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Europe’s southernmost resort is getting more attention from British skiers, with upgraded lifts, smart new hotels and a warm Andalusian welcome.
ByAbigail Butcher
Published December 10, 2023
• 6 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
The aroma of a tapas bar is an incongruous sensation when dressed in ski kit, but it’s the end of a long day on the slopes, and plates of grilled squid, spicy patatas bravas and plump green olives are on offer, along with a bargain glass of Rioja (€3.50/£2). It’s 6pm and the lifts have only just shut in Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski resort. The mountain town in Andalusia enjoys lots more sunshine than most ski areas in the Alps. This, admittedly, is accompanied by a fairly functional assortment of accommodation spread along a steeply winding road. Unless you’re staying right in town, walking home while carrying your kit takes quite an effort at this altitude. The resort’s hub, Pradollano, sits at 2,100 metres, while the ski area’s 65 miles of pistes extend up to 3,398 metres: the chilly summit of Veleta, Spain’s third-highest mountain.
The resort’s one little indoor complex of tapas bars, in Pradollano, constitute its main après scene, but along a cliff edge overlooking the plains of Granada, I find another string of lively restaurants — music booming from huge speakers — that’s reminiscent of a Spanish seafront. But it’s not long before I retreat to my hotel, Maribel, which was refurbished by its new owner, Puente Romano Beach Resort, in 2022. Its first venue, the five-star El Lodge, opened here in 2016 and both are found half a mile up the road above Pradollano, right beside the Maribel piste. Their restaurants serve modern European and Spanish cuisine on sunny terraces with crisp, white napkins and attentive staff. Considering the food offering elsewhere — think burrito stations, self-service grills and vending machines — two ski in, ski out hotels with smart restaurants are a game-changer.
Maribel has a shuttle to run guests around town, but it’s just as easy to jump on the two-person Parador chairlift (also accessible to non-skiers), which rises from the centre of Pradollano to the highest accommodation, dropping passengers at stations along the way.
Snow is reliable here from November to May, bolstered by Sierra Nevada’s investment in 105 new state-of-the-art snow cannons, upping their total to 315 to provide good coverage in marginal conditions. But — as is the case in many resorts now worldwide — during my Easter visit it’s too warm to use them, so we make do with a reduced selection of slopes and soaking up the sun. I take a break from the heat with a drink at Borreguiles restaurant on the central section of the mountain, where most ski runs and lifts converge at 2,645 metes, Here I meet Lesley Park, from Plymouth, who’s skied in Sierra Nevada for 16 years. “It’s two hours from sea to slopes,” she says. “We come here every year for two days, then four days down on the coast — and we can fly from Bristol.”
Flexibility is a key USP, with flights to Málaga from all over the UK and the chance to combine a ski and sand break. On a clear day, you can see all the way over to Morocco (155 miles away) from the top of Veleta — the Mediterranean and Andalusian plains in between.
Along with snowmaking, Sierra Nevada has invested in a number of new lifts. Last winter, two chairlifts were upgraded at the excellent Borreguiles beginner area, and this winter two new chairlifts, a gondola and a magic carpet are set to open. While the downhill is varied and extensive here, a new ski mountaineering route has been created along with a new 1.9-mile run from the summit of Veleta to Pradollano. There’s also a huge terrain park and 165-metre-long halfpipe (last winter, Sierra Nevada hosted the Snowboard Cross World Cup), which, together with late openings in the town’s bars, means that even if an older, wealthier crowd move in, Sierra Nevada will continue to appeal to youngsters. There’s no escaping the fact there’s not enough here to keep a good skier busy here for a week, but this corner of Spain is perfect for a great-value break with a novel serving of sun, ski and sangria.
How to do it
Many airlines fly from the UK to Málaga and Granada. A return bus journey (55 minutes each way) from Granada to Sierra Nevada costs €9 (£7). Maribel hotel has doubles from €420 (£360) a night, B&B. maribels.com
Suites at Puente Romano Beach Resort start at €760 (£651) a night, B&B.
More info
sierranevada.es
Published in the Winter Sports supplement, distributed with the December 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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