Andorra: amazing nearby
Our ski vacation began with a meeting with palm trees. They rustled affably at the Barcelona airport, where my husband and I arrived in mid-December to go conquer the snowy slopes of Andorra.
Why to Barcelona? Just because of the relief, Andorra has neither an airport nor a railway - you can get here by bus or car. Therefore, standard tours (we bought ours from Natalie Tours) require arrival in the capital of Catalonia.
Rich people can order a helicopter from Barcelona - the journey will take forty minutes and a thousand euros. If you are not one of them (like us), but at the same time you plan not only to ride, but also to travel a little around the country, it is better to rent a car right at the airport - in Andorra itself it will cost much more, about a hundred euros per day.
However, you should not be scared right away - this is almost the only potential expense item that looks impressive. Food, clothes, alcohol (especially alcohol! ) do not hit the pocket in any way. If, of course, you control yourself - but how to refuse a pack of snowboard socks for 1.5 euros or a bottle of whiskey for 6, even if your basket is already overflowing with other essentials?
Well, here we are in Andorra, more precisely, its capital - Andorra la Vella. Our Diplomatic 4 * hotel is very well located - close to large department stores and the Caldea spa center with natural thermal waters, which are used not for treatment, as is customary in Europe, but for entertainment. Caldea is the most popular aprè s-ski here: after six in the evening, a stream of people from all Andorran resorts flocks to the elegant blue glass pyramid, which is visible from everywhere in the capital.
We will not discount shopping either - the benefit is in the malls, the most famous of which are Illa Carlemany, Julia, Viladomat and Pyrenees, the assortment is such that the eyes run wide. In Andorra, goods are not subject to customs duties, and therefore shopping can officially be considered another national sport.
However, we were primarily interested in skiing. Acquaintance with the local slopes began with the Arcalis area in the Vallnord zone. There are few trails here, but there is enough space for freeride. Arcalis also has a freestyle park, one of the largest in the Pyrenees. Therefore, it is easy to meet extreme people of all kinds and stripes here - for example, we came across a paragliding skier. What he did is called speedriding and looks very, very impressive.
It is impossible to get from Arcalis without taking off your skis to another area of Vallnord, Pal / Arinsal, but, as we were told, there is a plan to connect the latter with the capital by cable car.
This will provide tourists living in the capital with direct access to the slopes - in the meantime, if you want to spend a minimum of time on a transfer, it is better to stay in La Massana or Arinsal.
As for the second ski area, Grand Valira, the resorts of Encamp with its cabin Funicamp, Canillo and Soldeu / El Tarter are directly connected with it. However, the hottest skiers prefer Pas de la Casa/Grau Roche as the slopes there are known for their difficulty and steepness.
However, Andorra la Vella also has a lot of advantages. In particular, living in it, you can alternate skiing in Vallnord and Grandvalira. More often they choose the second one - a ski pass is more expensive (213 euros versus 167.5 euros for 6 days), but there are more opportunities: according to ski instructors, in Grandvalira, with its 193 km of slopes, you can ski for two weeks and never repeat the route.
However, we used one route all the time - it led us to the snow park in El Tarter.
It is well-groomed, large, and therefore very popular with both snowboarders and skiers. A queue was always gathering at the big springboard, but no one violated discipline - although, judging by the tricks, these people love and know how to take risks.
Another pride of Grandvalira is the ice igloo hotel located in the Grau Roche area. Here you can drink a glass of mulled wine or even stay overnight. But even if you are used to spending the night in other conditions, a photo against the backdrop of giant masks carved from ice is an absolute must-have.
We had a very definite reason to strive back home: from Thursday evening until the end of the week, the whole city gathers in the Buda bar, and, according to rumors, you can get acquainted with the Andorran oligarchs - after all, here, as in Dubai, there are no poor local residents.
The bar really turned out to be a very pleasant place, and although this time there were no oligarchs, we still had a great time - in the company of Georgian rugby players. At three o'clock in the morning the party was over - and well, otherwise we would not have got up in the morning to go to Naturlandia.
Located in the mountains near the town of Sant Julia de Loria, this park is designed mainly for families with children, but our company also had fun there. The snowmobile ride was especially successful - at first I almost fell into a ravine, but then I got used to driving, and I drove confidently to the Spanish border (there is a place on the route where Spain is very clearly visible).
Dog riding is also a fun activity. Contrary to expectations, we were rolled not by likes, but by mestizos - but they were also very understanding and friendly. Those who drove the team spoke French with them. “Avan, Honda! they shouted, and Honda, leading her kindred, ran forward.
As we were told, the smartest dog is always put first. We immediately believed in it and were inspired - after all, unlike Honda, we do not understand a word of French.
Before leaving, it was decided to arrange a festive dinner. For this, the restaurant "Don Denis" was chosen - one of the most famous in the capital. They regaled us with delicacies - in particular, fedua. This is a French dish that resembles paella, but instead of rice there is something like pasta. And for dessert they brought strawberries, but first they fried them in a pan and sprinkled with pepper. In a word, Andorra knows how to surprise - do not think that everything will be limited to palm trees at the airport!
