Sierra Nevada Ski resort, Europe’s most southern ski station, lies on the same latitude as Cyprus. Offering one of the longest ski seasons in Europe with the best weather conditions, the ski season usually starts in late November and runs until early May.
If you are looking for a ski resort with guaranteed sunshine, Sierra Nevada should be at the top of your list.
View of Sierra Nevada, Granada
Sierra Nevada is the sunniest resort in Europe, with over 80% of sunny days during the season.
Just over an hour’s drive from the beautiful beaches of the Costa Tropical and less than thirty minutes from Granada city centre and the Alhambra Palace, you couldn’t hope for a more unique location.
Skiing in the morning and swimming in the sea in the afternoon is a true reality in the Sierra Nevada.
Sierra Nevada Ski Borreguiles
Facts at Glance
- Pradollano, the resort village, sits at 2100m, with most of the ski area situated on the northern slopes of the Veleta, the third-highest peak in mainland Spain. It is located in the Penibetica mountain range, within the Sierra Nevada National Park and only 27 kilometres from Granada centre.
- The lowest point of the resort is 2,100m, and the highest is 3,300m above sea level. Sierra Nevada Ski resort offers a total of 107 skiable kilometres, across 115 pistes: 40 blue, 9 black, 50 red and 16 green. In addition, there are cross-country ski runs (powder snow) and snowshoeing. The ski lifts have a capacity for 45,555 skiers per hour.
- A modern snowmaking system consists of 353 cannons covering 35 km of slopes. Night skiing is available on Saturday nights, weather permitting. Sierra Nevada is “home” to Europe’s largest snowpark – Sulayr.
- The 1996 World Alpine Ski Championships were held here along with the multi-sport event Winter Universiade 2015, the World University Games.
Pradollano and Borreguiles
Borreguiles I chairlift
The Sierra Nevada ski resort is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada National Park.
The ski area is divided into two main areas: Pradollano and Borreguiles. Pradollano is where all the hotels, restaurants, holiday flats and most of the ski rental shops are located.
Pradollano is divided into three sections; lower, middle and upper, according to the distance from the village centre.
Prices tend to reflect these distances. Accommodation near the centre of Pradollano and the main cable cars can be more expensive.
A 15-20 minute cable car ride connects Pradollano with the mid-level ski resort of Borreguiles. Borreguiles is where you will find most of the skiing, the main lifts, ski schools, a nursery and several restaurants.
Borreguiles also has several ski hire shops. Despite being the main ski centre, you can travel up to Borreguiles and back down from Pradollano without skiing by paying a special daily rate of around €17.50.
A daily lift pass (forfait) costs around €50, depending on the season. Children under the age of 6 are free (except for the €5 insurance), and children under the age of 16 pay around €38 per day. For more exact pricing information, see here.
There are 15 registered ski schools in the Sierra Nevada with over 400 instructors. Many offer a combination of ski hire and a couple of hours of private tuition with special offers. Fees tend to be cheaper for afternoon lessons, and English-speaking ski instructors are also available. See here for additional information.
Snowboarding Paradise
Sulayr snowpark, a large freestyle park offers the longest lines in Europe, with one exceeding 2.5 kilometres that includes jumps, half pipes and various ‘freestyle’ obstacles (there are 70 in total) – you can do 49 of them in a row if you wish!
The freestyle snowpark is becoming increasingly popular and attracts some of the biggest names in the international snowboarding community. Sulayr was initially located in the Borreguiles area. To separate the hardcore snowboarders from the regular skiers, Sulayr was moved to the Loma de Dilar.
The snowpark recently opened a new beginner freestyle area specifically aimed at children and people with no ‘freestyle’ experience.
Snowpark Sulayr in the Sierra Nevada
How to Get to the Sierra Nevada
Renting a car is the best way to get to and from the Sierra Nevada. If you are skiing for a day, it is always best to leave early. Traffic up the mountain builds up on weekends and holidays. Free parking on the surrounding roads to the resort is severely limited. Your best option is to park in one of the main car parks. Prices vary depending on the season, but a day pass usually costs around €20.
If you are staying in Granada, a regular ski bus service departs from Granada central bus station and costs €7 for a one-way trip. The bus leaves every morning at 8 am, with the following service departing at 10 am. The last bus returning from Sierra Nevada ski departs at 6:30 pm.