Baqueira-Beret
Baqueira Beret is a ski resort in the Pyrenees of Catalonia. Baqueira is the largest and most visited winter resort in Spain. It is popular among the Royal family and the Spanish aristocracy, and affluent Spaniards and French tourists. Much of the region of the Aran Valley and Àneu Valley is made up of over 50 small rural populations, each one with stone and wood houses and ancient Romanesque churches. The resort was founded 60 years ago on the initiative of the local authorities in the Aran Valley.
Understand
Baqueira Beret is the largest Spanish ski resort, with 161 km of ski slopes. It has a trnsportatation capacity of between 50,000 and 55,000 skiers between gondolas, lifts and chairlifts — equivalent to moving a small city.
It is also very remarkable the quality of its snow, because being on the north face of the Pyrenees, in Valle de Arán, receives better snowfall than the south and it shows in the compaction and quality of the slopes in the winter season.
The ski area extends from 1,500 to 2,610 metres (4,920 to 8,560 ft) in elevation, and due to its reliable snow elevation, the typical ski season starts in November and goes to late April.
It has long and wide ski runs, some through trees. It is divided into three different zones, Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua.
The ski resort offers a wide range of services: a ski school, equipment rentals, restaurants and cafeterias on the slopes, medical services, etc. There are also hotels and apartments as well as ice skating, heated swimming pool, and shops. There are also numerous restaurants and bars for apres-skiing activities.
Get in
The nearest airport is in Toulouse, France, approximately two hours drive.
Do
The main activities are skiing and snowboarding. There are also other activities available such as hiking, rafting, kayaking and climbing. Museums and exhibitions are also available in the villages around the resort. Other activities that can be carried out in Baqueira are fishing and hunting, although they are both regulated.
- Snowshoeing
- Alpine and cross-country skiing
- Ski from helicopter
- Dog sledding
- Trekking: discover forests, streams, alpine flowers such as orchids or Viola d'Aigua, as beautiful as they are difficult to find, and beautiful waterfalls with a deep and relaxing sound.
- Routes by car
- Equestrian routes
- kayak and canoeing
- Mountain bikes (BTT)
- Climbing
- Cultural gastronomy
- Visits to the Romanesque
- Visits history of Lerida and Valle de Aran
- Exploration of the fauna and flora of Valle de Aran
Eat
- Restaurante Eth Bot.
- Bar Urtau.
- DeVins.
Sleep
There are multiple lodging options in Baqueira and Valle de Aran. From the most luxurious hotels to the most modest accommodations. Here are some of them:
- Hotel Hotel Vilagaros, Calle de la Carretera, 5, Garós , Lleida 25098, Garós, ☏ +34 973 64 12 50.
- Hotel Hotel Yoy Mont Romies, Plaça Major, Salardú, Lleida 25598, Salardú Salardú, ☏ +34 973 645 816.
- Hotel Hotel Yoy Tredos, Carretera de Baqueira, km 177.5, Valle de Arán, Lleida 25598, ☏ +34 973 64 40 14.
- 🌍 Parador de Arties, San Juan, 1 25599 Artíes, Naut Arán Lleida (at the city gates, at the entrance to Artíes; 7 km from Vielha, which is on the N-230; take the road that goes to the Baqueira Beret ski resort (7 km)), ☏ +34 973 64 08 01, toll-free: +34 902 54 79 79, arties@parador.es. 7 km from the Baqueira Beret ski resort. The hotel is a jewel of Aragonese architecture from the 14th and 15th centuries, known as Casa de Don Gaspar de Portolá, discoverer of California. In the ski season, the Dry Snow Restaurant & Cocktail Bar is a great place for après ski.