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SKI

Eight amazing ski resorts in Spain

From the Pyrenees to the Sierra Nevada, The Local looks at some of the best places in Spain to hit the slopes and enjoy the après-ski, as well as all the opening and closing dates of this seaon.

Published: 13 January 2020 15:44 CET
Updated: 11 December 2022 07:42 CET
Spain's main ski slopes are located in Andalusia, Castilla y León, Aragón and Catalonia.
Spain's main ski slopes are located in Andalusia, Castilla y León, Aragón and Catalonia. Photo: AFP

The first snow of the year has arrived in Spain, which means that ski season has begun. If you’ve put summer way behind you and have already dug out your winter gear, here’s where you should go and when.

1. Benasque


Photo: yimix / Flickr Creative Commons

Nestled within the Posets-Maladetas nature reserve in the Spanish Pyrenees, Benasque is perfect for those who prefer skiing of the cross country variety. There are routes to suit all abilities from experienced to beginners, that wind through scenic oak, birch and beech forests. Benasque partially opened on December 6th. 

2. La Molina

Photo: Kibo M / Flickr Creative Commons

Less than two hours by car from the beaches Barcelona, this is a busy, bustling resort with a lot of history. The home of Spain’s first ski-lift and ski-school, it also hosted the 2011 Snowboarding World Championships. It offers 61km of pistes divided into 54 runs, a park for beginners and the biggest half-pipe in the Pyrenees. The opening date is still pending for this year, but it will be operational until April 10th 2023. 
 

3. Masella


Photo: Josep M / Flickr Creative Commons

Close to the French and Andorran borders on the northern slope of Tosa d’Alp overlooking the Cerdanya Valley, Masella is located only 90 minutes away from Barcelona. The resort has 65 pistes of all levels, spread over 75km. Like La Molina, the official opening date is yet to be announced, but it will stay open until April 10th, 2023. 

4. Baqueira-Beret 


Photo: Inigo Zubia / Flickr Creative Commons

Spain’s biggest and most visited ski resort, with 153km of pistes, is found less than four hours from both Barcelona and Zaragoza, in the Aran and Àneu Valleys of the Pyrenees. Skiers flock here because of the resort’s good snow record and to enjoy more than 50 local, rural villages of stone and wood houses, many of which feature beautiful Romanesque churches. This year its season runs from November 26th to April 10th, 2023. 

5. Navacerrada


Photo: Pablo Yunyas / Flickr Creative Commons

Located 52km (32 miles) outside Madrid, Navacerrada is the closest ski resort to the capital, making it perfect for a day trip. It is divided into two areas, the upper area with intermediate/difficult pistes and the lower area with intermediate pistes. The resort also boasts a slalom stadium and ski jump. The ski resort is not yet open this year, but dates will be announced shortly. 

6. Formigal 

Photo: es.topsportholidays.com / Flickr Creative Commons.

A resort in the Aragónese Pyrenees, Formigal offers 137km of pistes over 90 runs. Its north- and west-facing slopes give it a good snow record and its location within driving distance of a number of cities in the northwest of Spain and southeast of France drives its popularity. Formigal also has snow gardens and facilities for younger skiers, and hosted the 2008 Alpine Junior World Ski Championships. The ski season at Formigal started on December 2nd and will run until April 9th 2023. 

7. Sierra Nevada


Photo: Álvaro Salas Ordóñez / Flickr Creative Commons.

The most southerly ski resort in Europe, the Sierra Nevada ski station is located outside Granada, on the northern slopes of Veleta, the third-highest peak in peninsular Spain. It is the highest ski resort in Spain; the season can last from late November until early May. The resort has over 100km of alpine ski runs. Just a short drive from the Mediterranean coast makes it one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon! The resort has one of the longest ski seasons in Spain this year, opening on December 3rd and running until May 1st 2023. 

8. Valgrande-Pajares 

If you fancy discovering a lesser-known part of Spain, then Asturias has a resort with 25km of pistes within an hour’s drive of both Oviedo and León. Ideally suited for beginners. This station is not yet open and dates are still to be announced. 

READ ALSO:  A weekend in Spain’s Formigal: Guide for skiers and snowboarders

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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