Grandvalira is looking forward to the Christmas holidays with the largest skiable area in southern Europe. Skiers visiting Andorra's ski resort in the Pyrenees will be able to enjoy six different connected sectors, with a minimum of 140 kilometres of skiable slopes across 85 pistes and more than 85% of the ski lifts working.
A number of weather stations are forecasting fresh snowfall before the weekend. At the same time, recent low temperatures have allowed us to keep the snow production network running more or less continuously, improving connections between sectors and extending skiable areas in certain sections and in the various Domain of Snow beginners areas.
Grandvalira has all the Ski and Snowboard School and Freestyle services you might need across its six sectors. It also expects to open all its children's circuits for the Christmas period. If you want to experience the holidays here with your family, we currently have Mon(t) Magic in the Canillo sector up and running, while in the coming days the youngest skiers will be able to enjoy the Imaginarium circuit in the Grau Roig sector and the Bababoom Circus circuit in the El Tarter sector.
One of the main family attractions at this time of year are our adventure activities. The resort has two centres which are the bases for such activities. These are the Grandvalira Mountain Park at Grau Roig and the Grandvalira Outdoor Center at El Tarter, where visitors can enjoy a range of fun alternatives to skiing, such as dog sled, snowmobile and snowshoe excursions.
Have yourself a chic & foodie Christmas!
Grandvalira has a full musical programme on its exclusive terraces where visitors can sample top class gastronomic delights. This is certainly the case at Amélie Experience on terrace at the Llac de Pessons restaurant at Grau Roig – an exclusive bar serving the very highest quality Premium Huîtres Amélie oysters, accompanied by the finest French champagnes. Champagne is also the star of the show at the exceptional Clicquot Snow Club Grandvalira on the terrace at Gall de Bosc, Soldeu, a chic, exclusive space, the only one of its kind in the Pyrenees, where the most demanding palates can enjoy one of the world's leading champagnes paired with a selection of the finest cured Iberian pork products by Joselito, meat by Txogitxu and smoked fish by Carpier. Clicquot also features at El Tarter's L’Abarset, which has a new VIP area with capacity for 30 people, only accessible with a prior reservation. For the most intrepid of foodies, the new Hard Rock Café Snowcat is situated at the fork of the Tortuga and Mirador pistes at Grau Roig. It offers the finest American cuisine to skiers who decide to take a break and get their strength back before continuing the descent.
The outstanding food and drink on offer at The Domain of Snow also takes families into account, one of the most important customer groups as far as the resort is concerned. Here they can enjoy a fine meal at the various à la carte restaurants at Grandvalira, which range from places with open-air terraces offering spectacular views over the Pyrenees to the cozy warmth of an open fire at a traditional Andorran borda or farmhouse.
Once again this year, L’Abarset will be the epicentre of the festive après-ski scene, with a special programme featuring a host of well-known DJs and which will include a set by DJ Bis on Christmas Eve and Miqui Puig's set on 7 January.
The Christmas calendar
The Domain of Snow will be presenting one of the most extensive programmes of special activities in the Pyrenees, especially designed to ensure that everybody enjoys their stay at southern Europe's largest ski resort.
The following activities have already been confirmed:
21, 22, 23 and 24 December: During the day, Father Christmas will be visiting Grandvalira's snow gardens at the Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Encamp (Cortals) sectors.
21 December to 8 January: Hard Rock Café Snowcat at the fork of the Tortuga and Mirador pistes at Grau Roig.
24 December: At 6 pm, Father Christmas will arrive on a sleigh pulled by dogs in the village of Canillo, continuing on to reach the village of Soldeu at 7 pm.
24 December: At 11 am, Father Christmas will be visiting the Grandvalira Ski and Snowboard Schools in the Soldeu, El Tarter and Canillo sectors.
30 December: Dreams on Ice – Ice skaters from Andorra Club Gel will be playing a series of the best-loved characters from popular entertainment in an ice and music extravaganza for all the family. Price: €6. Children under 3 - free. Tickets on sale at the Palau de Gel ticket office, Canillo.
31 December: At 4 pm, San Silvestre Skimo & Run in Grau Roig. Ascent with snow shoes, alpine skis or on foot to the Igloo Hotel
31 December: At 6:30 pm, torchlit descent from Pla d’Espiolets, Soldeu to Soldeu village.
3 January At 6:30 pm, beacon descent from Grandvalira-Soldeu Ski and Snowboard School to Soldeu village.
4 January Dreams on Ice – Ice skaters from Andorra Club Gel will be playing a series of the best-loved characters from popular entertainment in an ice and music extravaganza for all the family. Price: €6. Children under 3 - free. Tickets on sale at the Palau de Gel ticket office, Canillo.
5 January At 6 pm, torchlit descent with the arrival of the Three Kings by snowcat in the Pas de la Casa sector.
12 hours of freestyling - the best in the Pyrenees
As far as our snowparks are concerned, our machinery and shapers have worked almost non-stop to make sure that the best parks in the Pyrenees are ready. From 9 am to 9 pm, freestylers can enjoy Grandvalira's snowparks – from 9 am to 5 pm at the El Tarter Snowpark and Xavi Park and from 3 pm to 9 pm at the Sunset Park Peretol.
The El Tarter Snowpark has a beginners' line with a wide rainbow box, dance floor, a can and a small kicker. It also features an intermediate line with half pipe, gun barrel pipe, gun barrel pipe-descent and a double switch pull jump pipe. The Xavi Park in the Grau Roig sector features 2 kickers, 1 rail, 2 modules for beginners and 3 rail stubs, down rail, flat rail, Z rail and C box (4 lines).
PHOTOS SHOWING STATE OF PISTES
