Worldwide Ski Resorts • Andorra • Soldeu
Overview
Of all the Andorran resorts, Soldeu El Tarter is probably the best for skiing with direct access to the heart of the slopes from the village centre. The village of Soldeu itself, while not exactly beautiful is not unattractive, although it does suffer from the main France to Spain road that goes through its centre resulting in heavy traffic congestion at times. The village continues to be developed and many new hotels appear each season. There are plenty of facilities here including some excellent value for money restaurants and a wide choice of accommodation from hotels to chalets and self catering blocks. Be a little wary when booking a hotel as some are located an inconvenient distance from the main lift systems, requiring daily bus transfers. The nearby villages of El Tarter and Canillo offer further (less expensive) accommodation options and both locations provide lift links to the slopes.
Profile
The village stands at 1800m and provides access to 192 km of pistes that are served by a total of 63 fairly modern and efficient lifts. It enjoys a better than average Andorran record for snow sureness due in part to its predominantly north facing slopes. It is consistently well groomed and has efficient snow making equipment that cover about 30 per cent of the pistes so that skiing here is pretty much a sure thing. Apart from the genuine black Avet run, there is little to interest the expert on piste. However, given a good season, the opportunities for off piste sport are exceptionally good, especially as the majority of skiers that visit this resort tend to be complete novices or less skilful intermediates and do not venture off piste, leaving the unprepared slopes virtually untouched.
It is a great place for ‘improvers’ and all but the most confident intermediates will find plenty to do here. Snowboarders of all levels will also find plenty of scope both on and off piste. There is a Nike sponsored terrain park and a specialist boarder school for novices. Beginners will find that Soldeu is a superb place to learn. It has vast nursery slopes, first class ski schools and plenty of slopes on which to progress. One of the major drawbacks however are the crowds. Although the lift systems are generally fast and efficient, queues are common in the mornings and the slopes get packed, particularly at the weekends.
Mountain Information
Most of the runs are on the exposed face of the mountains above the tree line. The gondola from the centre of the village takes its passengers direct to Espiolets where the nursery slopes and the ski school is based. From there, a gentle run leads to Riba Escorxada where the experts will find some of the best off piste terrain, and then by lift up to the high point of Tossal de la Llosada where the best open runs can be found to suit all categories of skier. At close of play, there are some very attractive tree lined runs back to the village.
Apres Ski
The scene here is described as lively but not over the top. There are plenty of bars and clubs including Fat Albert’s that generally hosts live music, the Pussycat and the Piccadilly. The younger set tend to go to the Aspen or the Avalanche, but if you are just looking for a quite drink, The Naudi is the place to go.
Andorran Resort Guide
Resort Information • Soldeu
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Resort Height | 1800m |
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Top Station | 2560m |
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Bottom Station | 1710m |
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Vertical Descent | 850m |
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Drag Lifts | 14 |
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Chair Lifts | 7 |
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High Capacity | 1 |
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Opening Dates | Mid Dec - Mid April |
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Rating Expert | 5 |
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Rating Intermediate | 7 |
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Rating Beginner | 8 |
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Apres Ski Rating | 7 |
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Snow Reliability | 7 |
