Author Dmitry Sheynkman Tax adviser 17 September 2026 12 min read Message the author

Ski resorts in Spain: where to ski and where to buy a second home

The ski season in Spain runs from late November to early April, and in Sierra Nevada into early May. There are four large domains: Formigal-Panticosa in Aragón (182 km of pistes), Baqueira-Beret in the Val d’Aran (173 km), La Molina linked with Masella in Catalonia (145 km) and Sierra Nevada above Granada (112.5 km, from 2,100 to 3,300 m). As of 17 September 2026 only Baqueira has announced its 2026/27 dates — 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027 — but season passes are already on sale at a discount, and this is exactly when people buy them.

Below: the five ski areas and a table of resorts, what is known about the 2026/27 season and what passes cost, where to drive from Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Zaragoza and Bilbao, what to check before buying a second home by the pistes, how the multi-resort passes work and why there is no such thing as a resort “between Spain and France”. What winter is actually like in Spain and how homes are heated is covered in winter in Spain.

Five ski areas: two in the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada in the south, short trips from Madrid and the inexpensive north.

Resorts: altitudes, pistes, day pass

Resort	Where	Altitude, m	Pistes, km	Lifts	Day, 2025/26
Formigal-Panticosa	Huesca	1,145–2,265	182	37	€51.90–61
Baqueira-Beret	Lleida, Val d’Aran	1,500–2,610	173	36	€71.50
La Molina + Masella (Alp 2500)	Girona	1,600–2,537	145	33	€55 for both
Sierra Nevada	Granada	2,100–3,300	112.5	23	€52–66
Astún + Candanchú (100K)	Huesca	1,530–2,400	101	40	from €45, combo from €62
Cerler	Huesca	1,500–2,630	81	19	Ski Pirineos only
Masella	Girona	1,600–2,535	74	17	€60
La Molina	Girona	1,667–2,537	71	16	€47
Boí Taüll	Lleida	2,040–2,751	45	10	€47
Port del Comte	Lleida	1,700–2,400	42.7	13	€44
Alto Campoo	Cantabria	1,650–2,125	30.4	10	€42
San Isidro	León	1,500–2,100	27.4	15	€30
Port Ainé	Lleida	1,650–2,440	26.7	9	€41
Espot Esquí	Lleida	1,500–2,500	25	5	€38
Valdesquí	Madrid	1,860–2,278	22.3	15	€44
Valdelinares	Teruel	1,700–2,000	17	10	Ski Pirineos only
Javalambre	Teruel	1,650–2,000	15	9	Ski Pirineos only
Vallter	Girona	2,000–2,535	14.5	10	€36.50
Vall de Núria	Girona	1,964–2,252	7.7	5	€39 with the rack railway
Valgrande-Pajares	Asturias	1,450–1,890	≈30	7	€29
Valdezcaray	La Rioja	1,530–2,125	not published	10	€29
La Covatilla	Salamanca	2,000–2,250	17.7	4	€29
Manzaneda	Ourense	1,500–≈1,800	over 15	6	€28
Leitariegos	León	1,513–1,800	7.4	7	€22

The day prices are from 2025/26: no resort has published 2026/27 tariffs yet and the online shops are closed for the off-season. The highest resort in the Pyrenees is Boí Taüll, topping out at 2,751 m, but its more useful feature is the base at 2,040 m, the highest in the range, which makes snow cover more reliable. Cerler and Baqueira reach comparable summits but start lower.

The 2026/27 season: what is known in September

Only Baqueira-Beret has announced dates: 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027, with the usual weather caveat (baqueira.es). It will be the resort’s 62nd season.
Everyone else is silent. The dates for the Aragonese resorts published by aggregators do not appear on the Aramón website — they are a forecast, not an announcement. The Formigal and Cerler sites also still carry an old banner about “Friday 13 December”: that was 2024; in 2026 the 13th is a Sunday.
Use last season as a guide. Sierra Nevada ran from 29 November 2025 to 3 May 2026, Baqueira from 29 November to 6 April (129 days), the Catalan resorts opened between 26 November and 4 December, Valdesquí only on 27 December and Navacerrada on 2 January.
Last winter’s results. Sierra Nevada: 896,241 skiers, up 3.9%, with 16 closure days — the most on record — and revenue of about €55 million (Cetursa). Baqueira: 1,050,000 ski days, the second best in its history, only two full closure days and 944 cm of snowfall at 2,500 m (baqueira.es). The Aramón group: 128 operating days and more than 1,248,000 ski days, its best season ever.
What is changing for 2026/27. Sierra Nevada has invested €17 million in snowmaking, groomers and lift control, reorganised the Las Sabinas and Peñones car parks and opened a new restaurant in Borreguiles (Junta de Andalucía).

Passes: the season passes are already on sale

Pass	What it covers	2026/27 price	Discount window
BaqueiraPASS	Baqueira-Beret, 173 km	€1,300 adult, €1,150 youth, €775 child; weekdays only €700	until 1 November, then €100 more
Ski Pirineos	7 resorts in Aragón, about 396 km	€959 adult, €767 child and 65+, €911 family, weekdays only €650	Early Booking −25% until 8 October
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada, 112.5 km	−20% on the season pass and on 10, 15 and 20-day packs; press reports €1,120 adult after the discount	15 September to 15 October
PIRINEU365	6 resorts in Catalonia, about 200 km	promotional season-pass period; zonal options such as Espot and Port Ainé for €535	until 8 December

For a family that skis 15 to 20 days a winter, a season pass almost always beats day tickets: 20 days at Baqueira at €71.50 comes to €1,430, more than the €1,300 pass. For fewer days, look at the packs: Sierra Nevada sells 10, 15 and 20-day passes, La Molina 10 days for €260, Boí Taüll five non-consecutive days for €217.50.

Worth knowing separately: the FlexiPass for the six Catalan resorts. A €15 annual fee with accident insurance, no ticket to buy — the day is charged to your card at the counter rate at closing time, with a growing discount: −15% from the fifth day, −20% from the ninth and free skiing from the seventeenth. A sensible option if you ski irregularly and would rather not tie up €1,000.

Where to drive from your city

Granada and Málaga. Sierra Nevada is 40 km from Granada station and 163 km from Málaga on the A-395 (Cetursa). It is the only resort in Europe where you can ski in the morning and have lunch by the sea; on the city itself see Granada, and on the region Andalusia and the Costa del Sol.
Barcelona. La Molina and Masella are about 150 km away, Boí Taüll 300 km and Port Ainé 250 km. The closest Catalan resorts are La Molina, Masella and Port del Comte; on moving there see how to move to Barcelona.
Zaragoza and Pamplona. Formigal is 163 km from Zaragoza and 164 km from Pamplona, Astún and Candanchú 168 and 137 km (Aramón, 100K).
Bilbao and San Sebastián. Astún and Candanchú are 301 and 215 km away — closer than most people assume; on life in the region see moving to Bilbao.
Madrid. Valdesquí is the only working resort nearby: officially the resort quotes just 76.6 km to Barajas airport. The Navacerrada pistes are being dismantled, see below. On districts and prices see moving to Madrid.
Valencia. Valdelinares in Teruel is 147 km away, with Javalambre next door: small resorts, but a cheap season pass bundled with the rest of Aragón.
Oviedo and León. Valgrande-Pajares, San Isidro, Fuentes de Invierno and Leitariegos charge €22 to €30 a day, the cheapest skiing in the country.

A second home by the pistes: what to check

There are no official price statistics for these municipalities: the ministry only breaks its figures down for municipalities above 25,000 inhabitants, and Naut Aran, Sallent de Gállego and Monachil are all below that. For context, appraised housing value across Spain in the second quarter of 2026 was €2,355 per m², up 12.5% year on year. For the resort municipalities only listings are available, which is worth remembering in negotiations.

Municipality	Resort	€/m², September 2026	Year on year
Naut Aran, Baqueira area	Baqueira-Beret	6,983	+18.3%
Naut Aran overall	Baqueira-Beret	5,368	+7.8%
Sallent de Gállego	Formigal	4,449	+22.2%
Panticosa	Panticosa	4,213	+42.9%
Puigcerdà	La Molina, Masella	3,972	+17.4%
Vielha	Baqueira-Beret	3,435	+13.1%
Benasque	Cerler	3,365	+13.5%
Alp, La Molina area	La Molina	2,961	+9.6%
Monachil	Sierra Nevada	1,722	+9.0%

These are Fotocasa listing figures (the municipal index), not completed sales: Panticosa’s 42.9% jump says more about how few properties are listed than about the market. What to check before you pay a deposit:

The altitude of the base, not of the summit. Snow reliability comes from the base: 2,040 m at Boí Taüll and 2,100 m at Sierra Nevada is a different level of certainty from 1,145 m at Formigal. Last winter showed the spread: Sierra Nevada closed on 16 days, Baqueira on two, and Valdesquí shut on 31 March for lack of snow.
Whether there is a village. Pradollano at Sierra Nevada, Baqueira 1500 with the gated La Pleta quarter, Formigal, Cerler with Benasque 6 km away, Boí Taüll Resort — these have real residential infrastructure. Valdesquí has no village at all: its own FAQ sends you to the housing listings of the neighbouring municipality.
Winter access. The road, the car park and chains: Alto Campoo charges for piste-side parking at weekends, and Sierra Nevada is rebuilding its car parks in 2026. Ask whether the access to the house is cleared and where it sits relative to the last cleared stretch.
Service charges and upkeep. Community fees in resort developments run higher than in town: security, snow clearing, a pool and lifts all serve a home occupied a few weeks a year.
Taxes on a second home. IBI property tax, imputed income on a home you do not let, and for a non-resident non-resident taxes. The full picture is in property taxes in Spain.
Off-season letting. Baqueira runs its own rental programme, while in Catalonia and Aragón owners let through agencies. Base your yield on the weeks the season actually delivers, not on the calendar.

How the purchase works and what to check in the paperwork is covered in buying a house in Spain and luxury property in Spain; on financing see mortgages in Spain; and our property search service helps find the property. If you are still looking at a season rental rather than a purchase, see renting a flat in Spain.

Multi-resort passes and linked domains

Ski Pirineos covers seven Aragonese resorts on one pass: Astún, Candanchú, Formigal, Panticosa, Cerler, Javalambre and Valdelinares. Officially “more than 390 km”; adding up the technical sheets gives about 396 km (Aramón).
PIRINEU365 covers six resorts of the Catalan state holding FGC: La Molina, Vall de Núria, Vallter, Espot, Port Ainé and Boí Taüll, about 200 km (pirineu365.cat).
Alp 2500 is the only genuine lift-linked pair of resorts in Spain: La Molina and Masella are joined by pistes and lifts across the Tosa d’Alp ridge, 145 km and 33 lifts together (the domain).
100K is Astún and Candanchú: a shared brand, 101 km and 110 pistes, but linked by a shuttle bus rather than by lifts (piste map).
The Astún–Formigal gondola link across the Canal Roya valley has been declared a project of regional interest in Aragón: two coupled gondolas, about a 14-minute transfer and a domain of some 180 km (government of Aragón). It has not been built, the dispute continues, and it is too early to count on it.

The “resort between Spain and France” that does not exist

There is no cross-border alpine ski area between Spain and France: not one lift or piste crosses the border, and no pass combines resorts in both countries. France’s N’PY covers eight French resorts, Neiges Catalanes six French ones, while Ski Pirineos and PIRINEU365 are Spanish only.

What does exist: Candanchú, Spain’s first ski resort, open since 1928, stands a kilometre from the Somport pass on the border itself. There is a genuine cross-border ski area there, but for cross-country: the French Espace Somport domain is joined to the Spanish side by a single nordic trail, and the tickets are still separate. Andorra is a separate country, neither Spain nor Schengen, with its own pass; Grandvalira officially claims 215 km of pistes, and on residence there see Andorran residence permits.

Two resorts missing this season

La Pinilla in Segovia will not open for 2026/27: its operator is insolvent with debts of about €1.78 million. Last season it managed to run from 26 December to 9 February.
Puerto de Navacerrada near Madrid: on 24 March 2026 the Supreme Court gave final confirmation that its Segovian pistes are to be dismantled. The Madrid side ran last winter from 2 January to 25 March (the resort’s site). Any list that still shows Navacerrada as a normal resort is out of date.

Where the royal family skis

At Baqueira-Beret. Juan Carlos and Sofía made the resort fashionable: their first private visit was in 1974, and in December 1982 Queen Sofía opened the resort’s first chairlift in the Beret sector. Felipe VI still goes; the most recent trips were reported in February 2025 and late February 2026. All the visits are private, and the Royal Household does not publish them, so the dates are known only from the press.

The chalet in the La Pleta quarter right by the piste — around 200 m² over three floors — does not belong to the family: since 1984 it has been granted to them for use by a group of the resort’s businessmen, and the resort covers the running costs. So even the “royal” house in Baqueira is not legally royal. Nor is it right to say the family has skied there without interruption since the 1970s: there was a break after 2013.

Lessons in Russian

One school is confirmed to teach in Russian: Spin Sierra Nevada in Pradollano lists Russian among its languages. The large schools at Sierra Nevada and Baqueira do not mention Russian on their official pages — they list Spanish, English, French and German. That does not mean a Russian-speaking instructor cannot be found: private instructors work outside the schools, but there is no verifiable confirmation for them.

Frequently asked questions

How many ski resorts are there in Spain?

The ATUDEM association lists 32 resorts, 27 of them with alpine skiing; the association publishes no total of its own. Fewer will operate in 2026/27: La Pinilla will not open and the Navacerrada pistes are being dismantled.

Which is the biggest ski resort in Spain?

By the size of a single resort, Formigal-Panticosa: 182 km of pistes and 37 lifts, followed by Baqueira-Beret with 173 km. The largest area on one pass is Ski Pirineos: seven resorts in Aragón, about 396 km.

When does the ski season start in Spain?

Usually in late November or early December, with resorts closing in early April; Sierra Nevada runs to late April or early May. For 2026/27 only Baqueira-Beret has announced its dates: 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027.

How much does a day of skiing cost in Spain?

In 2025/26 a peak-season day pass cost €71.50 at Baqueira, €52–66 at Sierra Nevada, €47 at La Molina, €44 at Valdesquí and €22 to €30 at the resorts of León and Asturias. The 2026/27 prices have not been published yet.

Which Spanish resort is the highest?

Boí Taüll in Lleida: a top station at 2,751 m and a base at 2,040 m, the highest in the Pyrenees. Higher pistes exist only in Sierra Nevada, which starts at 3,300 m, but its base sits lower relative to the summit.

Is there a ski resort between Spain and France?

Not for alpine skiing: no lift or piste crosses the border and the two countries share no pass. A cross-border area exists only for cross-country skiing, at the Somport pass next to Candanchú, and even there the tickets are separate.

Which ski resort does the Spanish royal family visit?

Baqueira-Beret in the Val d’Aran. Queen Sofía opened its first chairlift in 1982 and Felipe VI still skis there. The chalet in the La Pleta quarter is not owned by the family but granted to them for use since 1984.

Where can you ski if you live in Madrid?

The nearest working resort is Valdesquí: 22.3 km of pistes, 15 lifts and a €44 day pass. The Navacerrada pistes are being dismantled by court order. For serious skiing, people drive from Madrid to Sierra Nevada or the Pyrenees.