Candanchu is a ski resort in the Aragonese Pyrenees, located just 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 in Europe for beginner skiers is equipped here. Another important advantage of this ski resort is that during the season it almost never closes due to adverse weather conditions, as it is reliably sheltered from the wind due to the features of the terrain. Candanchu can also be considered one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Spain – the landscapes around are simply fabulous. The maximum skiing point is 2400 m. The resort has 51 slopes with a total length of about 40 km.

A few decades ago, it was a military settlement near which the historically famous Camino de Santiago route passed, which today attracts many historians and military enthusiasts to Candanchu.

However, today Candanchu is more associated with the ski resort 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 extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world. The high mountains towering over the ski areas secretly divide the area into several areas, which are equipped for skiing by beginners, amateurs and true professionals.

The resort’s slopes are located at an altitude of <2645 meters above sea level, which is equal to the highest peak of Candanchú, Aspe Peak. There are 24 lifts on the territory of the ski complex, which serve more than 20 thousand people daily 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, there are many bars and restaurants 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 Candanchú. You can also get to such cities as Canfranc, Jaca, Formigal and Panticosa by bus from this settlement. 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 Candanchú

The temperate continental climate in Candanchú gives residents and guests of the ski resort warm summers and fairly mild, sunny winters.

During the tourist season, which lasts from November to early April, Candanchú experiences quite frequent precipitation, variable cloudiness, relative humidity and a constant temperature that almost never drops below -15⁰C.

In summer, Kandanchu gets really hot, from ;May to August the thermometer is at +32⁰C;. Also during this period, the settlement is characterized by sharp gusts of wind and frequent thunderstorms, accompanied by evening fogs.

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 residential area there, the territory of the settlement was considered a military settlement. All that is 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 Candanchu by plane.

Candanchu was opened to ordinary Spaniards and guests of the country in 1928. It was in the winter of this year that the resort received the first ski enthusiasts who appreciated the sports complex and began to actively visit it from year to year.

Today, about seven hundred people live in the residential area of Candanchu, almost all of them are owners or employees of local hotels, bars and restaurants. That is why in the summer, when there are significantly fewer tourists in Candanchu, the settlement itself also becomes empty, many entrepreneurs leave the borders of Aragon.

Today, Candanchu is primarily a resort that is developing in this direction – replacing equipment, improving trails or creating new sports facilities is considered paramount. Candanchu, as a settlement, is not of interest to either local residents or the Spanish authorities today; 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 Candanchu?

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 the Candanchu station, we find hotels and apartments on the mountain itself, as well as in the regions located near the valley.

The difference that exists between the houses that are in the mountains and 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 houses are ideal for those who want to walk around the surroundings outside the ski resort itself, so as we see, everyone will find something for themselves!

Hotel Candanchú 3-star hotel

This hotel is located in the Aragonese Pyrenees, at an altitude of 1,560 metres, in the heart of the Candanchú ski resort. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.

This hotel is ideal 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 use the gym with sauna. There is also a lounge with board games and a bar with classic English leather sofas.

In summer, the area around the hotel is peaceful and guests can explore the lakes, mountains and scenic landscapes. The area is also well-connected by public transport, with Jaca train and bus stations nearby.

This seasonal hotel is open from December to April and from July to September.

Hotel Santa Cristina Petit Spa 3-star hotel

Santa Cristina Hotel & Spa is located in the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees, just 4 km from the ski resorts of Candanchú and Astún and 3 km from the Somport Tunnel. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas.

The rooms at the Santa Cristina Hotel & Spa offer mountain views. All rooms include a TV, air conditioning and a safe.

The Santa Cristina Hotel & Spa also offers a gym, hot tub, steam bath, sauna and heated indoor pool for an extra charge.

The El Boj restaurant serves traditional Pyrenean cuisine with a modern twist and a great selection of wines. It offers views of the surrounding forests.

The area around the hotel is popular for hiking, mountaineering and winter sports. The GR11 mountain route and the Camino de Santiago are nearby. Guests can explore the charming local villages.

Hotel & Spa Real Villa Anayet 4-star hotel

Villa Anayet Hotel & Spa is located in Canfranc-Estación. It features an outdoor pool, a restaurant and a terrace. Free WiFi is available throughout. The hotel is set at an altitude of 1,190 metres and is built of wood and stone.

All rooms have parquet floors and wooden beamed ceilings. Some rooms offer mountain views. The bathroom is fitted with a bath or shower and comes with free toiletries.

Villa Anayet Spa Hotel is 130 km from Pamplona Airport.

Most popular restaurants in Candanchú

La Factoria

La Factoria – a restaurant in the central part of Huesca has long been loved by all tourists going on excursions from Candanchú. It serves Spanish, Italian and Portuguese dishes, which have long been loved by both ordinary locals and guests of the city. The menu also includes local wines, dried olives or exotic fruit salads.

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 quite high prices. For example, a glass of wine will cost 7 euros, for a meat dish from 14 to 22 euros. 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 establishment is open. Candanchu is famous for serving traditional Spanish cuisine, mostly local wines are added to all dishes. That is why in Candanchu it is worth trying lamb with wine marinade or pork in red wine.

In addition to meat, the restaurant serves desserts, side dishes, and the menu offers a large selection of salads. The interior of Candanchu is quite simple, it is a kind of continuation of the hotel interior, so there are no unnecessary frills and interesting details. The prices are high, but they fully correspond to the quality – the average check is 40 euros.

Tobazo

Tobazo is another restaurant located on the territory of the hotel and is its property. You can enter the restaurant both from the hotel’s internal entrance and from the street, which is why it is open to all vacationers in Candanchu.

Tobazo serves excellent pizza, delicious pasta and salads. The menu includes many unusual desserts and drinks.

Tobazo also has a wine list, which lists only local wines. The interior of the establishment is pleasant – classical music is played, wooden chairs and tables are upholstered, the restaurant is decorated in pastel colors. Prices at Tobazo are average, so the check for one visitor comes out to 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 Candanchú, in a two-story building with an incredible view of the ski resort.

The menu in the institution is significantly different in summer and winter, for example, during the tourist peak it is full of a large number of meat dishes, and in summer, desserts, smoothies and other sweet dishes. The prices in the institution 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 Candanchú?

Candanchú is famous for its ski resort of the same name, which is the main attraction of the settlement. A huge multifunctional sports complex, located in the open air on the slopes of the Astun Valley, is the most visited place in Candanchú. 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 Astuna, which 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 Candanchu ski complex has more than 50 tracks, their total length is almost 40 kilometers. Professionals can hone their skills on them, amateurs can reach new peaks and beginners can begin their sporting exploits.

In addition to steep slopes, “Kandanchu” is famous for its excellent ski school, where competent specialists give excellent theory and immediately consolidate it in practice. “Kandanchu” also has a shop 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.

The Candanchu ski resort is considered one of the most popular sports grounds in Spain, about 350 thousand tourists from all over the world come to this resort village every year.

Candanchu can also boast of its natural attractions, including the Valles Occidentales Natural Park. It is a natural area. On its territory are steep mountains, thermal springs and mountain rivers. The park also attracts visitors with representatives of flora and fauna that are difficult to find in other places, for example, mountain goats or wild cows. Candanchu is a resort that cannot boast of a large number of attractions, there is not a single architectural, religious or historical building on its territory, but despite this, this settlement is famous for the incredible beauty of untouched nature, enchanting natural landscapes.

Panoramic view of Candanchú ski resort

Northern ski resort: In the field of skiing, one of the most famous attractions of Candanchú ski resort is the Nordic ski resort section, which consists of a track that passes through the most beautiful parts of the mountain covered in snow. Some of the places that we can see on this tour are the impressive Stone Town, the Puerto Velha Valley, and you can even go around the Pyrenees Atlantic National Park. Without a doubt, one of the most exciting and beautiful tours you can do in this ski resort Candanchú.
Snow garden in the high school is for everyone, and many of those who are going to ski 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 the excitement of a small family holiday in the snow! These two sports are the most pronounced and exclusive in Candanchú. In general, it is one of the poorest ski resorts when it comes to the variety of activities, although it is still equally attractive for skiing in the mountains.
Ski school: As in any other ski resort in Candanchú, there is a ski school for everyone who is learning or wants to start on the snow. There are classes for different age groups and they are organized at different times and days. The ski school in Candanchú is already more 50.

Канданчу: екскурсії та заходи

Ознайомлювальні і інші екскурсії на території Кандачу не проводяться. Відсутність таких туристичних програм пояснюється тим, що населений пункт досить маленький, обійти всі його околиці можна буквально за дві години, та й дивитися в Канданчу просто нічого. Але відправитися на екскурсію і розбавити свій гірськолижний відпочинок цікавою культурною програмою можна.

З листопада до початкуквітня, щочетверга о 5:30 ранку від входу в гірськолижний комплекс відправляється туристичний автобус разом з екскурсоводом, який під час шляху розповідає про історію Іспанії та про головні визначні пам’ятки держави. Улюбленими туристичними маршрутами, вважаються маршрути Канданчу-Хака і Канданчу-Уеска. Досить часто від гірськолижного комплексу відходять два автобуси, кожен з яких тримає шлях в Хаку або Уэску. Запис на екскурсію відбувається щодня в окремих касах гірськолижного комплексу.

Під час екскурсійної програми, туристи відвідують найпопулярніші релігійні, архітектурні та історичні пам’ятки міст, наприклад, Цитадель Хака або міський ринок, Кафедральний собор, місцевий монастир Уеска.

Кафедральний собор Уеска

На самій вершині пагорба, в центрі міста Уеска розташувалася велична Церква Преображення Господнього або, як її звикли називати місцеві, Кафедральний собор святої Марії. Там завжди багатолюдно, адже дана духовна пам’ятка знаходиться на Кафедральній площі. Собор був зведений в готичному стилі в період з кінця 13 до початку 16 століття за наказом Хайме I Арагонського.

Незважаючи на те, що будівлі вже більше п’яти століть, вона зберіглася і дійшла до наших днів у первозданному вигляді. Примітно, що до реалізації проекту кафедрального собору приступили значно пізніше, ніж до будівництва інших християнських церков міста.

Найкрасивіша духовна обитель Уеска має форму латинського хреста, де внутрішній простір представлено у вигляді трьох витягнутих приміщень і бічної капели. Найголовніший портал прикрашений сім’ю архивольтами, які красуються там з моменту створення собору.

Але основною родзинкою Кафедрального собору святої Марії вважаються ті частини храму, що зберегли в собі деталі від старої романської церкви. Їх можна простежити в портиках з арочним виходом і в декорованих архивольтах, що спираються на дві пари колон.

Що стосується заходів,то самими яскравими та масштабними святами вважаються дні відкриття гірськолижного сезону. Саме 1 листопада кожного року туристів і гостей курорту чекають розіграші, конкурси, святкова програма з піснями і танцями, кухня під відкритим небом, а так само безліч інших розваг, які закінчуються яскравим і барвистим салютом.

Канданчу: розваги та активний відпочинок

Провести свій час активно або зайнятися спортом в Канданчу можна в гірськолижному комплексі, що розташований поблизу житлової зони населеного пункту. Сьогодні цей спортивний майданчик налічує близько 50 різних трас, які поділені на кольори. “Чорні” траси призначені для професіоналів, “сині” для тих, хто сміливо стоїть на гірських лижах, а траси, що відзначені зеленим були зведені для початківців спортсменів.

Крім якісних трас, численних підйомників і школи гірськолижників, на території комплексу можна покататися на ковзанах, зіграти в хокей, а так само прокотитися на собачих упряжках. Влітку територія комплексу так само працює, гості та місцеві жителі вважають за краще забиратися на піки і гори з допомогою альпійського спорядження, влаштовувати пікніки на відкритому повітрі, а також сплавлятися на каное.

Термальні джерела, гірські ріки і гориста місцевість є і в межах міста. Там так само можна скупатися, забратися на вершини або впоратися на річці на байдарках. Примітно, що будь-яке необхідне обладнання можна взяти напрокат на території гірськолижного комплексу. Його вартість повністю залежить від комплектації, однак, зазвичай ціни варіюються від 17 до 50 євро.

Сувеніри з Канданчу

Сувеніри в Канданчу продаються тільки в одному місці, у невеликій крамниці, що розташувалася на вході в гірськолижний комплекс. Сьогодні там можна знайти магніти, брелоки, всілякі листівки із зображеннями Іспанії та Арагону, а так само зі знаменитими футболістами. Цікаво, що незважаючи на те, що ці презенти відносяться до досить типових, попит на них є і великий, тому цінова політика цього сувенірного острівця досить висока, наприклад, один магніт коштує 5 євро.Так само в Канданчу досить популярні гастрономічні презенти, адже в цьому курортному селищі часто торгують місцеві жителі, які самі вирощують виноград і роблять домашнє вино за старовинними рецептами. Такий сувенірний продукт теж є досить популярним, однак, украй швидко псуються. Вартість однієї пляшки домашнього вина 0,5 літрів коштує 3-4 євро. Також у місцевих жителів або в магазинах Канданчу можна придбати в’ялені або сушені оливки, їх вартість не перевищує 1 євро.