The largest ski area in Andorra is Grandvalira. There are three villages on its territory, which are considered to be a single ski resort. These are Soldeu, Canillo, El Tarter.
Soldeu – El Tarter – Canillo – a ski resort in Andorra , located 19 km from the capital of Andorra la Vella, is an excellent place for outdoor activities.
Soldeu and El Tarter are small villages in the Canillo region, located approximately 3 km from each other and connected by picturesque valleys, forming a single ski area with a developed tourist infrastructure and equipped with lifts and tracks of various levels of difficulty. The resort of Soldeu-El-Tarter was opened in 1964 by the joint efforts of the residents of the nearby village of Canillo. In fact, it is the only ski resort of considerable size, as El Tarter, Canillo and Soldeu are connected by a network of numerous lifts. Today, ski resorts in Andorra are very popular thanks to the well-developed tourism infrastructure.
Ski resort Soldeu-el-Tarter
At the same time, Soldeu is more suitable for family vacations with children, while El Tarter, which is a more dynamic skiing sector, attracts mainly young people and fans of extreme sports. It is in El-Tarter that the snow park is located – the most popular freestyle area in Southern Europe.
How to get there
The nearest international airport is Barcelona (220 km). Regular connections with the capital, Andorra La Vella, will take 40 minutes one way.
Tracks and lifts
The ski slopes of the resort are designed for people with different levels of training.
52 marked routes (14 green, 14 blue, 13 red and 11 black) have a length of about 100 km, run through picturesque green massifs, which makes this resort one of the most attractive places for recreation.
Skiing here is a pleasure. Excellent gentle slopes are ideal for skiers with an initial level of training. There are 8 km long runs for intermediate skiers, and off-piste skiing on unspoiled slopes for advanced skiers.
More than thirty lifts and twenty snow cannons work on the slopes. Most of the tracks are quite flat and have horizontal terraces. Fans of extreme riding are attracted by the new ski park “Free S.E.T. Eri “, on the territory of which there is a “black” track more than one kilometer long.
Technical characteristics of the Canillo, Soldeu, El Tarter ski resort
Altitude of the resort: 1710 m
Skiing area: 1710 m – 2560 m
Track length: 100 km
Ski slopes: total – 54 pcs
– For snowboarding – 1 pc
– For jumps – 1 pc
– Greens – 14 pcs
– Blue – 14 pcs
– Red – 13 pcs
– Black – 11 pcs
Number of lifts: 32 in total
– Bugelni – 16
– Armchairs – 12
– cabin – 2
– Children’s – 2
Vacationers in Soldeu-El Tartere are waiting for wonderful tracks and picturesque views of the Pyrenees. There is also an opportunity to go downhill skiing in one of the largest European skiing regions – GrandValira. This region is a beautiful area for downhill skiing, where you can find amazing trails of all levels of difficulty. Mountain skiers have the opportunity to organize new and new tours on mountain skis every day.
The skiing area of Soldeu-El Tartera includes 2 levels: the upper high mountain (up to 2,500 m) and the lower (up to 2,000 m), where the tracks pass in the forest surroundings. Not only professionals, but also beginners will be able to enjoy this skating area. At the stations of El Tartera and Soldeu, skiers have all kinds of cafes where they can catch their breath and drink a cup of coffee.
Soldeu-El-Tarter has excellent ski schools for snowboarding. Therefore, beginners will be able to master the technique of snowboarding or mountain skiing here, and more confident skiers will be able to move to a new level of skill. In Soldeu-El Tartere, snowboarders will be no less pleasantly surprised than skiers, because they are waiting for two wonderful snow parks and interesting descents on virgin land.
Children will not be bored at the Canillo ski resort. Children from one to three years old can be sent to a crèche, and a ski kindergarten is available for older guests. Children from the age of six will be able to study at the Soldeu-El Tartera ski school. There are two children’s tracks for the youngest lovers of mountain skiing.
Where to stay
The doors of numerous apartments and hotels are always open to skiers and snowboarders. A very convenient location has a sports center with apartments, it is located in the same building as the ski station.
Hotel del Tarter 3 star hotel
This hotel is next to the Grandvalira ski slopes and a 5-minute walk from the El Tarter ski lift. Rooms have satellite TV and free Wi-Fi. A sauna and a restaurant are at your service.
GrandValira Soldeu Golf Bike Park is 3 km away and Canillo Family Park is 3.5 km away. Andorra la Vella is 20 km away. In winter, ski passes can be purchased at the reception desk. Guests can use a secure bicycle storage room.
All rooms at Hotel Del Tarter are decorated in a strict and traditional style and are equipped with a heating system. Some rooms have balconies with mountain views.
The Tarter Hotel’s restaurant serves a buffet breakfast and traditional Andorran cuisine for dinner. The hotel also has a cafe-bar with a terrace.
Hotel Segle XX 3-star hotel
Hotel Segle XX is located in the Ransol Valley, 800 meters from the nearest ski lift of the Grandvalira resort. It offers a heated indoor pool and a free shuttle to the ski slopes.
Each room has a TV with satellite channels and a private bathroom with a hairdryer. Some rooms offer mountain views.
Guests can visit the sauna and massage session. On the territory of the Segle XX hotel there is a restaurant, a western-style bar and a disco bar. In addition, there is a storage room.
There are many hiking trails in the surrounding area along the lakes and mountains of the Ransol and Incles valleys. In the summer, various activities and excursions are organized for guests. Free public highway parking is available nearby.
Hotel Spa Llop Gris 4-star hotel
Hotel Spa Llop Gris is located at the foot of the lifts El Tarter and Soldeu . It offers a free indoor pool, a sauna, and free Wi-Fi in communal areas.
The modern rooms have wooden floors and TVs, they can accommodate up to 4 people. Some rooms can be combined for larger groups.
Spa Llop Gris offers a traditional restaurant serving seasonal dishes and a vegetarian à la carte menu. In the winter season, another restaurant serves salads, meat and typical Pyrenean dishes. There is also a pleasant bar serving all kinds of drinks and a lounge with a fireplace.
Spa Llop Gris organizes activities such as fishing, hiking and horseback riding. Andorra la Vella is a 20-minute drive away. The hotel has private parking nearby.
Tarter Mountain Suites 4 star hotel
Tarter Mountain Suites offers ski rental on site. It is a self-catering accommodation with free Wi-Fi and modern facilities. There is free parking on the hotel premises.
This resort hotel has three different accommodation options: stylish modern apartments with cozy fireplaces, balconies and beautiful views of Mount Ransol; and charming traditionally decorated mountain chalet apartments in the heart of Tarter, all with fireplaces.
All apartments have a living room with a fireplace, a flat-screen TV and a fully equipped kitchen with a microwave. The bathroom has a bathtub or shower or a hairdryer. Some apartments have a fireplace and beautiful mountain views.
The hotel offers storage for skis. Activities in the surrounding area include horse riding, golf, skiing and hiking. Shops, bars and restaurants can be found within a 3-minute walk of the hotel.
Tarter Mountain Suites offers direct access to Grandvalira’s ski slopes, including Soldeu, Pas de la Casa, Grau Rog and El Tarter.
You can engage in various sports activities, including tubing. Andorra la Vella is a 30-minute drive from the hotel.
Obaga Blanca & Spa 4-star hotel
This stylish mountain hotel offers beautiful views of the Canillo Valley and Roque del Coeur. It offers spacious, modern rooms with free Wi-Fi and plasma TVs, as well as ski storage.
Facilities at the Obaga Blanca include a spa with an outdoor and indoor sauna and hot tub. Guests have free access to the spa and fully equipped gym.
The hotel has a cafeteria that is open all day from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. You can also order takeaway meals.
In the suites of the Obaga Hotel, guests have a kitchen with a stove, a microwave oven and a refrigerator. Some suites also have a terrace.
A free shuttle service from the Obaga Hotel to the city center and to the Canillo ski slopes is organized for guests. In addition, there is free covered parking for bicycles and motorcycles. The city of Andorra la Vella is a 10-minute drive away.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure of the Soldeu – El Tarter – Canillo ski resort includes: high-class hotels, restaurants, bars, discotheques, ski schools for adults and children, a snowboard school, nurseries for babies (from 2 years old), ski equipment rental points.
In addition to skiing, here you can visit exciting trips on snowmobiles, walks on snowshoes on snowy mountains, and ride on dog sleds.
The highest ski resort in Andorra is Soldeu, which is located at an altitude of almost two thousand meters. It is distinguished by fairly low prices, large ski schools, popular night clubs and bars. The mountain slopes here are well prepared, perfect for training and beginner athletes, and are considered one of the best in the country. Today it is actively developing. This is facilitated by the close location from the capital of Andorra, only 19 kilometers. The close location to the neighboring resorts unites the tracks into one ski complex centered around the Grandvalira station. From the service, the resort offers cafes and restaurants, snow kindergartens, rescue services, which are constantly working.
Soldeu is a small mountain resort, the tourist infrastructure of which consists of several hotels, a sports equipment store, small cozy restaurants and a ski resort.
The next El Tarter is within three kilometers of Soldeu. Recently, the resort has developed and developed significantly. But it is still quieter and more comfortable than Soldeu, so it is ideal for a quiet family vacation with children. There are no loud parties in El Tarter, and all the night life takes place in hotel bars.
Canillo ski resort is located at an altitude of only 1,500 meters above sea level, which makes it the lowest in the region. It is 5 kilometers from Soldeu. A chair lift and a cable car take you to the top of the mountain. To this, we will add a very good reputation for the level of service of the resort and a high bar of quality standards of tourist service. There are ski schools here, where children can learn from the age of six. You will not find difficult and dangerous tracks here, but there are tracks for freeride. At night, the famous ice disco Palau de Gel operates here. In addition, the Canillo resort can offer an indoor pool, saunas, spa and gym, cafes and restaurants.
Skiing season: December – April
Low season: December 3-5, 10-14, 17-21
High season: December 1-2, 6-9, 15-16, December 22 – April 14
Ski pass (Grandvalira):
1 day (low / high season): adult – 40 € / 44 €, youth (12 – 17 years) – 37 € / 41 €, children (6-11 years) – 29 € / 32 €
6 days (low / high season): adult – 200 € / 232 €, youth (12 – 17 years) – 176 € / 204 €, children (6-11 years) – 139 € / 160 €
Entertainment
The most popular attraction of Canillo is the huge Ice Palace, which was built to host various sports competitions and organize leisure activities for tourists. There is a swimming pool, a gym, squash and tennis rooms, a sauna and a solarium, a shop and a slot machine room for vacationers.
In the evenings, after active recreation, tourists can have a great time in restaurants, bars and, if there is still energy left, at discos.
As for food traditions, a holiday at the resort in this article will also please skiers, because thanks to the proximity to France and Spain, traditional Catalan and French dishes are excellently prepared here. The “special” cuisine here is the so-called highland cuisine, traditional for the inhabitants of the mountainous area, for example, the traditional soup “escudelia”, stewed cabbage with pork and bacon, Andorran bread “coca”, mountain rice, etc. Traditional Andorran high-altitude cuisine can be tasted in colorful Pyrenean restaurants called “Bordas”, the interior of which is made of stone and wood. In addition, the resort has a large number of modern, stylish restaurants serving various world cuisines.
“Bordas”
Conclusions
Modern Andorra for tourists is simply a find. After all, here you can not only have a very good rest, but also have an interesting time. Travelers are offered many entertainment and excursion programs both in the city and in its surroundings.