Grandvalira Ski Resort Andorra

Grandvalira ski resort is the largest in Andorra & the entire Pyrenees. If large, interconnected ski resorts with multiple villages but without the crowds are your thing, Grandvalira may be for you.

Only a few minutes from the capital city, Grandvalira provides a unique ski holiday experience. Ski a world-class resort in one of the smallest countries in the world!

Pros & Cons for Grandvalira Ski Resort

Pros

• Vast network of lifts & ski trails.
• All ski terrain over 1,700m elevation.
• Quality on-piste trails for beginner & intermediate skiers & snowboarders.
• Lift pass valid in the fun Ordino Arcalis ski resort.
• Public transport access by train & bus is fantastic.
• A multitude of hotel & apartment options in valley or mountain village locations, for every budget, all lift connected to the ski resort.
• Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.

Cons

• Several confusing lift/piste connections for the uninitiated.
• Boom/bust snow cycle in the Pyrenees with increasing winter temperatures impacting snow quantity & quality at lower elevations.
• For a resort so big, there is limited freeride powder & advanced terrain.
• Public transport from French or Spanish airports to Andorra is remarkably limited & difficult to manage.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

• An international clientele that may, or may not, appeal to one’s sensibilities, particularly in the higher-priced accommodation!
• Resort villages seem quite soulless, lacking any sense of integrated ‘community’, but maybe that’s what visitors here are seeking.
• Access to Europe’s best value vices in the booze, cigarette & sweet departments; plus cheap fuel - there are more petrol stations here per capita then just about anywhere else in Europe (the possible exception is duty-free Livigno!).

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

The Grandvalira ski resort is the largest in the Pyrenees, combining six base areas to occupy most of the southeast corner of Andorra. With over 210km of trails, 70 lifts & a longest run of over 6km, Grandvalira is a large ski resort by world standards. The resort's base areas range in elevation from 1,300 to 2,120m altitude & include the villages of Encamp, Canillo, El Tarter, Soldeu, Grau Roig & Pas de la Casa. The most skiable vertical is around 850m from the top of Tosa de la Llosada all the way down into El Tarter village. The highest lifted point in the resort is 2,640m & most of the terrain is north-aspect, guaranteeing decent snow coverage in its upper reaches. It is plainly obvious where the terrain aspect changes away from the shaded north - the snow depth decreases dramatically (i.e. near Canillo or toward Encamp).

Check out the ski trail map for Grandvalira below.

Grandvalira Ski Trail Map

For all its size, Grandvalira feels small in the realms of advanced & off-piste terrain. Wonderful for beginners & intermediates, the few advanced piste trails are underwhelming (with two exceptions into Soldeu & El Tarter), & the off-piste freeride lacks the long, steep fall-line descents & diversity that we know and love in other Pyrenees & Alps ski resorts. Backcountry potential up into the peaks & bowls up behind the resort would be the ‘go-to’ prospect for expert riders looking for adventure at Grandvalira.

Grandvalira’s ski lifts are, on first impression, excellent. The Funicamp gondola from the valley at Encamp provides superb access to the mountains, BUT from there it gets rather convoluted. Despite some useful on-mountain signage, first time visitors can easily become 'geographically embarrassed'!

Lift Passes

Standard multi-day lift passes from Grandvalira are now called Andorra Passes are valid in the fun, freeride haven of Ordino Arcalis at the northern end of the Principality of Andorra, as well as Pal-Arinsal, situated between the two. the pass includes the total of 303km of ski trails in the small nation.

The IKON Pass (North American based) now includes several free ski days in Andorra shared between the 3 resorts of Ordino Arcalís, Pal Arinsal, and Grandvalira. Depending on the pass one has there are either 5 or 7 days available. A full IKON Pass has 7 free days with no blackout periods, and Ikon Base Plus Pass or Ikon Base Pass have 5 free days and no blackout periods. To redeem lift passes go to the ticket window and show your Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, or Ikon Session Pass to the local operators.

Where is Grandvalira Andorra?

The Andorra capital, Andorra la Vella, is a 3hr drive (210km) north of Barcelona & a similar distance south of Toulouse. The lifts up to Grandvalira ski area are only 7km away from the capital where the resort extends for 17km along the Riu Valira d'Orient valley between Encamp & Pas del la Casa.

The minuscule size of Andorra creates a perfect ski nation, but it is far from perfect to get to if one does not have a rental car. Access lifts for the Grandvalira ski resort start at Encamp, a paltry 7km distance from the centre of Andorra la Vella. The lengthy Funicamp gondola is the closest to the capital and an incredibly straightforward way to get to & from the skiing.

Andorra’s mountain location precludes having an airport, so most visitors come into the country via the nearest major airports at Barcelona (BCN) or Toulouse (TLS). Similarly, railway does not penetrate Andorra's borders. A railway station at L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre in France is 12km from Andorra via the mountain pass at Pas de la Casa & provides the most convenient rail access to the nation, but it is actually far from convenient! The village at Pas de la Casa is the eastern-most base area of the Grandvalira ski resort, connected by road to the rest of Andorra via a tolled tunnel in winter.

Most groups will probably find a private shuttle transfer better value (cost & time) than a bus when travelling to Andorra from either France or Spain. A range of vehicles can get even the largest groups & their ski gear into Andorra quickly & efficiently. Search & book private transfers to Andorra.

Regular bus services from the airports connect Andorra & Grandvalira to the rest of the Europe, but they are not the easiest to navigate. Unless on a package deal, it may be simpler getting a rental car. There are however some good value bus ticket options, particularly from Barcelona, if you can work it all out!

Once in Andorra, everything is so close that taxis are a real option to get around. Buses on routes L2, L3 & L4 travel from the capital to various points in the resort & a special ski bus runs in winter augmenting the normal routes. Tickets are purchased on the bus & fare options depend on your length of stay & frequency of use.

See the Andorra bus route map.

Day visitors to the ski resort with their own car are well catered for, with adequate parking at all the major base areas. The upper mountain area of Grau Roig is the best in fine weather. Encamp or Canillo are best if the weather is poor, but the undercover parking comes at a small extra cost.

Grandvalira Accommodation

The Grandvalira ski resort comprises six main villages (Encamp, Canillo, El Tarter, Soldeu, Grau Roig & Pas de la Casa), but the reality is the capital Andorra la Vella is so close to the action, it may as well be a base village too!

Search & book all Grandvalira ski accommodation.

All six villages are connected to the ski resort by lifts, but only four have ski trails back down to them - El Tarter, Soldeu, Grau Roig & Pas de la Casa. The remaining two villages (Encamp & Canillo) require a gondola download.

In short, for high-alpine & lively, stay at Pas de la Casa. For luxury ski-in ski-out resort style accommodation, Soldeu is the spot. For affordable ski-in ski-out, perhaps El Tarter. For just affordable, Encamp is the best. For something close to an authentic Andorran mountain village, try Canillo. For splendid ski-in ski-out & alpine isolation after hours, Grau Roig wins hands down.

The highest altitude major village is the architectural mishmash at Pas de la Casa, right near the border with France. Entirely located in a treeless, wind scoured alpine bowl at 2,100m elevation, the village resembles a downbeat version of Val Thorens. A wide range of accommodations, restaurants, bars & services are available throughout, and it is certainly one of the most snow-secure villages in Andorra (and maybe the entire Pyrenees!). Several lodgings are ski-in ski-out or close to it. Numerous modern lifts head up out of the village to the Col Blanc and beyond.

Next along, and slightly higher (2,120m), Grau Roig is a broad alpine valley, more sheltered than Pas de la Casa, but with relatively few services & lodging options. Far & away the best of them is the ski-in ski-out Grau Roig Andorra Boutique Hotel & Spa.

Soldeu is an unashamedly high-end resort hotel & apartment development on the sunny side of the valley at 1,800m elevation. A gondola station is integrated into the main massive hotel complex providing access to the heart of the ski terrain. A valley trail leads right to the door via a bridge of gargantuan proportions spanning the yawning gap across the river that running between the village and ski slopes. It is impressive to behold but will not appeal to everyone. The 5-star Hotel Hermitage & Spa is the best luxury stay in Grandvalira. A perfect amalgam of style, facilities, cuisine & location, if only one can afford it. Next door, actually closer to the ski lifts is the more affordable, but still excellent, Sport Hotel Village. Numerous other affordable options are across the road & further down the hill.

At around 1,710m, El Tarter is the last of the Grandvalira villages down in the valley that are lift AND piste connected into the resort. The Hotel Nordic fronts the slopes near the ski lifts, but most other hotels & apartments are a short distance from the lifts.

Canillo village seems to be a ’neither here nor there’ prospect. Aside from Encamp, Canillo is the resort’s only real village (i.e. non resort style). Nevertheless, it is still replete with apartments more heavily utilised in summer than winter & has relatively little in the way lively outdoor dining or shops. Despite being at 1,500m altitude there is no valley trail down to it and often very little snow, hence the lack of a trail. The gondola sits slightly inconveniently up the hillside away from the main village centre.

If on a budget or arriving at short notice, stay at Encamp in a self-contained apartment. The affordable La Solana Apartments are a short 100m walk from the Funicamp gondola, bars, and duty-free shops, plus usually has a mid-week vacancy at short notice.

Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski & snowboard rentals are available via our local partners at the Grandvalira ski villages of Encamp, Canillo, El Tarter, Soldeu, & Pas de la Casa. Receive a discount when you compare, search & book via our Grandvalira Ski & Snowboard Rental page.

On or off-piste ski lessons & mountain guiding are available via our local partners. For more info & options, compare, search & book via our Grandvalira Ski Lessons & Guiding page.

Review

The Powderhounds visited Grandvalira in 2020 & found it to be a sprawling paradise for beginner & intermediate skiers. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.

See how Grandvalira compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.

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