Baqueira
BASI qualified ski instruction in the Spanish Pyrenees
Resort information
Ski facts |  Nightlife |  Getting there |  The villages |  Local transport
Resort reviews

Baqueira is a great resort situated in the Val D'Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees. Our team of instructors enjoy working in this undiscovered resort with its rural Spanish charm. There are many notable features to the resort..........

  • Largest resort in the Pyrenees
  • Fast lifts, continually improved
  • North American piste and lift quality
  • Spanish prices
  • Great snow record
  • An up and coming, chic resort - it's where the King of Spain skis and Victoria Beckham was seen here in 2006.

Baqueira Ski facts
Height of resort 1500m (4920ft)
Height of top lift 2510m (8230ft)
Total km of marked piste 105 km
Direction of slopes Mainly N and NW
Off piste Lots of short sections between pistes and some amazing runs if you know where to go!
Instructors Us of course!
No. of lifts 20 chairlifts, 6 drags, 1 gondola
Cross-country 7km prepared circuit in Beret, more if you know where to look.
Medical facilities Clinic in village, 1 chemist, hospital in Vielha
Vertical descent(skiable) 1000m (3280ft)
Height of bottom lift 1500m
Children Creche at the top of 1st lift by beginners area (1800m)
No. of bars 21
No. of discos 2
Indoor swimming pool Yes in Vielha
Indoor skating rink Yes in Vielha
Shops 3 banks, some shops, fantastic shops in Vielha.
Snow making 179 Snow cannons
Internet facilities Cafe at Tuc Blanc hotel
Accommodation Ski Miquel,  Inghams or try our list of accommodation. See our acccommodation page for further details.


Nightlife
You may have read many mixed reports on the nightlife in Baqueira. If you know where to go then you’re in for an awesome experience. Our advice is to explore some of the back streets in the smaller villages between Baqueira and Vielha. Baqueira itself is pretty quiet and there is only a handful of small bars (although there are some superb restaurants). Most Spaniards go out in the villages below and only come up to Baqueira for the Pacha night club.

The Spanish way of socializing is different to traditional Alpine apres-ski. The Spanish will head home for a siesta at the end of their skiing day and then go out later. Most bars are quiet early on and no one goes out until about 10pm. This includes some restaurants – you may struggle to find places to eat before 8.30 so pick your restaurant carefully if you have children. The nightclub doesn’t get started until about 2 in the morning and closes around 7am!!

If you’re willing to give the local way a go you’ll find the locals will be more than accommodating. All villages have small restaurants and bars but the most lively are probably Salardu, Arties and Vielha.

Getting there
Here are some travel suggestions and directions for how to get to Baqueira.

The villages around Baqueira
There are several villages and hamlets dotted around the Aran valley all within easy reach of the resort. Most of these villages boast tiny tapas bars and restaurants at very reasonable prizes.
  • Vielha - large town, lots of shops, bars, internet cafe, large swimming pool, ice rink, library
  • Arties - a few shops, a good selection of restaurants and bars, very pretty. Watch out for the bears!
  • Salardu - 5/6 bars or restaurants, authentic Aranese village.
There also several other hamlets dotted around the valley which are well worth exploring.

Local transport
If you are staying outside of Baqueira you can catch the public bus which runs from most of the villages up to resort. This service runs approx every hour from bus stops located along the main road in each village. Vielha is the furthest away at a 15 min drive. To give you an idea of where the villages are located try looking at this site. You could also try local taxi drivers Augustin (0034 629465988) or Javier (0034 629465988). Neither taxi driver speaks English so you will need to speak Spanish although Augustin speaks a little French.

Resort reviews
Ski Club of Great Britain article.
There's more opinions from the Ski Club members here.
Here's an American viewpoint of Baqueira.

Copyright (c) Baqueira British Ski School 2007.