Sierra Nevada

Europe’s southernmost ski resort, the Sierra Nevada, with its imposing mountain peak of Mulhacén (3.482 m) is a wonderful combination of sun, snow and Mediterranean Sea, which sets this region in the province of Granada apart from most other places in the world.

Although Sierra Nevada might not compare to the slopes in the Alps, its affordability and accessibility turn the resort into a great destination for families that are rather less experienced in slope etiquette, providing a delightfully welcoming atmosphere that is sure to be enjoyed by all ages.

Below we have collected some useful up-to-date information for skiers and boarders of all levels and leisure time activities for children and those who are not so much into skiing.

The resort base Pradollano is located at 2100 metres over sea level, just half an hour from Granada and only 45 minutes from Almuñecar on the Costa Tropical.

Sierra Nevada is a 90 minutes drive from Malaga Airport on the Costa del Sol and about 2 hours from Marbella, for the ones who want to combine beach and snow.

The top station in Sierra Nevada is located on the Veleta peak, on 3398 m. In total, the vertical drop is 1200 metres with a more than 115 runs over 100 km, from which are 16 green runs, 40 blue runs, 50 red runs and 9 Black runs. The longest run is "El Aguila", with more than 6km. There is one cross skiing circuit of 4 km length.

The total number of lifts is 29, of which are 2 gondolas and 16 chairlifts; the lift opening times are from 9:00 to 16:45 hours.

There are 6 skiing areas with the following names: Veleta; Laguna De Las Yeguas; Borreguiles; Lomar de Dilar; Rio Monachil and Parador.

Snowboarders are welcomed with open arms in the Sierra Nevada and special facilities are available. The main run for boarders is the "Tubo de Borreguiles", a freestyle park exclusively for boards with a half-pipe and full range of jumps and rails plus a small lift.

Night skiing is available on Saturdays from 19:00 to 21:30 hours (subject to weather /snow conditions) on the long El Rio slope, which runs right into the village and provides a wonderful spectacle when viewed from the café terraces of Pradollano.

Pradollano is the heart of the ski resort, from where two gondolas and two chairlifts transport you to the Borreguiles ski station on 2.645 metres. From there you have access to a total of 80 slopes.

This year, amongst the new installations there is the “Magic carpet”, a slow draglift aiding beginner skiers to the main Borreguiles station. Another novelty this year is the lift pass system (forfaits in Spanish). The lift pass comes now in the form of a plastic credit card which is scanned when passing any of the lift gates. A deposit is charged when acquiring your first card which can either be redeemed at the end of the day or simply updated to use again.

From Borreguiles you can get further up the mountain and cross to other areas such as Laguna de las Yeguas and Lomar de Dilar and Veleta. From Veleta, the highest point, you can enjoy on clear days spectacular views of the Mediterranean coast, Gibraltar and even Africa.

The majority of Pistes in the resort are intermediate slopes and areas such as Monte Bajo are fantastic for those who want to ski long, mixed condition runs. More challenging are the mainly red runs of Laguna de las Yeguas and Veleta, this area also tends to get less crowded.

For beginner skiers and snowboarders coaching is generally available in many languages throughout the resort.

Also there are several Alpine gardens for the smaller ones with fully trained staff to look after children up to six years old.

For non-skiing adults there are available many leisure time activities such as a huge tube, husky driven sleighs and of course Shops, cafes and restaurants.

Pradollano is a very social resort with many bars and cafes with a great atmosphere and which are very animated at night, especially on the weekends or during a Spanish holiday.

In the resort centre around Plaza de Andalucía can be found as well ski and board rentals and repair services.

Picturesquely situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills, lies the enchanting city of Granada, only 25 minutes away. Such close proximity to one of the most beautiful and culturally impressive cities in Europe makes Sierra Nevada rather distinctive.

With 3 international airports nearby, Granada, Malaga and Seville, train and bus station, Granada is a very well-connected city.

If you are about taking a trip to Sierra Nevada we recommend booking a flight to Malaga airport, and then you can use any Malaga car hire or Malaga transfers company to get to Sierra Nevada in less than 2 hours. Malaga's companies use to offer the lowest prices in Spain, due to the very competitive market of travel services along the Costa del Sol.