about
Grandvalira
Grandvalira is the premiere ski area in Andorra, covering an area of 210km, 228 pistes and a max altitude of 2,528m. The area is made up of the resorts of Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig and Soldeu-El Tarter along with the smaller areas of Encamp and Canillo. It’s relatively young as a ski area, only formed in 2003 when Pas and Soldeu were joined to create the country’s first seriously sized ski area and has benefited from plenty of investment since then to bring it up to the standards of other countries and add the facilities many visitors expect.
The ski terrain of Grandvalira is generally best suited to intermediates, although there are a number of dedicated beginner areas, and off piste to be had at Pic d'Encampadana. Andorra has long been a good destination for snowboarders, not least because of it’s appeal to a younger crowd, but the attitude has always been open to new disciplines and there’s a decent freestyle park and with half pipe in the Pas de la Casa/Grau Roig's area.
The cheap duty-free price of drinks has certainly helped to give Grandvalira and skiing in Andorra in general a steady supply of young people looking to enjoy time on and off the slopes in equal measure. The bars are plentiful and lively, and keep going until the early hours for those who are that way inclined.
Need to know
Official website
http://www.grandvalira.com/
Linked areas
Encamo, Canillo, El Tarter, Soldeu, Grau Roig, Pas de la Casa.
Getting here
There are no airports in Andorra so you’ll fly to either Toulouse or Carcassonne in France, or Barcelona in Spain which is usually the most popular choice. Barcelona is around 200km away so a transfer to Grandvalira will take around 2-2.5 hours.