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Visitor reviews for Vallnord-Arinsal Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
January 12, 2020
Tom from
United Kingdom
Tom from
United Kingdom
Just finished a week in Arinsal. Pleasantly surprised but at the same time can't compare it to bigger names like Tignes, Zermatt, Whistler etc. Very deprived of snow but had a good time nonetheless (and I'm used to spending the whole week off-piste).
Pros:
Excellent piste grooming considering how little snow they had (the majority of off-piste had zero snow unless it was in the trees and sheltered, even towards the top of the mountain).
Lots of sunshine compared to other places (I prefer it snowing but not everyone does...).
Lots of tree runs - with a decent snowfall the off-piste on the Pal side (5 min gondola from the top of Arinsal) through the trees would have been heaven. I did it anyways skiing crud and ice which was *interesting* .
Very quiet slopes on weekdays
Cheap as chips! Lunch usually 5-10 Euros without a drink (a little cheaper as I'm veggie) but would pay at least double that in other places I've been.
Lots of other Brits.
Good snowpark.
Not a huge amount of bars but some very lively ones. Cisco's and the Derby Irish pub were a couple I went to. Bar staff mostly Brits and gave out free drinks like they were going out of fashion at Cisco's
Family friendly.
Cons:
Erratic and less snowfall than major Alps/American resorts. Last season they didn't have a single powder (20-30cm fresh) day according to one of the locals. Similar struggles this season except for a massive dump in November which has now mostly melted. (Global warming...?) Book last minute and watch the weather if you want good off-piste.
Arinsal itself is a very small resort, could easily ski it all (including the off-piste) in a day. Head over to Pal for more to go at.
Lifts are slow compared to major resorts. No bubbles for the chairs either.
Limited advanced skiing. The black runs were great but fast skiers could do most in under 5 minutes, some in a minute or two
4 hour transfer from Toulouse.
Other stuff:
Mixed English ability from staff on mountains (some very good, some not a word). Very few French speakers either which surprised me
TLDR: Cheap drinking resort, sunny, small, suited more to intermediate/beginners, lots of trees, lots of brits + families, not the best snowfall record, slowish lifts
January 15, 2017
Hans from
United States
Hans from
United States
I have skied every major slope in USA and Switzerland, from Aspen to Squaw to Engelberg.
I thought Arinsal would be a let down. I was wrong.
I stayed at several resorts and the best for skiers is RIbasol Ski Park. Brand new...Studios ensuite... personal storage for your skis and in door parking for your car. Unbelievable prices.
February 25, 2016
Alan Williams from
Australia
Alan Williams from
Australia
I've taken the opportunity of being in Barcelona for a conference to have a few days skiing in nearby Andorra. I'm glad I did a bit of research before I came. I have skied very extensively in the Alps, the US, Canada and Australia and to be honest was expecting Andorran skiing to be a bit like that in Australia with small resorts and limited vertical drop.
Well, in some ways it is. You can ski most runs in each resort in a single day. I have been to Arinsal/Pal, Arcalis and the Grandvalira area and that's about all there is. The vertical drops aren't particularly large but that doesn't mean they're bad resorts.
I'm staying in Erts, just below the main village of Arinsal. My hotel, the Palome, Relais de Silence, is absolutely superb. A true gem. It is an ultra-modern design hotel with lovely staff, great food and a lovely setting by the river. Being a little away from the main lifts it helps to have a car or just take the free skibus which is moderately regular.
Arinsal skiing is limited for experienced skiers and boarders, but good for beginners. The connection to Pal is quick and easy, though, and Pal is much more fun. The runs aren't long but there are entertaining reds and even a couple of black runs. Off-piste wasn't really practical when I was there but looks fun too. There are plenty of easy runs too and the setting within the trees is very pretty.
Arcalis, also part of Valnord and on the same pass, is altogether different. What a little beauty. With much better snow and a gorgeous situation it is the Andorran gem. For almost all levels except perhaps complete beginners it is brilliant. The whole mountain is pretty much skiable, so not much need to stay on the pistes if you are moderately confident. The only trouble is getting there which requires a car or a moderately long bus ride.
If you like cruisy ski touring on wide, mostly gentle, runs then Grandvalira is for you. A huge area, it is a bit disappointing since most of the runs are relatively short or alternatively long and fairly flat. It isn't a pretty resort - the villages are charmless (Arinsal is much prettier and it's no Zermatt) and the slopes mostly treeless and with a clutter of lifts in some places. It is great for linking together loads of runs though and many will love that.
Hope this helps. With 3 more days skiing I'll be enjoying Pal and Arcalis again.
January 07, 2016
Glynis Gass from
Ireland
Glynis Gass from
Ireland
Just back from a fabulous week in Arinsal skiing with the family.The snow fall was ok considering little snow had fallen in four weeks.That is all to change as it had already started to snow before we left. It is a great ski resort with runs for all levels and fab instructors (Michelle Reed, John, to name a few). Great pubs with good food (Molys especially good). We stayed in the St Gothard hotel just 10 mins walk down from the ski lifts. A good 3/4star hotel, good food, hot water fresh towels daily and a friendly atmosphere. Can't wait to go back.
December 29, 2015
Brad pope from
United Kingdom
Brad pope from
United Kingdom
I am due to fly out to Andorra on the 10th January 2016 for a skiing holiday. I have been looking at weather reports but have seen the lack of snow. I just wondered if anyone could shed some light on a update if they live there or know anything.
Thanks, Brad.
[note from the editor: post will remain for a short time.]
January 27, 2010
Sat from
United Kingdom
Sat from
United Kingdom
I went to Arinsal for my birthday in January. It is a small town with a lot of character. We stayed at The Husa Patagonia and had heard a few differing reviews of the hotel and place. However, the hotel was very good, with friendly service from staff and clean rooms (a little bit of dust in corners but overall very good). The snow was good and a chairlift located a minute away from our hotel. Arinsal is good for beginners (some might find the green slope a bit tougher than you would normally have on green slopes), experienced boarders would get bored with runs after a few days but overall alot of variety). The food and beer is cheap and the steaks are very good. There are a lot of deals going on in the day: happy hour being 4-7pm (most drinks around 1.50 euro a pint). Some of the best bars are El Surf, Quo Vadis etc and Sisco bar is a smokers paradise :), a lot of reps and instructors with a good vibe and lively atmosphere. They also do some great meals - a big shout out to Gemma, Mick and Jess. The people are very friendly and helpful in the town and I would recommend a visit to the spa in the Princess Park (12euros for 2 hrs in jazz, saunas, steam room etc). Good after a days boarding and nearby. Caldea is a big spa located in Andorra La Vella, however, I would only recommend a visit if you stay over a night and have some treatments as just a daily visit is over priced and a bit like a theme park with a big pool with Jazz etc, overlooked by bar but not as big as it appears in leaflets etc. There is not really a lot to do in La Vella as mainly shops and cheap fags, beers etc. Overall, Arinsal gave us a good, cheap and enjoyable holiday which I would recommend to others. Happy Boarding peeps.
October 14, 2009
SteveP from
United Kingdom
SteveP from
United Kingdom
We went to Arinsal in the last week of Feb 09. It is a nice resort with good snow. Arinsal is good for beginners although I found it limited for me being a higher intermediate boarder. The food was cheap and simple but enough to keep you going. The park was good. There are a couple of black runs at Arinsal but they were icy. I stayed at the Palerine at the bottom of the hill; what can I say about this hotel, wow, very friendly, superb food and a good range of entertainment in the evenings. I have now booked up for Soldeu/El Tarter. Happy boarding folks.
March 07, 2009
Karlos Lopez from
Andorra
Karlos Lopez from
Andorra
I am lucky enough to live in Andorra and enjoy the slopes at Arinsal every day. It's a great place to ski or board but suffers seriously in a few areas. Unlike France, all on-piste restaurants are run by the same company who don't seem bothered about offering terrible service and awful food. Year upon year it doesn't improve. At lunch time you have to queue for 20mins to order, pay and get a receipt and then, to add insult to injury, you have to queue again to give it to the guy who cooks it when they stand 2 meters away from each other behind the counter. Do not consume anything more than a hot chocolate on-piste would be my advise. Hopefully one day they'll get the message. The other area of annoyance lays with the fact that they close the pistes at Arinsal after more than a few inches of snow. Yesteday we had 7 inches and they closed the one lift that was open after 45 mins and another after 3 hours. You come to a ski resort to enjoy the snow not be held back from it. I seem to remember French resorts only opening late after more than a couple of feet.
Enjoy your future skiing holidays and choose your resort carefully. Sometimes it's worth paying a little more for a better service.
February 24, 2009
Charles from
United Kingdom
Charles from
United Kingdom
Spent last week at Arinsal - absolutely marvelous. Friendly natives, perfect snow, no wind and beautiful blue cloudless skies. Arinsal is the perfect resort for beginners/intermediates but there are more challenging red and black runs if you want them. You can also ski back to top end of town (blue run) which is handy if you are staying in the Patogonia or Crest Hotel. Lift pass covers huge area including Arcalis. It would be difficult to get to know the area in a week. I concentrated on Pal and Arinsal itself. I will return.
January 31, 2009
Skier from
United Kingdom
Skier from
United Kingdom
Just got back from Arinsal. The skiing in Arinsal itself is VERY limited; pretty much one blue run with a short black and a red at the top. If you get the gondola over to Pal it's a bit more varied and a lot more picturesque. You could probably do a day or so there if you're an expert skier and probably all week if you're learning.
If you are a good skier, you must go to Arcalis. It's about 30mins drive away and if I ever go back to Arinsal I will be going to Arcalis every day. It's full of locals and the standard of skiing/boarding is much higher. There are lots of hikes to do and loads of features to play with. It really was great fun.
Nearest