The ski area in numbers
- Altitude: from about 1,550 m at the Arinsal base to about 2,560 m at the top lifts, a vertical drop of roughly 1,000 m.
- Pistes: 63 km on around 47 marked runs, from long greens at Arinsal to steep reds and blacks under the ridge.
- Lifts: about 30, including the cable car from La Massana up to the Pal sector.
- Two sectors: Pal, in the forest above La Massana, and Arinsal, the higher and more open bowl below Coma Pedrosa, linked by lifts at the top.
- Peak: Coma Pedrosa (2,942 m), the highest mountain in Andorra, rises above the Arinsal sector.
Figures vary a little from season to season and between sources, so treat them as a guide and check the resort's own snow report on the day.
Pal Arinsal or Vallnord?
For many years the resort was sold as Vallnord, together with the separate Ordino Arcalís area further north. Today the two areas are marketed separately, and most skiers simply call this one Pal Arinsal. If you see Vallnord Pal Arinsal on a lift pass or a piste map, it is the same ski area.
Getting there from Barcelona
The drive takes about three hours each way: north on the C-16 through Berga and the Cadí tunnel into the Cerdanya, then west past La Seu d'Urgell to the Andorran border at Farga de Moles, and up the valley to La Massana. Andorra is not in the Schengen area, so bring your passport, or a national ID card if you are an EU citizen.
There is no train to Andorra. Buses run from Barcelona to Andorra la Vella, but a day trip by bus leaves very little time on the snow. Our Pal Arinsal day ski tour picks you up at your Barcelona hotel and drops you at the cable car in La Massana.
Where to ski at Pal Arinsal
Beginners have one of the better learning areas in the Pyrenees at Arinsal, with gentle greens and easy lifts close together. A complete beginner on a day trip should book a lesson with the resort ski school.
Intermediates get long, wide blues and reds through the trees on the Pal side, which stay sheltered on windy days, and more open cruising on the Arinsal side when the weather is clear.
Advanced skiers head for the steeper runs and the off-piste under the Arinsal ridge after fresh snow. Off-piste in Andorra needs avalanche kit and local knowledge; on a day trip, stick to marked runs unless you ski with a mountain guide.
Season and snow
The season usually runs from early December to early April. The north-facing Arinsal side holds snow well, and the higher top lifts give the resort more reliable snow than the lower Catalan resorts. As everywhere in the Pyrenees, the best conditions are usually from mid-January to the end of February.
Pal Arinsal compared with Grandvalira
Grandvalira has more than three times the pistes (210 km against 63 km) and a slightly higher top station (2,640 m against about 2,560 m). Pal Arinsal is quieter at weekends, easier to find your way around with a family, and the cable car from La Massana saves the walk from the car park.
Book a day on skis at Pal Arinsal
Our Pal Arinsal day ski tour from Barcelona includes hotel pick-up in a private minivan, an English-speaking driver-guide, help with the lift pass and rental, and the drive home the same evening. from €465 per person, group of 2. Ask us about your dates.