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For years, Andorra had a reputation as a cheap and cheerful ski destination, but Andorra skiing has come a long way, and that stereotype is pretty much outdated today.
Investments in snow-making infrastructure mean that Andorran ski resorts are snow-sure from December to April, and the large, modern lift network links the major resorts into two, massive ski areas, Grandvalira and Vallnord, which offer everything from freeriding hot-spots to mellow nursery slopes.
There’s still a lively après ski scene, especially in Pas de la Casa, which is known as the Ibiza of the Pyrenees, but Andorra is simultaneously one of the most family-friendly places to come skiing in Europe. And while skiing holidays in Andorra continue to offer great value, this tiny principality in the Pyrenees now punches well above its weight when it comes to every aspect of winter entertainment.
The ski resorts in Andorra are Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo and Encamp (which make up the Grandvalira ski area) and Pal, Arinsal and Arcalis, which are linked together as Vallnord. Neither area is far from the other – you can drive across the entire country in about an hour – and between them, they offer more than 300km of groomed slopes, as well as some excellent off-piste terrain.
The capital, Andorra la Vella, includes duty-free shopping (Andorra is not part of the EU) and fine dining in world-famous restaurants. The thermal bath and spa of the Caldea centre provide a wonderful alternative to a day on the slopes. Plus, you can ice dive, ride a snowmobile or even build an igloo—Andorra ski holidays have it all. Here are six more things you may not have known about skiing in Andorra.
Andorra has a unique status
As an independent state with 1,000 years of history, Andorra has a unique culture that goes way beyond its reputation as a duty free shopping destination. For a start, it’s the only country where the official language is Catalan. And while it’s usually referred to as a principality, Andorra is technically a co-principality, with the role of the head of state shared between the Bishops of Urgell and the rulers of southern France since 1278.
That means that the current heads of state, or ‘Co-Princes’ are French president Emmanuel Macron and the Catalan cleric Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, but actual decision-making power rests with the Andorran Prime Minister.
The country is compact – just 468 square km, or about a fifth of the size of Luxembourg – but has a population of nearly 80,000, making it the largest of the European “microstates” (the others being Lichtenstein, San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican City).
Andorra isn’t a member of the European Union (hence the tax-free shopping) but it uses the Euro as its currency. As well as its ever popular ski resorts, Andorra is home to some beautiful old cities, including Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, and Ordino. If you’re passionate about history and culture, a visit to any of these is well worthwhile.
Photo: rcaucino_iStock
You can go heli-skiing in Andorra
Unlike many places in the Alps, heli-skiing is allowed in Andorra. If you love the thrill of excitement, you can go heli-skiing at Grandvalira Resorts and really make the most of the off-piste descents.
The activity is aimed at experienced skiers with previous off-piste experience. You can do sessions of 2, 4 or 6 ascents and descents in areas set up for free riding. The activity is done in groups of between four and eight people, accompanied at all times by an expert guide who will monitor the weather conditions and ensure the group’s safety.
There is a huge variety of accommodation in Andorra
Andorra’s ski resorts have something for everyone – from cosy apartments to luxury hotels, from ski-in, ski-out convenience to modern, trendy decor. Andorra ski resorts have a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, from cheap packages to all-inclusive luxury, including these great offerings from Sunweb:
Park Piolets Mountain Hotel & Spa
Enjoy your Andorra ski holiday to the fullest at this 5-star hotel and spa in Soldeu. Stay in an elegantly furnished, comfortable room with a minibar and free wi-fi. Some rooms even have a magnificent panoramic view of the mountains, or the slopes of Soldeu. For your convenience, two shuttle buses run all day between the hotel and the ski lift. For the little ones there is a kids’ club, a separate children’s buffet in the restaurant, and their own children’s pool. For weary limbs, there is the wellness centre & spa, where you can ease into a warm indoor pool, a sauna, and a Turkish bath. You can also unwind in an outdoor hot tub, with views of the slopes.
Prices from: £1,050pp
BOOK NOW: www.sunweb.co.uk
Hotel Guineu
The small 3-star Guineu Hotel is a family run hotel in the centre of Pas de la Casa, with free wi-fi, bar and restaurant. The shops, pubs and restaurants of this lively resort village are only a minute’s walk away. And after a day’s skiing you can glide back to within 30m of the hotel. Moreover, the ski lift is only three minutes away from your front door, so in the morning you will be there in no time. In the evening you can enjoy typical local and international dishes at the restaurant.
Prices from: £573pp
BOOK NOW: www.sunweb.co.uk
Hotel Del Cubil
Convenience is the watchword for this comfortable 3-star hotel in Pas de la Casa. In the heart of the resort centre it’s just 150m from the piste, and 50m from the shops. The rooms are warmly decorated and feature a modern bathroom with bathtub. After skiing, you can look forward to an après-ski bar or sunny terrace in the bustling centre to enjoy a well-deserved drink. Hotel Cubil features a fantastic restaurant, where dinner is served in the evening.
Prices from: £644pp
BOOK NOW: sunweb.co.uk
Pierre & Vacances Residence Pas de la Casa Princesa
Stay in a cosy loft-style apartment in Pas de la Casa and enjoy being right by the slopes and within walking distance of several ski lifts. Thanks to its great location, you will have a beautiful view of the surroundings and the valley. The apartments are all furnished in a loft style, equipped with a private bathroom and boast all the amenities you could need. You can easily prepare meals in your own kitchen, or if you feel like going out for dinner, there are plenty of excellent restaurants in the centre of town.
Prices from: £591pp
BOOK NOW: sunweb.co.uk
Photo: aleksle_iStock
Andorra is high, making it snow-sure
Straddling the Pyrenees between France and Spain, Andorra is a high-altitude destination, with some 65 peaks above 2,000m, making it the second-highest mountain state of Europe. The highest point of the Grandvalira ski area, for example, is at 2,560m, high enough to ensure excellent quality snow and snowsure pistes.
Pas de la Casa, at 2,100m, was Andorra’s first ski resort when it was founded in 1957. It’s now the principality’s largest, and welcomes more visitors than any other ski resort in the Pyrenees. Snow-sure, thanks to its high altitude and extensive snowmaking, the resort’s pistes sweep down to the town centre – the only place in Andorra where this happens – and are linked via the neighbouring Grau Roig ski sector to the other major Andorran ski resorts of Soldeu and El Tarter.
Soldeu’s ski sectors are focused around spacious mid-altitude service areas and beginners’ zones high above the villages. Confident novices can venture out on some wide blues, whilst intermediates and more advanced visitors can revel in the big mileage and more challenging terrain.
When snow conditions are at their best, with sufficient cover down to village level – boosted by excellent snowmaking – the Arinsal sector can boast the greatest vertical drop in Andorra: 1,010m from the highest lift-served point on Pic Alt de la Capa down to the lowest chairlift base at Arinsal’s Cota 1550 suburb, more than 3,000 ft of non-stop on-piste descent from top to bottom.
Photo: aluxum-iStock
Andorra is great for off-piste
Tucked away in the isolated north-western corner of the Principality, surrounded by high aretes and peaks which mark the Andorran-French border, Arcalis is a day-visitor ski station revered by local snow sports enthusiasts as Andorra’s most exciting ski area, with lift-served freeride zones and some serious off-piste terrain. The resort is also a traditional stop on the Freeride World Tour.
The Ordino Arcalís resort is now fully integrated into the Grandvalira Resort package. So all ski passes from the Grandvalira resort are valid at Ordino Arcalís, even the season pass. Likewise, Ordino Arcalís now sells a new season pass of its own that lets customers ski up to four days on the 217 km of slopes at Southern Europe’s top ski area.
Grandvalira Resorts will therefore have a total of 247 km of slopes, placing it among the top European ski destinations in terms of skiable area.
Photo: ShevchenkoAndrey_iStock
Andorra has some fantastic architecture
Andorra has conserved more than 40 churches and monuments in the Romanesque style, distributed throughout the territory, and dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. These compact and simple buildings blend beautifully with the typical Andorran mountain landscapes.
One of the key identifying features of the churches are their bell towers or belfries, used as a method of communication between people as well as a defensive element against attacks.
The interiors often feature paintings many of which are works of the disciples of the great Catalan Masters of yesteryear.
Visiting some of these churches will bring you closer to the lives of the inhabitants of the valleys, where in the past they were the centre of religious and social life, and which today are some of the jewels of our culture.
About Sunweb
For more than 30 years, Sunweb has been sending experts to the Alps and the Pyrenees to build-up extensive knowledge of the skiing options in order to create a huge selection of ski holiday packages all with lift passes included, allowing you to hit the slopes as soon as you arrive.
Flying from airports all across the UK to France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Italy, as well as Andorra, Sunweb offers hundreds of accommodation options in 200 of the best resorts. All flight packages include a transfer to your accommodation and Sunweb is ABTA-protected making it safe and easy to book online. It also offers self-drive packages for those who wish to make their own way to the mountains. Sunweb was awarded the title of World’s Best Ski Tour operator in 2023.
