All activities / Skiing & Snowsports / Pal Arinsal
Skiing & Snowsports in Pal Arinsal
A linked ski area above the town of La Massana in western Andorra, part of the Vallnord domain, pairing the sunny Pal slopes with the steeper Arinsal side and reaching up toward the Comapedrosa peaks.
Why here
Pal Arinsal is Andorra's second big ski area and the friendlier, more local-feeling alternative to Grandvalira. It joins two sides above the town of La Massana into the Vallnord domain: the sunny, wooded Pal slopes that suit families and improvers, and the steeper Arinsal side reached by a cable car straight from the town centre, with the runs that reward stronger legs. It is smaller than Grandvalira but easier to find your bearings in, and the Comapedrosa peaks rise straight behind it. In summer the same mountain becomes the Pal Arinsal bike park, which hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2024. Two resort ski schools, one at Pal and one at Arinsal, teach the winter side.
Best months
The season runs December to April, best January through March. The Arinsal side holds shade and the steeper pitches, while the Pal side is sunnier and gentler and softens on spring afternoons. Snowmaking covers the main runs, and the town-centre cable car from Arinsal means you can be on snow minutes after leaving your lodging.
Getting there & around
La Massana sits about a two to three hour drive from Barcelona or Toulouse, with no railway into Andorra. Arinsal and La Massana have ski-in lodging and a cable car from the town, and a bus links the parish to Andorra la Vella. Buy passes and lessons through the resort; a car is useful for reaching Pal's base or combining with other valleys.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Pal Arinsal Ski School
SchoolPal Arinsal runs two alpine ski and snowboard schools, one above the town of Arinsal at the top of its cable car and one at Pal, staffed by qualified multilingual instructors. Lessons cover skiing from beginner to advanced and snowboard from age twelve, offered as private classes, group courses that start on Mondays, and a premium Top Class with the resort's most senior instructors. The Avet Snowplus centre runs a seasonal school for children learning to ski.