With snow come winter sports, and with them, ski resorts see a significant surge in visitors, breaking records year after year. Spanish resorts are ideal for sports like snowboarding, which is becoming increasingly popular among extreme sports enthusiasts.
Aragon
Astún
It’s said to be one of the most freestyle resorts in the Pyrenees. It’s a very compact resort nestled in a basin. This allows for continuous off-piste riding that ends right at the lifts’ doors—no hiking required—though if you’re up for a walk, there are some great routes.
Astún’s terrain is what makes it so freestyle. When snowfalls come, they form massive obstacles, and with its steep slopes, they’re perfect for building big jumps. A recommended resort for freestyle lovers—it might be small, but it’s welcoming.
Candanchú
Astún’s neighbour, on the other hand, is a pure freeride resort. If you love a good adventure, this ski resort will be the perfect stage to showcase your skills. It boasts impressive—and very dangerous—lines and is more extensive.
In recent years, it’s been quite hard to find it with deep snow, so we partly rely on luck—if you’re there when a big dump hits, it’s an absolute joy. Candanchú has a strong mountaineering tradition, and even so, there are skilled riders settled here, ready to tackle its dangerous lines.
Formigal
Located, like Astún and Candanchú, in the Jaca-Sabiñánigo area, Formigal is a vast resort with guaranteed snow in its higher sectors. You’ll find well-covered zones both at the top and bottom, allowing you to enjoy steep terrain and long descents, whether freeride or freestyle.
It’s one of the best ski resorts for beginners, as several ski schools operate here, offering introductory courses. Plus, over the years, it’s gained prominence, and its slopes are practically full during peak season.
Cerler
This is the resort with the steepest slopes, and its lift layout allows for epic line descents. Some top riders have come out of Cerler. As with Candanchú—and generally the entire Aragonese Pyrenees—finding deep snow is tricky, and luck plays a big role. Still, don’t be discouraged; be patient, as a single night’s snowfall can transform the mountain, letting you enjoy an epic day by morning.
Catalonia
Baqueira Beret
For many, Spain’s best resort. It has the best lifts, the most extensive terrain without needing buses, lately the most snow, and they genuinely cater to riders. Its terrain is perfect for both freeride and freestyle, and while some might find it pricey, it’s always worth it—you’ll feel lucky just being there.
Boí Taüll
Located very close to its big sister Baqueira, Boí Taüll is a small, well-oriented resort. This means huge snow accumulations, making it ideal for snowboarding.
It’s also very quiet, with no crowds or lift queues, and you can ride great off-piste lines—some, with a bit of luck, turn into epic runs all the way down to the village. The scenery is stunning. Note that the lifts are seven kilometres from the resort-village, with an hourly shuttle bus.
Madrid
Navacerrada
In the heart of the peninsula lie these modestly high, compact mountains, but with the best snow quality in all of Spain—when there’s snow, that is. This is due to Navacerrada’s distance from the sea; the snow here is very dry, making for top-tier freeride conditions when it falls. The area is unique, set right in the Valsaín forest. The descents are tree-lined, short but magical.
Andalusia
Sierra Nevada
We’ve all heard of Sierra Nevada: sun, nightlife, and cruising the slopes. But it’s also one of Spain’s pioneering snowboarding resorts. While it’s known for freestyle, it also has stunning freeride lines. Its issue is snow quantity.
Few storms leave snow here, but when they do, the dumps are massive. And if that happens, the snow lasts longer than anywhere else thanks to its high altitude—while other resorts get rain in spring, Sierra Nevada gets snow. Even with heavy snow, the board rides perfectly. Plus, the resort is steadily improving its facilities for the sport.
Now that you know Spain’s best resorts, what do you think? Ready to dust off your snow gear and hit the slopes to enjoy the snow like a kid again?
