Go Skiing in Andalucía
There’s a lovely light over the village this evening as a beautiful sunset spreads a warming glow over the mountains, the sky to the west afire with the last rays of light. Spectacular sunsets are quite frequent through the colder months here, but every season has its bonuses. There is the bright, searing hot white light of summer, the cooling months of autumn, the crisp, clean air in the winter…. and then there is spring.
People want different things from holidays, but for walking and hiking around Cómpeta I would recommend the spring. The mountains are awash with the searing yellow of Bermuda buttercups, deep pink sprawling vetches, and a hundred other types of wildflowers. The scents of wild thyme and rosemary are rising on the warming, crystal-clean air. It really is the perfect time for mountain and hill walking, and if you time your holiday right you can take a day off from the walking and go skiing – yes skiing!
Skiing in Andalucía: The Sierra Nevada Ski and Mountains Resort
The Sierra Nevada Ski and Mountains Resort at Pradollano (sierranevada.es) lies just 31 km southeast of Granada and less than a two-hour drive from Cómpeta, and it’s an easy drive too. Once you drive down the hill from Cómpeta to the coast, it is motorway all the way until the last few kilometres which climb out of the plain around Granada and into the mountains.
The ski resort was founded in 1964 and in 1996 hosted the FIS Alpine World Championships. It has all the facilities that you would expect in any major ski resort – with the advantage of being the most southerly in Europe. This makes it accessible to holidaymakers all over southern Spain. Ski and equipment rentals are readily available, as are restaurants, hotels and shops. Parking is not a problem! There is a covered car park under the resort with capacity for 2644 cars, and a further uncovered 1263 spaces available.
There are runs for every ability, including 19 green runs for the less adventurous skiers, 45 blue, 53 red and 7 black. There are snow park areas for tobogganing, a cross-country circuit and three conveyor belts to take your little munchkins up to their very first gentle slope. Anything you might need is here.
Okay, so enough about the facilities, let’s talk about the atmosphere.
I don’t know whether you are an experienced skier, a novice, or like me somewhere in between. I do know that some ski resorts are friendly, some are not so friendly, and some are more interested in whether you’re sporting this year’s trendy shade of neon. That doesn’t seem to be the case at the Sierra Nevada ski resort.
Maybe it’s the almost guaranteed sunshine, but like everywhere else in Spain, everyone seems very relaxed and friendly. There are families skiing, snowboarders, cross-country ski groups, ski school classes on the nursery slopes and spectators just enjoying the sun. Yes, on busy days you will find the normal queues for ski lifts but go during the week and these will be at an absolute minimum, allowing you to get maximum skiing time – even on a half-day ski pass.
Take the Borreguiles gondola up from the village to the main ski area and enjoy the day. Get some good exercise, take some lessons if you need them, enjoy some lunch and don’t forget the sunscreen!
On March 11th and 12th, the World Snowboard and Freestyle Ski Cup are to be hosted here, three years after the last major international event held on its slopes.
The Junta de Andalucía is preparing a ten-year strategic plan to make the Sierra Nevada as ‘green’ as possible. The government has spent 9 million euros this season on improving the ski slopes as well as installing 33 new state-of-the-art snow cannons.
Top Tip: On your way back down from the ski slopes, pull over and take a moment to enjoy the breathtaking views over the mountains and the city of Granada and once you hit the coast again on your way home, why not stop for a drink on the beach first?
You are probably thinking how is it possible to go skiing whilst you are staying at Villa Andalucía?
We can arrange the hire of all the clothes and equipment that you will need to go skiing in Andalucía.
If you would like to know more please feel free to email us at
use the CONTACT US page or if you prefer to have a chat please call 0034 636593284
Better still why not go to BOOK ONLINE now
Villa Andalucía will give you an experience that feels like heaven on EARTH!!
