Rural Spain Properties

SKI

photoSkiing Spain’s mountain ranges – from the Pyrenees, to the Cantabrian Cordillera to the Sierra Nevada - offer varied terrain for skiers until as late as the spring. Baquiera-Beret and Sierra Nevada are the two resorts which stand out from the rest in terms of number and quality of pistes.

The othere resorts vary from offering skiers a good variety of pistes for a fantastic weekend break and the smallest ones which make for a great day out.

In Andalusia, snow lingers late in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, making the ski season around five-months long and meaning you really can be on the slopes in the morning and yet be tanning yourself on the beach in the afternoon.

The Catalan Pyrenees boast excellent skiing at some very fine resorts. The area has a total of 11 resorts, from Spain’s oldest, La Molina, to one of the newest, Boí-Taüll, which is ideal for serious skiers with more than 20 red runs. But probably the best resort in the region – considered by many the best in Spain – is Baqueira-Beret. Not only does it have a good variety of pistes, but it also oozes glamour, attracting all manner of celebrities, including the Spanish royal family.

Cross to the Aragonese Pyrenees to discover five ski resorts which, thanks to Jaca’s bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, are modern and well equipped. While advanced skiers tend to head for Candanchú, Astún and Formigal, families and less-experienced skiers adore Panticosa and Cerler.

Cantabria’s small ski resort Alto Campoo has only around 27km of pistes, but it’s a great place to learn.

Madrid has several small resorts which make for a great day out on the slopes, such as Navacerrada, which has around 11km of pistes, and Valdesquí which has 19km of pistes and superb views over the Lozoya Valley.

Spaniards from Asturias and León, opt to practice at San Isidro at the heart of the Picos de Europa in Castilla y Leon.

In La Rioja, at Valdezaray, why not work up an appetite on the slopes before enjoying a glass of red over a good meal?

CANTABRIAN MOUNTAINS

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
MANZANEDA 6 17 11
VALGRANDE/PAJARES 13 36 23
SAN ISIDRO 12 23 24
LEITARIEGOS 6 10 7
ALTO CAMPOO 13 23 28

ARAGÓN PYRENEES

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
ASTÚN 14 49 39
CANDANCHÚ 26 45 40
ARAMÓN CERLER 18 54 63
ARAMÓN FORMIGAL 22 80 101
ARAMÓN JAVALAMBRE 7 7 6
ARAMÓN PANTICOSA 15 38 34
ARAMÓN VALDELINARES 9 8 7

CATALAN PYRENEES

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
BOÍ TAULL 16 49 43
BAQUEIRA/BERET 33 72 104
PORT ALINÉ 9 33 44
PORT DEL COMTE 15 36 41
ESPOT ESQUÍ 11 30 32
TAVASCÁN 2 5 5
LA MOLINA 16 45 53
MASELLA 13 54 65
VALL DE NÚRIA 4 10 7
VALLTER 2000 9 13 18

IBERIAN RANGE

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
VALDEZCARAY 7 22 20

CENTRAL RANGE

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
PUERTO DE NEVACERRADA 8 16 11
LA PINILLA 13 22 20
SIERRA DE BEJAR 5 19 19
VALDESQUÍ 15 27 19

CAPA GRANADA

  Number of
Ski Lifts		 Number of
runs		 Pistes
Km
SIERRA NEVADA 24 87 87