History of the ski resorts
The journey of Andorraʼs ski resorts
The journey began on December 1st, 1957 with the bold initiative of Francesc Viladomat, inaugurating the first ski lift at the top of Coll Blanc located in Pas de la Casa. The ski lift gave access to a 2-kilometer route and 400 meters and a 480 meter vertical drop with a transport capacity of 450 skiers per hour.
The stable opening of the Envalira pass in 1958 facilitated communications and the commercial boom of the sixties facilitating the arrival of skiers.
During the following years, the Pas de la Casa facilities were expanded to Grau Roig, and by the end of the eighties, it had been expanded to the Montmalús area and the Pic del Cubil towards Pessons, Enradort and in January 1999, the Cortals Encamp area with the Funitel installation promoted by the city hall of Encamp, which connected the town of Encamp to the Solanelles area.
Following the success of this visionary, other entrepreneurs followed similar paths in other parts of the country.
The second station was put into operation in February 1964, with the initiative of ski enthusiasts, (Miquel Baró, Josep Torrellardona and Martí Salvans), with it the inauguration of the first 2-seater chairlift in the country installed at the foot of the town of Soldeu.
Since then, the resort has steadily expanded its domain with the opening of the El Tarter sector in 1981 with two chairlifts, one in Riba Escorxada and another that connected to Pla dʼEspiolets. Four years later, the new Forn sector in Canillo was opened.
One of the most important moments has been the commercial and marketing merger of the operating companies of Pas de la Casa Grau Roig and Soldeu El Tarter, creating the company NEVASA (Neus del Valira S.A). Thus, the 2003-2004 GRANDVALIRA, season was born, resulting in a single ski resort.
As for Arinsal, the third ski resort to be launched in Andorra, Josep Serra promoted the first snow resort in the northern valleys with its first chairlift during Christmas 1972. It will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.
In the 1982-1983 season, the Pal station was inaugurated, the fourth station in the country and the first of a public nature.
One of the most significant moments was in 1992, when the La Massana city council took charge of the management of Arinsal, leading to the creation of the Pal Arinsal Station.
This integration allowed the expansion of the ski area. The year 2001 was another important turning point for the station, with the installation of the cable car that connects both sectors.
In 2018, SAETDE signed a contract with the Ordino city council and became the majority shareholder for the operation of the station for 50 years. That same year, Ordino Arcalís joined NEVASA for the marketing and promotion of the station.
Three years later, SETAP365 was established, a new business holding that integrated the companies managed by Pal Arinsal and Soldeu El Tarter, with the participation of the Canillo and la Massana city councils, together with Crèdit Andorrà, to gain investment capacity and business model cohesion.
With effort, hard work and enthusiasm, Andorra has become a favorite destination for skiing and winter sports lovers. Its ski resorts offer a wide variety of slopes and services for all levels and tastes.