Ski Chalets in Soldeu, Andorra

Description

Soldeu is a lively and friendly little village very popular with British skiers. The ambiance is relaxed, more Catalan than French in character, with great après-ski.

For its size, Soldeu is incredibly well served with busy bars, clubs and restaurants and its facilities have been greatly improved in recent years, both on and off the slopes.

The resort spreads out over 4kms in 4 distinct areas – El Tarter, Incles, Bordes d’Envalira and Soldeu village itself - connected by a regular bus service.

Access to the slopes is by modern gondola lifts from either Soldeu village or El Tarter.

This extensive, modern lift network has recently been linked to Pas de la Casa and Grau Roig by the introduction of the new Grand Valira whole area lift pass thereby greatly enhancing the ski area for intermediate and advanced skiers.

Getting There

When to Go

Where to Stay

Getting around

Apres

There is a good selection of bars and pubs to choose from in Soldeu and the village atmosphere is friendly and informal.

The centre of the action lies on the main road in the village and the most popular spots include Aspen, which has a traditional sports pub atmosphere with table football, pool and live music and Iceberg, which has a panoramic terrace facing the slopes.

Villager is locally acclaimed as the first spot for a drink after a day’s skiing and welcomes ski gear and goggle clad visitors. Like most of the pubs in Soldeu, it often features live music appearances and shows main sporting events on screens around the bar.

Those looking to dance into the early hours of the morning should head to Fat Albert’s Bar which is open until 3am and 4 am on the weekends. Locally known as Fatty’s, this bar is a firm favourite and the resident DJ plays everything from cheesy pop to house.

Eating out

Soldeu is home to a delicious local cuisine but the resort offers something to suit all tastes. Local specialities include the Butifarra sausage, Crema catalane which is custard based pudding with a coating of burnt caramel and Xai al forn which is oven baked shoulder of leg of lamb.

Restaurants in Soldeu are predominantly better in village than on the mountain. However the Arossera Pi de Migdia, at the top of the El Tarter gondola, is a good choice for both an easy quick and tasty lunch in the self service area but also has a highly recommended table service section. Similarly, the Riba Escorxada features a trattoria-pizzeria that boasts stunning views from the terrace.

A lot of the best restaurants are contained within the hotels. However, otherwise known as Fatty’s, Fat Albert’s has a friendly atmosphere and great food, serving up local specialities and home favourites such as steak, fish and burgers. The business enjoys its rustic and authentic setting inside a 300 year old converted bar.

For larger groups looking for a lively evening to celebrate an eventful day’s skiing, Fat Albert’s offers a buffet and live music upstairs in Fat Albert’s Bar. The Aspen on the main road of Soldeu village offers a decent selection of British pub-style food and Sol i Neu, facing the slope has a tasty snack bar as well as a local a la carte menu.

Activities

There are loads of non-skiing, action-packed activities to do such as dog sledding, skidoo-ing, snow-mobiling, quad-biking and ice scuba diving. Off the snow, there is less to do and most resort activities revolve around relaxing in the thermal spa’s and leisure centre. The shopping in resort is limited but Andorra la Vella is only a 30 minute bus ride away and famed for its wealth of duty free opportunities.

Dog sled rides, also known as mushing, is one of the most popular activities in the Grandvalira region and based in El Tarter. Rides last 30 minutes and you will be guided by an experienced musher, along the wooded slopes next to the Riba Escorxada services area.

The Piolets Park and the Sport Hotel Hermitage both have fantastic spas. Palau de Gel leisure centre in Canillo offers a huge range of exciting indoor activities such as curling, ice skating, ice-karting and ice laser combat. The centre also has a swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, squash courts, spa and restaurant.

Ski School

Getting around

Family ski

Group Ski

Childcare

In Soldeu the nursery accepts children from 24 months to 4 years olds and hosts indoor and outdoor activities for children with lots of toys, storytelling and games. The Snow Garden, designed for 3-6 year olds, offers snow adaption sessions for its younger members and beginner ski lessons for those 4 years and above.

The Palau de Gel Sports centre has tennis courts and squash courts, as well as relaxation areas for parents across its fantastic spa facilities. It also offers a great range of sports on its ice rink that children will love to try such as ice laser combat, curling and ice-karting. In resort, there are also loads of great non skiing activities that the whole family will love such as dog sledding, ski-doo rides and igloo building.