Andorra skiing holidays

Once known chiefly for its duty-free shopping, the mini-state of Andorra – Europe’s sixth-smallest country, at just 468km2 (181 square miles) – is now a superb year-round destination for activity and wellness fans alike.

Located between and co-ruled by France and Spain, its Pyrenean slopes feature top-notch and very cheap skiing holiday resorts during winter, before morphing into a walking and cycling paradise during summer. Meanwhile, Andorra’s thermal waters, which reportedly soothe aches and pains, are available year-round.

Andorra boasts arguably the best Pyrenean ski slopes, which is why skiing and snowboarding fans flock here faster than you can say “après ski!” year after year.

Most skiers congregate at Grandvalira, the largest ski resort in the Pyrenees. It has the widest selection of black pistes, plus the added boon of a 6km (4 miles) gondola lift known as the Funicamp. The resort’s main villages are Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo and Encamp.

Vallnord, made up of ski resorts Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalís, is quieter and specialises in long blue and red runs. Between the two resorts there are 22 blue and 27 red runs, and Vallnord offers combined entry fees which cover all its slopes. The common denominator is pristine, forested scenery, while terrain parks, low prices and comparatively small crowds to the Alpine destinations also impress. For non-skiers, you can try snowmobiling or enjoy a cable car ride in La Massana.

For cross-country fans, the Naturlandia ecopark in southern Andorra is the place to go. A day pass costs as little as €12, so cross-country skiing in Andorra is cheap as chips – and it even gets cheaper on the second day. You can also try snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and dog sledding here, and after a day full of activities there are restaurants and hotels within the park to get a bite and rest your head.

Andorra’s appeal is hardly confined to winter, however. Come July when the snow has melted, Grandvalira’s slopes transform into Golf Soldeu, Europe’s highest-altitude golf course; note that this is a 9-hole course, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with superb mountain views.

Alternatively, choose to shake off the cares of the day at Caldea – a massive 18-floor thermal bath complex in Escaldes-Engordany. There are numerous pools, Jacuzzis, jets and mineral-element waterfalls to soothe any aching joints and muscles.

Andorra is one of Europe’s cheapest destinations, so budget-seekers are in luck. For skiers, keep your eyes peeled as ski holiday deals often materialise for the first two weeks of December, or at the season’s end in April.

Blizzards dust the high Pyrenees from December onwards and cover the slopes until mid-April. Christmas and February half-term are peak season, along with Easter when it comes early enough in the year. Prices will be highest then, and the crowds largest.

Andorra might be small, but it doesn’t lack big events. Billed as ‘Europe’s greatest ski party’, the electronic music festival Horizon has moved from Bulgaria and now takes place in Arinsal, within Vallnord, at the end of March or early April. Hibernation, which focuses on techno and is a slightly smaller festival, occurs at the same time in Grandvalira.