Candanchu is a ski resort in the Aragonese Pyrenees, located only 27 km from the city of Jaca and 1 km from the French border. This is the oldest ski resort in Spain, which has become a favorite place for the whole family to relax. The fact is that one of the best areas for beginner skiers in Europe is equipped here. Another important advantage of this ski resort is that it is almost never closed during the season due to adverse weather conditions, as it is reliably sheltered from the wind due to the features of the terrain. Candancha can also be counted among the most beautiful ski resorts in Spain – the surrounding landscapes are simply fabulous. The maximum skiing point is 2,400 m. The resort has 51 trails with a total length of about 40 km.
A few dozen years ago, it was a military settlement next to which the historically famous Camino de Santiago route passed, which today attracts many historians and military enthusiasts to Candancha.
However, today Candanchu is more associated with the ski complex of the same name, which received the prestigious “Q” Award for the quality of tourism and became one of the 12 most popular ski resorts in Spain , located high in the mountains. Today, it is the sports area that attracts thousands of extremes from all over the world. High mountains rising above the skiing areas secretly divide the site into several areas, which are equipped for skiing beginners, amateurs and real professionals.
The slopes of the resort are at an altitude of < 2645 meters above sea level, this indicator is equal to the highest peak of Candanchu, the peak of Aspe. On the territory of the ski complex, there are 24 lifts that serve more than 20 thousand people every day during the tourist season. Their work is organized in such a way that there are no long queues at the entrance.
In addition to the resort, many bars and restaurants are located on the territory of the former military settlement, which are mainly located on the first floors of hotels. Another ski resort Astun is located near Kandanchu. Also, from this settlement, you can reach cities such as Canfranc, Jaca, Formigal and Pantikos by bus.
Distances: Pau (France) – 90 km, Huesca – 100 km, Pamplona – 140 km, Zaragoza – 170 km, Barcelona – 370 km. The nearest airports are Za and Zaragoza.
Climate in Kandanchu
The moderate continental climate in Kandanchu gives residents and guests of the ski resort warm summers and fairly mild, sunny winters.
During the tourist season, which lasts from November to the beginning of April, quite frequent precipitation, changeable cloudiness, relative air humidity and a constant temperature, which almost never drops below -15 0 C , are noted in Kandanchu.
In the summer, the real heat comes to Kandancha, from May to August, the thermometer is at +32 0 C. Also, during this period, sharp gusts of wind and frequent thunderstorms accompanied by evening fogs are characteristic of the settlement.
History of Kandanchu
The history of Kandanchu is shrouded in real mystery, and this is quite understandable, because before the appearance of a modern ski complex and a residential area, the territory of the settlement was considered a military settlement. The only thing known about the settlement is that it had about a thousand inhabitants, who did not create any infrastructure and socially important places, because medicines and products were delivered to Kandanchu by plane.
For ordinary Spaniards and guests of the country, Candanchu became open in 1928. It was in the winter of this year that the resort welcomed the first lovers of mountain skiing, who appreciated the sports complex and began to actively visit it year after year.
Today, about seven hundred people live in the residential area of Kandanchu, almost all of them are owners or employees of local hotels, bars and restaurants. That is why in the summer time, when there are significantly fewer tourists in Candanchu, the settlement itself is also empty, many entrepreneurs leave the borders of Aragon.
Today, Kandanchu is primarily a resort that develops in this direction – replacing equipment, improving tracks or creating new sports facilities is considered a priority. Candanchu, as a settlement today, is of no interest to local residents or the Spanish authorities, in any case, there are no plans to build pharmacies, schools or hospitals in the residential area in the near future.
Where to sleep in Kandancha?
Today, ski resorts are perfectly equipped to find accommodation in some of their corners where we can sleep and feel comfortable. In the case of Candanchu station , we find hotels and apartments in the mountain itself, as well as in the regions located near the valley.
The difference between the houses in the mountains and the houses in the valley is that the former are in full snow and therefore the station is what you always see, while the latter are on the road in the valley. These homes are perfect for those looking to explore the countryside outside of the ski resort itself, so we can see there’s something for everyone!
Hotel Candanchú 3-star hotel
This hotel is located in the Aragonese Pyrenees, at an altitude of 1,560 meters, in the heart of the Candanchu ski resort. Free Wi-Fi is connected throughout the territory.
This hotel is perfect for skiers as the slopes are right in town and all amenities are within walking distance. Breakfast and home-cooked meals are served in the spacious dining room. At the end of a long day, guests can visit the gym with sauna. A lounge with board games and a bar with classic English leather sofas are also available for guests to relax.
In the summer, the surroundings of the hotel have a calm atmosphere, and guests can go on a trip to lakes, mountains and picturesque landscapes. There are also good transport connections in the vicinity of the hotel, as the train and bus stations of the city of Haka are nearby.
This seasonal hotel is open from December to April and from July to September.
Hotel Santa Cristina Petit Spa 3-star hotel
The Santa Cristina Spa Hotel is located in the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees, just 4 km from the Candanchu and Astun ski resorts, and 3 km from the Somport tunnel. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas.
Rooms at the Santa Cristina Spa Hotel offer mountain views. Among the amenities of all rooms are a TV, air conditioning and a safe.
The Santa Cristina Hotel & Spa also offers a gym, hot tub, steam room, sauna and indoor heated pool for an additional fee.
The El Boj restaurant serves traditional Pyrenean cuisine with a modern twist and an excellent selection of wines. It offers a view of the surrounding forests.
The surroundings of the hotel are popular among lovers of hiking, mountaineering and winter sports. The GR11 mountain route and the Way of St. James pass nearby. Guests can get to know the life of charming local villages.
Hotel & Spa Real Villa Anayet 4-star hotel
Villa Anayet Spa Hotel is located in Canfranc-Estacion. It offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant and a terrace. Free Wi-Fi is connected throughout the territory. The building of this hotel, located at an altitude of 1190 meters, is made of wood and stone.
All rooms have parquet floors, and the ceiling is decorated with wooden beams. Some rooms offer mountain views. The bathroom has a bathtub or shower and comes with free toiletries.
Villa Anayet Spa Hotel is 130 km from Pamplona Airport.
The most popular restaurants in Kandanch
La Factoria
La Factoria – a restaurant in the central part of Huesca has long been loved by all tourists going on excursions from Candanchu . Spanish, Italian and Portuguese dishes are served there, which have long been loved by both ordinary local residents and guests of the city. Local wines, dried olives or exotic fruit salads can also be found on the menu.
The interior of the establishment is extremely pleasant – calm tones, many beautiful details – paintings, figurines. La Factoria has a system of discounts for tourist groups, but even they do not save from rather high prices. For example, you will have to pay 7 euros for a glass of wine, and 14 to 22 euros for a meat dish. The average check is 40 euros.
Candanchu
Candanchu is a restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel of the same name. It is located on one of the central streets, the entrance to the institution is open. Candanchu is famous for serving traditional Spanish cuisine, mostly accompanied by local wines. That is why in Candanchu you should try lamb with wine marinade or pork in red wine.
In addition to meat, the restaurant serves desserts and side dishes, and the menu offers a wide selection of salads. The interior of Candanchu is quite simple, it is a certain extension of the interior of the hotel, so there are no unnecessary requirements and interesting details. The prices are high, but fully correspond to the quality – the average check is 40 euros.
Tobazo
Tobazo is another restaurant that is located on the territory of the hotel and is its property. You can enter the facility both from the internal entrance of the hotel and from the street, which is why it is open to all vacationers in Kandancha.
Tobazo serves excellent pizza, delicious pasta and salads. In the menu you can see many unusual desserts and drinks.
In the same way, Tobazo has a wine list, in which only local wines are indicated. The interior of the establishment is pleasant – classical music plays, wooden chairs and tables with soft upholstery, the restaurant is decorated in pastel colors. Prices in Tobazo are average, yes, the check for one visitor is 35-37 euros.
Chocolateria La Moleta
Chocolateria La Moleta is a local restaurant, although in terms of prices, interior and menu it is more like a cafe. It is located on a sharp turn to the center of Kandanchu, in a two-story building with an incredible view of the ski complex.
The menu at the establishment is significantly different in summer and winter, for example, during the tourist peak it is filled with a large number of meat dishes, while in summer, desserts, smoothies and other sweet dishes. The prices in the establishment are acceptable, the average check is 25 euros.
It is noteworthy that despite the many other restaurants, Chocolateria La Moleta is very popular with visitors.
What is interesting to see in Kandancha?
Kandanchu is famous for its ski resort of the same name, which is the main attraction of the settlement. A huge multi-functional sports complex, located under the open sky on the slopes of the Astun Valley, is the most visited place in Kandanchu. Today, the sports ground has about 50 tracks for athletes of different training and level.
The tracks of the ski complex are located between the high mountain peaks of Astun, that is why the highest point of this sports ground is the Aspe peak, which is located at an altitude of 2645 meters above sea level. Other tracks are also laid along the high peaks. At the moment, the ski complex “Kandanchu” has more than 50 tracks, their total length is almost 40 kilometers. Professionals can hone their skills on them, amateurs can reach new heights, and beginners can start their sporting feats.
In addition to the steep slopes, “Kandanchu” is famous for its excellent ski school, where competent experts give excellent theory and immediately consolidate it in practice. Also, there is a shop in “Kandanchu” where you can buy all the necessary equipment and sports equipment or rent it. Private kindergartens are provided for young visitors, however, they work only during the ski tourist season, which lasts from November to early April.
“Candanchu Ski Complex” is considered one of the most popular sports grounds in Spain, about 350,000 tourists from all over the world come to this resort every year.
Candanchu can also boast of its natural attractions, including the Valles Occidentales Natural Park. It is a natural area. Steep mountains, thermal springs and mountain rivers are located on its territory. The park also attracts visitors with representatives of flora and fauna that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as mountain goats or wild cows. Kandanchu is a resort that cannot boast of a large number of sights, there is no architectural, religious or historical building on its territory, but despite this, this settlement is famous for the incredible beauty of unspoiled nature, enchanting natural landscapes.
A panoramic view of the Kandanchu ski resort
- Nordic Ski Resort : In the skiing area, one of the most famous attractions of Candanchu Ski Resort is the Nordic Ski Resort section, which consists of a track that passes through the most beautiful parts of the mountain covered with snow. Some of the places we can see on this tour are the impressive Stone City, the Puerto Velha Valley, and you can even go around the Pyrenees Atlantique National Park. Without a doubt, one of the most exciting and beautiful tours you can do in this Candanchu ski resort.
- The snow garden at the high school is for everyone, and many of those who will be skiing to this station are parents, so the ski resort has a snow garden at its disposal, so that children can meet the snow for the first time and sit at home Discover excitement of a small family holiday in the snow! These two sports are the most pronounced and exclusive in Kandanchu. Overall, this is one of the poorest ski resorts when it comes to various activities, although it is still equally attractive for skiing in the mountains.
- Ski school : Like any other Candanchu ski resort, there is a ski school for anyone learning or wanting to start on the snow. There are classes for different age groups and they are organized at different times and days. There are already more than 50 ski schools in Kandanch.
Candanchu: tours and activities
Familiarization and other excursions are not conducted on the territory of Kandachy. The lack of such tourist programs is explained by the fact that the settlement is quite small, you can go around all its surroundings in literally two hours, and there is simply nothing to see in Kandancha. But you can go on an excursion and dilute your skiing vacation with an interesting cultural program.
From November to early April, every Thursday at 5:30 a.m. a tourist bus departs from the entrance to the ski resort with a tour guide who tells about the history of Spain and the main attractions of the country. The Candanchu-Jaca and Candanchu-Huesca routes are considered favorite tourist routes. Quite often, two buses depart from the ski complex, each of which has a route to Huesca or Huesca. Registration for the excursion takes place every day at separate ticket offices of the ski complex.
During the excursion program, tourists visit the most popular religious, architectural and historical sights of the city, for example, the Citadel of Jaca or the city market, the Cathedral, the local monastery of Huesca.
Huesca Cathedral
At the very top of the hill, in the center of the city of Huesca, there was the majestic Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord or, as the locals used to call it, the Cathedral of St. Mary. It is always crowded there, because this spiritual monument is located on the Cathedral Square. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style in the period from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 16th century by order of Jaime I of Aragon.
Despite the fact that the building is more than five centuries old, it has been preserved and has reached our days in its original form. It is noteworthy that the implementation of the cathedral project was started much later than the construction of other Christian churches in the city.
The most beautiful spiritual abode of Huesca has the shape of a Latin cross, where the interior space is presented in the form of three elongated rooms and a side chapel. The main portal is decorated with a family of archivolts, which have been displayed there since the creation of the cathedral.
But the main highlight of St. Mary’s Cathedral are those parts of the church that have preserved details from the old Romanesque church. They can be traced in porticoes with an arched exit and in decorated archivolts resting on two pairs of columns.
As for events, the opening days of the ski season are considered the brightest and largest holidays. Every year on November 1, tourists and guests of the resort can enjoy raffles, contests, a festive program with songs and dances, an open-air kitchen, as well as many other entertainments that end with a bright and colorful fireworks display.
Candanchu: entertainment and active recreation
You can spend your time actively or do sports in Kandancha in the ski complex located near the residential area of the settlement. Today, this sports ground has about 50 different tracks, which are divided into colors. “Black” tracks are intended for professionals, “blue” for those who bravely stand on mountain skis, and tracks marked in green were constructed for beginner athletes.
In addition to high-quality tracks, numerous ski lifts and a ski school, you can go ice skating, play hockey, and ride dog sleds on the territory of the complex. In the summer, the territory of the complex works in the same way, guests and local residents prefer to climb peaks and mountains with the help of alpine equipment, have picnics in the open air, and also go canoeing.
Thermal springs, mountain rivers and mountainous terrain are also within the city limits. You can also swim there, climb the peaks, or kayak on the river. It is noteworthy that any necessary equipment can be rented on the territory of the ski complex. Its cost depends entirely on the configuration, however, prices usually vary from 17 to 50 euros.
Souvenirs from Kandanch
Souvenirs in Kandancha are sold only in one place, in a small shop located at the entrance to the ski complex. Today, there you can find magnets, key rings, all kinds of postcards with images of Spain and Aragon, as well as with famous football players. It is interesting that despite the fact that these presents are quite typical, there is also a great demand for them, so the price policy of this souvenir island is quite high, for example, one magnet costs 5 euros. Likewise in Kandanchgastronomic presentations are quite popular, because local residents who grow grapes themselves and make homemade wine according to ancient recipes often trade in this resort village. Such a souvenir product is also quite popular, however, it deteriorates very quickly. The cost of one 0.5 liter bottle of homemade wine is 3-4 euros. You can also buy dried or dried olives from local residents or in shops in Candanchu, their cost does not exceed 1 euro.