggest of the Andorra skiing resorts, and in fact the largest in the Pyrenees (as well as Europe’s largest ski resort outside the Alps).
There are several areas where you can stay to access the Grandvalira ski lifts and pistes.
The first access point is at Encamp, just outside the capital Andorra la Vella. However access from Encamp into the ski area is via a fairly lengthy (20-30 minute) gondola ride.
Canilo is better suited, and as you go up the valley the access gets better. El Tarter, Soldeu, Envilara, Grau Roig and Pas de la Casa are all pretty much directly next to the ski area – with Pas de la Casa arguably the best location. In fact, although ski in ski out isn’t a big thing in Andorra, Pas de la Casa is the closest you’ll get to true ski in ski out in Andorra, with may apartments and hotels right next to the slopes.
We stayed in El Tarter and Ransol, which we’ll take a look at in just a moment.
Most hotels offer either a transfer to and from the slopes, which you can book in advance, or you can use the excellent bus network too. Most likely you will be able to access a free bus transfer through your hotel.
If you’re staying in Andorra la Vella, you’ll have a 15-20 minute transfer to the first lifts at Encamp or Canilo plus the gondola ride up. I’d suggest staying further along the valley if you can.
However the benefits of staying in Andorra la Vella are a better choice of dining options, bars and nightlife – not to mention more premium hotels.
If you’re travelling with non-skiers or looking for more to do off the mountain, you might prefer to choose Andorra la Vella, Canilo or Encamp.
What is El Tarter like?
The small village of El Tarter is pretty much a one street affair, with the main road running along the bottom of the village. You do need to cross the road to access the lift station to get up onto the mountain – which isn’t too scary. The cluster of ski rentals and cafes at the base of the mountain mean you can rent or buy whatever you need for skiing, and get some pre and apres ski refreshments too.
There is also a block of duty free shops and a large souvenir come grocery shop at Manacor, which is a 5 minute walk along the road from El Tarter. Manacor was kinda expensive if you’re looking for groceries, but has lots of great options for booze and all your delicatessan needs. But if you’re self catering, nip to the Shell petrol station across the road. Less tourist trap prices, more affordable pasta, cheese, meats and booze…
Back to El Tarter, and we stayed in the Pierre et Vacances Alba Andorra apartments. Accommodation was pretty simple, but perfectly ample for our needs. We had the cooking facilities, a TV, en suite bathroom and the beds were two separate sofa beds – all of this in one room.
The view towards the mountain was nice enough, and the apartments were pretty quiet all in all. No rowdy groups at night.
The ski locker room was pretty basic. No warmed boot hangers or anything luxurious. In fact, our ski lockers were in the parking garage under the building, which was OK. Not ideal, but OK. Many ski rental places also let you leave your board/skis and boots in the shop overnight, but they do charge a fee.
The apartments are perfect for friends to chill out after a hard day on the mountain, and are also a short walk from the main drag of El Tarter and the lift station.
Read our review of Residences Alba in El Tarter
What is Ransol like?
A short drive or walk up the hill from El Tarter is the village of Ransol. Being slightly higher up, Ransol has a better view down the valley than El Tarter, but is also quieter. It’s far enough up the hill that you won’t want to walk up in snow boots, that’s for sure.
But my hotel offered a free minibus that shuttled visitors to and from the hotel to the lift station, and also picked you up from the bus station when you check in, or drops you back for check out.
I stayed at the Wuau! Hotel Segle XX in Ransol, which is a fun 3 star hotel with pool and B&B or half board options. This was an excellent spot, with good food and options for family visitors such as a playroom, creche and swimming pool/spa.
Ransol is perhaps better suited to those looking for a quieter stay in Andorra’s ski heartland.
Read my review of Wuau! Hotel Segle XX
Ski and snowboard equipment rental in El-Tarter/Soldeu
As you might expect, there are several places to rent skis and snowboard equipment in El Tarter and Soldeu. Both resorts (and Pas de la Casa too) offer lots of options, and a 5 minute walk around the main high street will present you with a number of options.
If you’re looking for the best prices on the best equipment, it’s usually best to book equipment in advance online.
I always find that SkiSet offer consistently the best prices vs the competition, with some great discounts when booked in advance.
Use our link and get up to 50% off your SkiSet booking in Andorra.
Is Grandavlira ski in/ski out?
With the Grandvalira ski area running along a huge valley, there are a few options for ski in/ski out. But in all honesty, not all accommodation is going to be right on the slopes – but that doesn’t matter.
At the end of the day, it’s a simple case of snowboarding or skiing down the mountain back into town and then a short walk to your accommodation from there. Both Soldeu and El Tarter are at the base of the mountain and you can ski almost back to the main road, and some of the apartments based there.
Pas de la Casa is the town with the most accommodation, and there isn’t much ski in/ski out. BUT… All of the apartments in town are barely 5 minutes walk at most from the first lift station. Some are less than that.
For us it was a 5 minute walk from the base of the mountain back up a (admittedly kinda steep) hill back to our apartment. No problems at all.
Where else can you ski or snowboarding in Andorra?
Besides Grandvalira, visitors to Andorra can also access Ordino-Arcalis and Vallnord-Pal Arinsal.
Ordino-Arcalis
Ordino-Arcalis is the smallest of the Andorran ski resorts, covering just 30 kms of pistes. It is also situated between the huge Grandvalira and the mid-sized Vallnord-Pal Arinsal. Although you can access Ordino-Arcalis with your Grandvalira lift pass, unless you’re here for a long stay of more than a week, you’re unlikely to check it out.
But if you’re looking for less busy slopes, you might prefer Ordino-Arcalis in high season.
Vallnord-Pal Arinsal
Vallnord-Pal Arinsal is in the far west of Andorra and offers 63 kms of skiable terrain, making it a good sized resort by any measure. Close to the town of Massana, Vallnord-Pal Arinsal is actually two resorts linked by a gondola. The biggest, Pal, is accessible via gondola directly from Massana – which is where most hotels and resorts are based.
Massana is also the closest ski gondola to Andorra la Vella, so if you do stay in the capital this might be the more convenient option for you.
Arinsal, the smaller village and resort, is a short drive up the valley with direct access from the hamlet.
One thing to bear in mind with Vallnord-Pal Arinsal is that there is no skiable route back to town in either resort, so you’ll need to get the gondola at the end of the day.
Find some of the best ski packages to Andorra with Estiber.
What is apres ski like in Andorra?
Andorra is known for her apres ski, and the best places to party are Pas de la Casa, Soldeu or Andorra la Vella. Each of these have a wider choice of bars and clubs where you can get into the party mode after a day carving it up.
Pas de la Casa is definitely the most lively option. Where were based, in El Tarter, was not the most buzzing but there was a bar/club and several venues packed full of late night revellers. We were also treated to a fun sunset apres ski shindig in a bar near the base station (I forget the name though…)
How to get to Andorra
The most common way to get to Andorra is to either drive, or take the coach. You can also hire a private transfer to ferry you from the nearest airports. The closest airports to Andorra are:
- Barcelona (BCN) – 3 hour transfer to El Tarter
- Toulouse (TLS) – 3 hour transfer to Pas de la Casa
- Perpignan (PGF) – 2 hour drive or 5 hour bus
We took the AND bus from Barcelona airport to El Tarter direct, which was around €70 round trip and perfectly comfortable and efficient.
We’ve also put together a full guide about how to get from Barcelona to Andorra.
Try 12GO for the best prices on bus and public transport searches – or try this handy widget from 12GO.
Is Andorra snowsure?
You might have heard that there is less snowfall in Andorra than in the Alps. Although there is some truth to this, with less snow days than many of the biggest French or Austrian resorts, Andorra can hold it’s own in the snow stakes.
On our visit, which was early March, we arrived right after a fresh dump of snow which created perfect terrain both on-piste and off-piste. Although not the most avid freerider, I did love a bit of fresh pow on the sides of the main slopes across Grandvalira.
That said, Andorra sits mostly above 2000 meters making it pretty reliable for snow coverage throughout the season. And with a choice of resorts, you’ll find a good pocket of snow somewhere in the tiny country for sure.
While it’s hard to say when is the best time to ski in Andorra, as it can be variable, generally speaking the start of the season will see a good foundation of snow (December) with top ups throughout the season. The best idea is to keep an eye on the snow report or forecast when you’re booking.
But generally speaking, if you’re looking for February skiing, Andorra will be perfect.
Looking for the best deals on ski or snowboard packages in Andorra?
Check out Snowtrex – They offer some of the lowest prices and best deals with LIFT PASSES INCLUDED on all deals in Andorra.
Also, check out Estiber – A Spanish company, they also offer some of the best deals in Andorra and the Pyrenees, and yes lift passes are included too.
