Where to go cross-country skiing in Andorra

Andorra is a downhill country, and anyone after cross-country skiing often ends up asking at Grandvalira. The answer is on the other side of the country, in the south. Nordic skiing in Andorra is concentrated at La Rabassa, the upper part of Naturland, and for me it’s a winter option that gets far too little attention, especially from British skiers who already know the sport from Scandinavia or the Alps.

La Rabassa, Andorra’s Nordic area

La Rabassa is the 2000 level of Naturland, in Sant Julià de Lòria. Naturland describes it as the only Nordic ski trails in the country, with 15 km for every level. It isn’t new. The snowfield opened in 1994 with 5 km of trails and added another 10 km in 1995 and 1996, long before the Tobotronc and the adventure park existed.

The three downhill resorts, Grandvalira, Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalís, don’t publish any cross-country trails. What they do have is ski touring, which people often confuse with Nordic skiing but is something else, climbing on skins through the mountains. I cover it in ski touring in Andorra.

What are the trails like?

There are four, and Naturland describes them fairly honestly. The Prat de Conangle has flat sections with gentle ups and downs, ideal for warming up and taking your first strides. The Pista del Bosc is still for beginners, but through the trees, in silence, with moderate climbs to polish your technique. The Pleta de les Mules is for skiers with some technique, with a bit of everything. And the Roca de Pimes, for experts, reaches spots like the Pla de Secans with hard climbs and fast descents.

You can download the track for each route and the full map from the website, which I’d do before heading up.

Lessons, kit and snowshoes

Naturland’s Nordic school calls itself the only one in Andorra. It runs beginner and improver courses in both styles, classic and skating. The beginners’ group lesson covers the equipment, first steps and the snowplough, and private lessons take up to four people. One practical warning from its website, if you arrive late they can’t guarantee the lesson and won’t refund it.

At the 2000 level you can hire boots, classic and skating skis, poles and snowshoes from age 5. Pass-and-hire packages come with standard kit, and the better range, newer and lighter, costs extra. The tourist board also describes a La Rabassa pass that bundles skiing, hire, a guided snowshoe walk and a group lesson. Prices aren’t published as text on the website, so I won’t quote any.

If you’d rather walk, there are two snowshoe routes. The Petjades trail is self-guided, takes about three hours and reaches the Roca de Pimes refuge. The Paquetaires trail is 5 km long and heads for the Spanish border through snowy meadows and past the Line P bunkers. More routes in snowshoeing in Andorra.

When to go

At the 2000 level, the 2026-27 season opens on 28 November 2026 and closes on 4 April 2027, every day from 9am to 5pm and always depending on snow. It opens six days before the downhill resorts, and also on 25 December and 6 January, when almost everything else is shut. The rest of the winter calendar sits on my Andorra ski season page.

Getting to La Rabassa

The access road is La Rabassa’s, climbing from Sant Julià de Lòria, and parking at the 2000 level is free. The tourist board also mentions an internal shuttle between the two levels. Chains or winter tyres are mandatory between 1 November and 15 May, and the road climbs to about 2,000 m, so I wouldn’t tackle it in a hire car on summer tyres or on a snowy day without checking conditions first. At the top, the Borda de Conangle serves Andorran food, so you can eat without driving back down. Overnight stays in campervans aren’t allowed at the 2000 level.

My take

To me cross-country is the best complement to a week of downhill. A day at La Rabassa rests legs worn out by the pistes and gives you a quiet forest you won’t find at Grandvalira. For a family whose children are tiring of the slopes, it pairs well with the Tobotronc at weekends. And remember your GHIC isn’t valid in Andorra, so make sure your insurance covers Nordic skiing too.