On our skin we still have the salt and the sun of the summer season that is coming to an end and with it, also the holidays and the summertime. From bikinis to sweaters, from t-shirts to jackets. Along with the season, habits also change, especially sports ones. From surfing on the seashore to skiing on top of the mountains, Asturias is preparing to welcome another winter full of excitement. Just an hour from the beach, the mountains are one step away from the Asturian cities, Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés.
Cold storms and snow blow every year are a fixture in the winter months in the north of the peninsula. When a white coat covers the high peaks of the Cantabrian Mountains, it’s time to get ready to enjoy the mountains and snow, and in the Principality of Asturias this is really easy. The two ski and winter resorts that the Principality hosts, Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno, are equipped with comfortable accesses and of any type of service. In the vicinity of Leon, you can also find San Isidro with its 27.5 km of skiable slopes. In recent years, in fact, the ski resorts in Asturias are booming and are becoming a perfect target for a rural winter break.
Let’s analyze the three different options to enjoy the mountain in Asturias:
VALGRANDE – PAJARES
The Valgrande – Pajares ski resort is the dean of the Asturian ski resorts, inaugurated in 1954. It is located on the border between the province of Asturie and Leon, which is why it can be reached in a short time from the main towns of Asturias and Leon. Its ski area reaches 21.5 km of slopes, which are accessible from 4 ski lifts, with a transport capacity of 7000 people / hour. A cross-country track, a snow park and a competition stadium. It has 12 green tracks, 9 blue tracks, 12 red tracks, 4 black tracks. It has 150 accommodation places at the foot of the slope and another 500 places within a radius of 3 to 50 kilometers. Its history is linked to Nordic skiing, which eventually gave way to new skiing methods such as the most advanced in snowboarding and freestyle.
HOW TO GET TO VALGRANDE-PAJARES
The location, 40 minutes from cities such as Oviedo or León, and 50 minutes from Gijón and Avilés, allow you to combine the practice of skiing, with other types of sports, cultural resources, gastronomic and nature.
Carretera Puerto de San isidro s/n
33688 Aller
T.902306600/ 985959106
PRICE
All day: 28—22€ Adulti 24€ bambini
Young: 21€
4 Days with teacher and material: 64€
FUENTES DE INVIERNO
Fuentes de invierno: Ski resort created in 2007, is the most modern Cantabrian Cordillera station, located in the municipality of Aller in Asturias. There is a good compensation of slopes and ski lifts, where all ski enthusiasts, from amateurs to experts, can find different slopes suited to their needs. It has a domain of 8.7 km skiable distributed in 3 green runs, 3 blue, 6 red and 3 black. This way both experts and beginners can ski. They have access to a total of 5 mechanical elevators: total transport of 8200 passengers / hour. Nearby there are more than 600 hotels to accommodate tourists flocking to enjoy the beauty of the Asturian mountains.
HOW TO GET TO FUENTES DE INVIERNO
It’s easy to get to Fuentes de Invierno from all Asturias because the location is 40 minutes from the main cities. As well you can reach the skii station with the bus, connecting Gijon and Oviedo from 6:50 till 18 to Fuentes de Invierno.
Alto de Pajares s/n
Branillin
33693 Pajares (Lena)
PRICE
T 985957097
All day: 20-26€
Young: 21€
4 days with teacher and material: 64€
SAN ISIDRO
Just outside Asturias, near the town of Leon we find the ski resort of San Isidro. Opened in 1974 It has a domain of 27.41 km. Ski, distributed on 31 tracks, 5 green, 9 blue, 13 red, 4 black. A direct connection between this track and the Fuentes de Invierno track is also planned, which will be available in a few years. To this day the station continues to see the influx towards its slopes grow. Also due to the fact that the station is surrounded by natural spaces of great environmental value, such as the Picos de Europa Regional Park. Other attractions offered by the area, as an alternative to skiing, are the glacial lakes of Ausente and Isoba.
HOW TO GET TO SAN ISIDRO
This skii station is close to Fuentes de Invierno, so you can reach it by car, 40 minutes from each main city in Asturias, and by bus, connected with Gijon and Oviedo.
Puerto San Isidro, s/n,
24855, León
PRICE
All day: 22-30€
Young: 18-26€
4 Days with teacher and material: 70€
The Asturian’s paradise is waiting for you, to discover the beauty of this region in every season.
You can find the article on surf and summer’s sports here.
OTHER WINTER PARADISES IN SPAIN
· Pirineos Catalanes: If you are planning a trip, check the website ‘Actividades en los Pirineos Catalanes‘
· Sierra Nevada (Granada)
· Formigal (Huesca)
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