Andorra, Europe · Nord Pass
Grandvalira
Grandvalira: 210km of slopes across 6 sectors, 74 lifts, 1,710–2,815m. Andorra's largest ski domain.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
3 Dec 2025
Closes
5 Apr 2026
Days open
123
Annual snow
5m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Grandvalira stands as the largest ski resort in the Pyrenees and one of the most significant ski domains in Europe outside the Alps, spreading across six interconnected sectors — Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo, and Encamp — in the tiny mountain principality of Andorra. Born from the 2003 merger of two of the Pyrenees' oldest ski areas (Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig, established 1956, and Soldeu-El Tarter, established 1964), the resort now delivers 210 kilometres of groomed terrain across 138 runs, ranging from an accessible base of 1,710m up to a summit of 2,815m, giving a vertical drop of over 1,100m. The terrain breakdown suits a broad range of abilities, with 17% beginner, 39% intermediate, 29% advanced, and 15% expert pistes, complemented by three dedicated terrain parks and night skiing at Pas de la Casa.
Grandvalira has built a genuine international profile, hosting the Alpine Ski World Cup Finals in 2012, 2016, 2019, and again in 2023, 2024, and 2025, cementing its standing as a venue capable of attracting the world's best alpine athletes. Beyond competitive skiing, the resort offers a compelling mix of on-mountain dining, après-ski, snowshoeing, snowmobile tours, and the 1,800m² Palau de Gel ice rink in Canillo. Duty-free shopping across Andorra adds a distinctive appeal rarely found at ski destinations of comparable scale, making Grandvalira a resort that rewards visitors as much off the slopes as on them.
1105m
Vertical
138
Runs
210 km
Piste
5m
Annual snow
Nord Pass
Pass
The Terrain
138 runs across 210 km of piste
Grandvalira spreads 138 runs across 210 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 39%, with 23 beginner runs to find your feet and 61 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
138
runs
138 runs across 4 grades
Beginner23 runs · 17%
Intermediate54 runs · 39%
Advanced40 runs · 29%
Expert21 runs · 15%
Time it right
When to visit Grandvalira
Grandvalira operates from early December through to early April, with the 2025/26 season running from 3 December 2025 to 5 April 2026. The resort's high-altitude position, with all skiable terrain sitting above 1,700m, combined with an average annual snowfall of 5.49m, produces reliable conditions across a lengthy season. January and February deliver the coldest temperatures and best powder opportunities, while March typically offers the deepest snowpack — historically averaging 134cm at summit elevation — making late-season skiing in Andorra particularly worthwhile for those seeking high-volume soft snow.
The resort benefits from Atlantic moisture systems moving in from the west, which deliver significant snowfall events throughout winter, typically well above what comparable Pyrenean resorts at lower elevations can expect. When natural snowfall is insufficient, Grandvalira's snowmaking operation across 126 kilometres of piste provides consistent coverage from opening day. The combination of altitude, reliable snowfall, and large-scale snow management means Grandvalira carries snow from the first lifts in December through to the April close with far greater consistency than its position in the Pyrenees might suggest compared to the Alps.
Season 2025 - 2026
3 Dec 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
123
Days open
5 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Grandvalira, and where to stay
Grandvalira occupies the mountainous interior of the Principality of Andorra, a landlocked microstate of just 468 square kilometres situated between France to the north and Spain to the south in the eastern Pyrenees. The resort's six sectors stretch across the country's northeastern valleys, with Pas de la Casa sitting right on the French border at the Col d'Envalira, the highest road pass in the Pyrenees, while Encamp offers access from near the capital Andorra la Vella. The unique political status of Andorra — not a member of the European Union — means the country operates as a low-tax jurisdiction, making everything from lift passes and accommodation to fuel and consumer goods notably more affordable than neighbouring France and Spain.
The two primary international gateways are Barcelona El Prat Airport in Spain, approximately a three-hour drive via the Túnel del Cadí, and Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, roughly two hours and 15 minutes to the north via the N20. Perpignan, Carcassonne, Girona, and Lleida airports all sit within three hours and provide additional options for travellers from across Europe. Andorra la Vella, just minutes from the Encamp sector gondola, provides a full range of accommodation, world-class spa facilities at the Caldea thermal spa complex, and tax-free retail along Avinguda Meritxell, giving Grandvalira visitors a base that functions as a genuine destination in its own right.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Grandvalira, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.
23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola
The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.
23 Aug 2026
Grandvalira Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 1 Sept 2026
2815m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear7°C / 17°C · SW 14km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts74
Live open status isn’t available right now.
3 Dec 2025 - 5 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 42 hours· Updated Sep 1, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
2,815 mUpdated Sep 1, 2026 at 4:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Wed, Sept 2
Overcast
Temp17° / 7°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind14 km/h SW
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Grandvalira snow report
Get the latest Grandvalira snow report — real-time snowfall, snow depth, and mountain weather for this Andorra resort, spanning 1710m to 2815m in elevation.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Grandvalira, summit conditions (2815m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Grandvalira are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
We pull Grandvalira's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 74 lifts, including 17 quad chairlifts and 9 6-person chairlifts.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Grandvalira's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.