Have you considered flying to Europe to go skiing? If you are from the East Coast of the USA, you’ve probably realized that flying abroad can cost the same, or most times less, than flying out West to spend some time on the slopes. As, at the time of writing this, I am living in Spain, and decided to check out the mountain Baqueira Beret.
I had skied in Europe once before this trip at Cortina D’Ampezzo. It was most definitely the bougiest ski resort, or possible place in general, that I visited. Baqueira Beret is called “the Aspen of Spain,” so I was curious to see how it compared to the mountains I’ve seen before.
Baqueira Beret is located in the north of Spain, close to Andorra and the French border. My father and I got a rental and drove 3.5/4 hours to get to the town.
We weren’t sure what the towns would be like, if we’d want to or have time to explore. While Baqueira is a small town, it’s super lively that we didn’t explore much or leave town other than our drive up and back. Our hotel had an option for a van service to bring us back and forth from the airport, which if we went again we would do!
Skiing at Baqueira Beret
Trails:
I am used to ski trails being marked by trees in Northeastern American skiing, which was generally the case at Cortina, aside from a few higher points that were above tree level.
In Baqueira, the majority of the skiing is above the treeline, which is mind blowing to experience for the first time. Especially since it was entirely cloudy my first day, there was no blue sky to differentiate from the mountain. Everything was white. I could hardly see the contours of the ground to know how steep it was currently or about to become. With no trees, I had little sense of where I was or where to go.
The only way you can know where you are or what trail you are on is by slalom poles stuck in the ground. They aren’t very tall, and the trails are quite wide. This was an adjustment and culture shock for sure! I wish I brought, and would recommend you bring, different choices of goggle lenses! The weather on top of the mountain can be astonishingly different from at the base, and can change quickly.
Size:
I knew mountains are generally bigger outside of the North East, but I was not prepared for how genuinely massive mountains in Europe would be. I could probably combine at least 20 of my Vermont ski mountains and it would almost maybe be the same size as Baqueira Beret.
Every new ski lift you go on, you can look out and see a whole other side. It’s like the mountain is endless and goes on forever! It’s great because there is always a new trail to ski, but the size combined with the poles marking the trails, it’s easy to get lost.
Baqueira Beret has a whopping 5,350 acres of skiable terrain. They also have nordic skiing and a back side of the mountain you can venture to if you dare! There are four mountains: Beret, Baciver, Baqueira, and Bonaigua, and many many peaks!
I noticed that the ski patrol were possibly the most relaxed group I’ve ever seen. Going on closed trails is normal here. People generally ski wherever they want, whenever they want. At my mountain, a closed trail is a no-go! It’s been deemed not safe, so if you go on it you can get your ski pass taken away. That is not a thing at Baqueira – Beret! Another culture shock for me!
Ski Tips We Collected
Beret is the south easternmost area of the resort. You either have to drive to get there, or take a few lifts to get over there. In the morning, this part of the mountain gets the most sunshine. This makes Beret a great starting point for your day, to ski it while it’s soft and before it’s skied off. It’s deemed by many the most family friendly section of the resort.
If you want to get your blood pumping on a nice long run, tak Eth Coret off Baciver down to the gondola base.
In heavy snow or fog, ski the various tree lined chutes in Argulls or the 300m of vertical forest below Baqueira 1800. The weather can change in an instant! This was important to know as most of the mountain becomes incredibly difficult to maneuver when there are no blue skies to guide you.
In hard conditions, southeast facing Blanhiblar and the skier’s left shoulder of Baqueira (Manuad, Solei) softens the quickest. This can be another good place to start the day.
Apres Ski / Dining On The Mountain
The Moet Winter Lounge has champagne and a reasonably priced lunch omelet. At Cinco Jotas you need a reservation to sit. It’s one of the more expensive options for eating on the mountain. Bar 2200 on Baqueira has better views than Moet and cheaper wine. It also has tapas for a quick lunch.
Towns Nearby Baqueira Beret to Visit
Vielha is an ancient town about eight miles from the Baqueira base. It has some nice restaurants. We ate at LaCondesa in Vielha and had delicious tacos! Arties is an adorable medieval hillside village that you drive through on the way to the Baqueira base. Two other charming villages to stop by in the area are Salardu and Tredos. I didn’t get to visit these two but wish I did!
Great Restaurants in the Area
Where I Went
Borda Lobato is an upscale steak house that the King of Spain frequents when he stays in his ski house on the mountain! I stopped by for a steak that was phenomenal – one of the best I’ve had in a while!
Apres Bar – Croak is one of the best Apres Ski spots at the base of the mountain. It is quite small, so get there early if you want a seat on the bar side! They also have a restaurant on the other side of the bar with great fondue! Definitely make a reservation the day before if you want to eat there.
Pecado is a traditional Spanish food and tapas bar. On our first night in Baqueira we stumbled upon this place and that was one of the best choices we made. I live in Spain, so I thought I knew what to expect, but this exceeded expectations. Everything was of the highest and utmost quality here. I’ve tried all of these foods and tapas before, yet after trying them here it was like I’d never had them before. Everything was exceptionally flavorful and fresh that we went for a second time on our final night as well. I highly recommend coming here!
Didn’t Go But Heard Great Things About:
In Salardu Village, check out Taverna Eth Bot. Tor €40 a person, you can get a 3 course meal and wine, which is a deal I would have loved to check out!
Taurna Urtau is famous for its tapas, and for good reason! For every drink you order, you get a free tapa along with it. So if you order enough rounds, you won’t need to buy dinner.
If you are still in the mood for tapas, check out Le Tuc Blanc, where you can sit on a terrace and enjoy your food. Or check out Bar El Refugi, where they are very well know for their tapas as well.
Overall
There isn’t a ton of information online about Baqueira, so I hope all of this information we collected and learned during our trip is helpful to you! Enjoy your trip – hoping you get powder days galore this season!
