Small country, big skiing! Travel guide to an Andorra ski weekend getaway.
Last weekend we rented a car and headed to a new-to-us country, Andorra! Now I’m sharing my thoughts on this little country and giving you the inside scoop if you’re considering a visit.
This one’s going to be a pretty brief guide; Andorra is a pretty tiny country! Andorra ranks in at the 16th smallest country, somewhat shocking to me. I definitely thought it would be in the top 10. Rhode Island, the smallest US state, is 5.7 times larger than Andorra. I guess I have a lot of other tiny countries to explore.
For those unfamiliar with Andorra (dare I assume it’s most of us?), here are some fun facts about the country:
-It’s bordered by France and Spain
-The official language is Catalan
-In 2013, the people of Andorra had the highest life expectancy in the world at 81 years (what’s their secret?)
-Andorra has the seventh-highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world (hm, is this and the previous bullet people related?).
Visiting Andorra: Is it Worth It?
Andorra is a pretty random country. I hadn’t heard of it before moving to Spain and knew nothing about it until we made the 3 hour drive from Barcelona. If you’re into skiing/snowboarding and live within driving distance from Andorra, it’s absolutely worth a visit. The skiing was excellent and compared with US ski resorts, I found the prices to be very reasonable with better conditions. The slopes are comparable to what you’d find out west in the US, far better than east coast skiing.
I’d say that Andorra isn’t worth a flight to. Which is great news, because Andorra doesn’t even have an airport! For those making the drive to Andorra, here are my top recommendations.
Where to Stay
Stay close to the mountain (a short walk or an extremely short drive) and book a hotel in Soldeu or Canillo. If you’re looking for luxury, book a room at the Hermitage Sport Hotels Resort & Spa.
Where to Ski
Check out the Grandvalira ski mountain. It’s huge and connects 7 areas of skiing within the same resort. There’s terrain for beginners, intermediates and advanced. With 2,000 acres of ski area, you will not get bored, there is a ton to explore.
We had fresh snow during our stay and the conditions were excellent. Even though it seemed like a crowded weekend, the wait times were very short for each lift. The signage on the slopes was not very clear; keep this in mind as you’re navigating around the mountain.
I love a good midday lunch break on the slopes but the food here was a bit of a disappointment. Like most ski mountain lunches, it was overpriced and not great. If you can, pack a sandwich and snacks to save major money.
We rented our gear right by the gondola at Nordic Sports. Get there by 8:30am to avoid the crowds.
Lift ticket cost at Grandvilara for one day: $66 (USD)
Rental gear for one day at Nordic Sports: $31 (USD)
Where to Apres
After the slopes, head to L’Abarset for an open-air apres ski party. This turns into almost a clubby scene, except everyone is in snow pants. Worth it just to see since it’s so different than US apres. Here’s a comprehensive list of other apres places to check out.
Where To Eat
We enjoyed two great meals during our stay. Definitely visit Lamont Restaurant, a cozy cute spot with delicious food. Order the raclette. And if you love meat, go to Restaurant Manacor where you’re given a giant slab of meat on a stone that cooks in front of you. Make reservations at both of these places.
Other Activities
The main draw of Andorra is the skiing, but coming in a close second is the shopping. Andorra is tax free so many people fill up their cars with goods to bring back over the border. Head towards CCA Centre Comercial and wander through all the shops nearby.
And if you’re dining at Restaurant Manacor, make sure to spend some time in the marketplace next door. If you’re into general stores (one of my fave things!), you’ll love this.
Andorra was quite the surprise little country right nearby. We had a great ski weekend and would highly recommend this getaway to fellow Barcelona expats.
Have you been to Andorra? Anything great that we missed?
