The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Pal Arinsal combines two distinct ski sectors — Pal and Arinsal — into a 63-kilometre domain positioned in the La Massana parish on the western side of Andorra, with all skiable terrain running between 1,475m at the base and 2,572m at the summit. The two sectors each carry their own character: Pal offers wider, tree-lined intermediate terrain with scenic wooded runs accessed directly from La Massana by gondola, while the Arinsal sector opens onto a more elongated alpine bowl beneath Pic Alt de la Capa and Pic Negre, with the Marrades descent — Andorra's greatest altitude drop at over 1,000m from top to bottom — running all the way down to the village. The combined 44 runs break down to 16% beginner, 39% intermediate, 36% advanced, and 9% expert terrain, making Pal Arinsal one of the most accessible and family-oriented resorts in the Pyrenees.
Beyond the pistes, the resort has built a compelling off-snow offering including snowshoe trails, snowmobile tours, a freestyle snowpark with beginner, intermediate, and expert lines, and a winter bike park regarded as one of the most technically demanding in southern Europe. The resort's Nord Pass also provides access to the separate Ordino Arcalís domain, Andorra's most committed freeride destination, giving multi-day visitors a natural extension to their skiing. For families in particular, the resort's Children's Garden learning area, après-kids programming, and dedicated snow garden for 4 to 8-year-olds make Pal Arinsal a sound choice for first-time ski holidays.
1097m
Vertical
44
Runs
63 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
Nord Pass
Pass
The Terrain
44 runs across 63 km of piste
Arinsal Pal spreads 44 runs across 63 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 39%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 20 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
44
runs
44 runs across 4 grades
Beginner7 runs · 16%
Intermediate17 runs · 39%
Advanced16 runs · 36%
Expert4 runs · 9%
Time it right
When to visit Arinsal Pal
Pal Arinsal operates from early December through to early April, with the 2025/26 season running from 3 December 2025 to 5 April 2026. The resort sits above 1,475m at its lowest point, with the core service area around Comallempla at 1,950m, giving the upper terrain genuine snow reliability through a typical Pyrenean winter. Average annual snowfall sits at 3.78m, and the current season has already recorded a base of 230cm at the mountain mid-station with 43cm falling in the past seven days — solid figures that reflect the principality's consistent snowfall pattern driven by Atlantic moisture systems moving across the Pyrenees from the west.
January and February are reliably the coldest months with the best natural snow conditions, though March historically produces the deepest snowpack across the upper bowl terrain. The snowmaking system covering 25 kilometres of piste provides critical early-season coverage, ensuring the resort can open on schedule regardless of natural conditions. The tree-lined runs in the Pal sector offer an additional advantage in variable conditions, holding snow better than exposed open faces and remaining skiable through warmer periods when higher, wind-exposed terrain deteriorates more quickly.
Season 2025 - 2026
3 Dec 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
123
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Arinsal Pal, and where to stay
Pal Arinsal sits in the La Massana parish in the northwest of Andorra, with the Arinsal village access point approximately 10 kilometres from the capital, Andorra la Vella, via the CG-5 road. The Pal sector gondola departs from the centre of La Massana — Andorra's second-largest town — just 6 kilometres from the capital, making Pal Arinsal the most conveniently located of Andorra's three ski resorts for visitors based in or around Andorra la Vella. Free ski bus services connect both sectors with La Massana throughout the season, and free parking is available at each base area, reducing the logistical friction common at resorts without direct valley access.
The two primary international gateways are Barcelona El Prat Airport in Spain, approximately three hours south via the Túnel del Cadí, and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, roughly two to three hours north. Perpignan, Carcassonne, Girona, and Lleida-Alguaire airports provide further options for travellers from across Europe, with private transfers and scheduled coach services operating into La Massana from each. The nearby capital, Andorra la Vella, provides a full range of accommodation, the Caldea thermal spa complex — one of Europe's largest — and duty-free retail along Avinguda Meritxell, making the area function as a genuine destination beyond the ski season.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Arinsal Pal, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Arinsal Pal Webcams
4 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Arinsal Pal's live webcams
Check live conditions across Arinsal Pal with 4 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- La Tossa2100m
- Survey the heart of Andorra's most family-friendly ski domain through this arinsal webcam positioned at the La Tossa chairlift summit at 2100 meters elevation. This Pal Arinsal webcam delivers live views across the resort's most popular intermediate runs, letting you assess snow coverage and piste conditions on the Arinsal sector's busiest terrain before you commit to the gondola. Essential for timing your arrival on weekends, this webcam arinsal skiers rely on most captures the full mid-mountain picture across 63 kilometres of linked terrain.
- Igloo Restaurant2300m
- Survey the heart of Andorra's most family-friendly ski domain through this arinsal webcam positioned at the La Tossa chairlift summit at 2100 meters elevation. This Pal Arinsal webcam delivers live views across the resort's most popular intermediate runs, letting you assess snow coverage and piste conditions on the Arinsal sector's busiest terrain before you commit to the gondola. Essential for timing your arrival on weekends, this webcam arinsal skiers rely on most captures the full mid-mountain picture across 63 kilometres of linked terrain.
- Pal Pla de la Cot2052m
- Monitor conditions across the Pal sector's scenic tree-lined terrain through this pal arinsal webcam positioned at Pla de la Cot at 2052 meters elevation. This arinsal webcam captures real-time views of the wooded intermediate runs that define Pal's distinct character and make this sector the preferred choice in variable weather conditions. One of the most practically useful arinsal webcams on the mountain for families and intermediate skiers planning their day across the La Massana-accessed sector of this 63-kilometre domain.
- Pal Coll de la Botella2070m
- Watch the critical link between Andorra's two linked ski sectors through this pal arinsal webcam at Coll de la Botella, positioned at 2070 meters where the aerial tramway connects Pal and Arinsal. This live arinsal webcam shows current conditions and activity levels at the resort's busiest cross-sector junction, giving you real-time intelligence on wait times and snow quality at the point where most skiers transition between the wooded Pal terrain and the open Arinsal bowl. Essential viewing before planning your route across this family-oriented Pyrenean domain.
Arinsal Pal snow cams FAQ
How often do Arinsal Pal snow cams update?
All Arinsal Pal snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Arinsal Pal.
Which Arinsal Pal webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Igloo Restaurant webcam at 2,300m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Arinsal Pal webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Arinsal Pal lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Arinsal Pal snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Arinsal Pal snow cams?
Check Arinsal Pal webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Arinsal Pal lift tickets?
Use our Arinsal Pal webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Arinsal Pal webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Arinsal Pal snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Arinsal Pal intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.