Get ready for a more authentic and better-value skiing holiday
It would be easy to conclude that the Pyrénées are simply a poor man’s Alps when it comes to skiing. But that’s really only half the story. Yes, there’s less skiing in total here and overall it’s probably not as challenging. And yes, the Pyrénées lacks the glamour and full-on buzziness of the Alpine skiing scene. But it does offer things the Alps lack, important things, which make Les Angles and Font Romeu very viable alternatives to the likes of Mergève, Chamonix and Verbier.
Click the panel just below to read more about skiing in the Pyrénées and the Cévennes, and to see a handy ski resort chart.
Click here for more information on skiing in Languedoc
More French
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, is that the Pyrénées offer a more authentic holiday experience. In the Alps, you’ll probably find yourself chatting to other English-speaking tourists in the ski lift queue in Val d’Isère, tucking in to great burgers in St Anton and enjoy après-ski mojitos with a group of Americans in Courcheval. In the Pyrénées, you may never hear a word of English spoken, have to make do with delicious rustic Catalan cuisine and get to know the locals over a couple of bottles of Côtes de Roussillon red. In short, the Languedoc Pyrénées offer a far more French and Catalan holiday experience, in terms of the food, the people and the architecture.
Less expensive
The Pyrénées is cheaper - not just in terms of ski passes (which cost about 25% less than the Alps), but also the accommodation, food, drink, spas and practically everything else. Which means you can afford to treat yourself a little more here - to better restaurants, perhaps a spa treatment or a larger chalet.
What the ski resorts and stations of the Languedoc Pyrénées offer
Height:
1600 m - 2260 m
1600 m - 2400 m
1800 m - 2700 m
1500 m - 2400 m
1640 m - 2400 m
1700 m - 2400 m
1600 m - 2500 m
Ski Runs:
43
40
34
17
21
17
21
Of which...
9
2
7
1
2
2
4
9
16
16
6
7
6
4
10
9
7
7
3
5
8
15
13
4
3
9
4
5
Cablecars:
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Chairlifts:
9
4
2
2
1
1
4
Skilifts:
13
12
10
4
15
8
3
Snow Canons:
500
363
45
70
157
63
70
Cross-country Skiing:
111km
40km
6km
110km
20km
No
Yes
Surf Parks?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Pass Prices (Adults):
Day:
€33.50
€34
€23
€28.50
€27
€27
€26
Half-day:
€30
€30.5
€19
€24
€22
€23
€21
6 Days (High season):
€169
€170
€99
€145
€131
€140
€144
Pass Prices (Children):
Day:
€28.50
€30
€19
€24
€20
€21.50
€20
Half-day:
€23
€27
€19
€20
€17
€17
€16
6 Days (High season):
€141
€150
€81
€122.50
€104
€106
€105
Ski Run Map
Great skiing
Click the map above to view it as a larger PDF
So the Alps have more resorts and more runs, and more challenging runs at that. But at the end of the day, there’s a limit to the number of resorts and runs even the most ardent skier can cover. The ski resorts of the Pyrénées offer plenty of variety and challenge - and they do so without the Alpine crowds. Font Romeu is particularly family-friendly, with plenty of green and blue runs, whereas Les Angles and the smaller ski stations in Languedoc offer more red and black runs. Good cross-country skiing is on hand at nearly all of the Languedoc’s ski resorts and ski stations. All the pistes are also very well maintained - with snow machines at the ready should the snow ever start to thin out. For the paranoid-amongst you, the avalanche risk here is lower than in the Alps, and there's much less risk of falling into a crevasse. The Pyrénées do not, however, offer quite as much powder snow as their Alpine cousins, and late in the season the snow can get a little mushy thanks to higher levels of rainfall and lots of warm, Iberian sunshine. It can also go quite hard, due to high winds. That said, the snow and the skiing are pretty excellent by any standards for most of the winter, and the high levels of sunshine make skiing and apres-ski activities a real joy. Snowboarding has become pretty huge in the Pyrénées at all the ski resorts. Snow-blading is more rare, but is starting to spread.
Natural spas
Older than the Alps, the Pyrénées offer something the Alps just can’t - plenty of natural hot springs. At Les Bains de St Thomas and Les bains de Llo, you can ease your tired and aching muscles into huge swimming pools of steaming-hot water or mysterious sulphur baths - while admiring the snow-covered landscape all around you. No Alpine hot tub can quite compare.
Skiing in the Cévennes
The ski stations of the Cévennes mountains are particularly famous for superb cross-country skiing. But the region also offers some very passable downhill ski runs - which tend to be even cheaper and more crowd-free than even their Pyrénéan cousins. And from Mont Aigual, the highest point in the Languedoc and the area’s biggest resort, you can see the Pyrénées, Alps and the Mediterranean all in one go.
Off the slopes
There’s plenty to do should you want a break from throwing yourself down mountainsides. The foothills of the Pyrénées are a veritable treasure chest of interesting things to do (click here to visit our Pyrénées Off-season page) - and in the mountains themselves, you’ll find an endless number of great walks, interesting towns and villages to visit, as well as the above-mentioned natural spas.
PYRENEES SKI RESORTS
CEVENNES SKI STATIONS
ACTIVITIES/SIGHTSEEING
FEATURED LISTINGS:
Cerdagne-Puigmal - Ski Station
The largest of the Pyrenees ski stations, Cerdagne-Puigmal is a great options for more advanced skiers.
The largest of the Pyrenees ski stations, Cerdagne-Puigmal is a great options for more advanced skiers - with 7 black and 16 red ski runs. The black runs, in particular, are said to be very long and exciting. This is the highest of the Prénées ski resorts, at 2,700m and the views from the top are magnificent. Overall, the ski base covers 320 hectares. Ski pass prices are reasonable, but there are a relatively low number of snow canons - so check the weather forecast before you come. There are hot sulphur baths only 20 minutes away.
One of the Pyrenees' oldest ski resorts, Font Romeu opened in 1921.
One of the Pyrenees oldest ski resort, Font Romeu opened in 1921. It sports the second biggest bed base in the Pyrenees, and the largest snow-making capacity, with an impressive 500 snow canons on hand. It's popular both with weekly tourists, as well as weekend locals who come from both Spain and France. It's the largest ski resort in the Languedoc Pyrenees, and is commercially twinned with 'Pyrenees 2000' - another resort very close by, which you can get to from Font Romeu via ski lift.
The town of Font Romeu is historic, and offers marked winter walking routes, tennis courts, squash, ice hockey, ice skating, swimming pool, Nordic skiing, horse riding, dog sledding, a climbing wall, snow-shoeing, ski-mountaineering, paragliding, a fitness centre, sauna, disco, bars, cinema, bowling alley and a casino. Snowshoe treks leave daily with a professional guide
Font Romeu gets over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year (more than the Rockies). Most of its runs are short and flat, but if you want some variety, you can use your Font Romeu ski passes at nearby Puigmal, Les Angles, Pyrenees 2000, and Formigueres resorts. The most demanding run at Font Romeu ski resort is the 'Competition' on the north face. Font Romeu is great for beginners and families. You'll also find hot sulphur baths in nearby Dorres, Llo and St Thomas.
The second largest of the Languedoc Pyrenees ski resorts, Les Angles is probably better for more advanced skiers - with half of its runs being red flagged.
The second largest of the Languedoc Pyrenees ski resorts, Les Angles is probably better for more advanced skiers - with half of its runs being red flagged. The resort sits between its runs and a large lake - which is used in summer for sailing. The setting is very picturesque, and the resort itself is quite attractive. It also offers a 'Bleu-Neige' area that sports an ice-skating rink, swimming pool, disco, cinema, petting zoo (of all things), 'ice diving', paragliding and kite surfing. The Les Angles ski resort is the most expensive of the Pyrenees resorts.
Down the road from the Les Angles ski resort is the Pyrénéan ski station of Formiguères, a smaller set of runs that is quite popular with cross-country skiers.
Down the road from the Les Angles ski resort is the Pyrénéan ski station of Formiguères, a smaller set of runs that is quite popular with cross-country skiers.
The most economical of the Pyrénées ski stations, Espace Cambre d'Aze is quite close to the small town of Err.
The most economical of the Pyrénées ski stations, Espace Cambre d'Aze is quite close to the small town of Err (which has a railway station). It's also known sometimes as 'St Pierre dels Forcats, and is the first ski station you come to when traveling from Perpignan. It sits in an impressive glacial 'cirque'. The resort offers tranquil skiing on tree-lined pistes, with very few queues. Espace Cambre d'Aze is part of the combined ski pass system - so you can use your pass bought here at other ski resorts. Cambre d'Aze offers 35 km of runs, and guaranteed snow thanks to its 164 snow guns. Beginners can ski from the top of the chair lift along gentle paths with great views. The excellent beginner and intermediate skiing make Cambre d'Aze a good choice for families.
For non skiers – there is snowshoeing, thermal baths and horse riding. Intermediate skiers will appreciate the narrower pistes and the wide variety of gradients. The resort is perfect for beginners - offering two special beginners areas boasting eight green runs with gentle lifts. You'll also find thermal baths, swimming, skating, bowling, dog sleds, and a cinema.
There is a park for snow boarders, but you'll find more challenging snowboarding at some of the Pyrenees' other resorts. There are some bars at the foot of the slopes and qui te a few restaurants in the two villages that comprise Cambre D’Aze.
This pretty ski station is the first in the Pyrénées you arrive at driving from the Aude.
This pretty ski station is the first in the Pyrénées you arrive at driving from the Aude. Like Les Angles, it sits between a mountainside and a lake (Lake Puyvalador), and there are south-facing chalets that you can rent opposite the slopes themselves. This is quite a small ski station - without many of the facilities of the bigger ski resorts such as Font Romeu and Les Angles. However, its 16 runs offer some variety and there is a snow park. There is a restaurant and a shop that rents equipment.
Set in a pretty Catalan village, the Porte Puymorens ski resort in the Pyrénées offers wide-slopes suitable for a range of ski levels.
Set in a pretty Catalan village, the Porte Puymorens ski resort in the Pyrénées offers wide-slopes suitable for a range of ski levels. This is one of the smaller ski stations in the Pyrénées, but it offers great value for money, with low ski-pass prices. There's hiking in the nearby Font Vives valley, and in the villages of Llo and Dorres, you'll find hot sulphur baths. You won't, however, find many of the other facilities found at larger resorts - but none are too far away. For example, you can pop over to Font Romeu for some shopping, or to the town of Mont Louis to use their swimming pool, ice skating rink and fitness centre.
Featuring 28 km of Nordic ski trails and skating plotted alternative, 1 shared ski touring, snowshoeing routes 3 R03;R03;and 1 toboggan. The start of the slopes is in the middle of the holiday village.
30 to 50 km of cross-country ski trails are maintained in the 2 techniques (classic and skating), during other seasons you have a choice of slopes ranging from 4 to 30 km.
Mont Lozère is located 7 kms from Bleymard Finiels towards the highest point of the Monts Lozere (1702 m).
South of the cottage is the "Nordic" area (ski trails and snowshoeing) and northern alpine area, with 7 slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all levels served by 5 lifts.
First discovered in the 12th century. Constructed from pink marble.
Phone:
04 68 84 09 30
Villfranche-de-Confluent
11th century medieval town fortified by Vauban in the seventeenth century.
Phone:
unknown
Les Orgues de Roussillon
Spectacular clay cliffs near the town of Ile-sur-Tet in the Roussillon area of southern Languedoc, that have been sculpted by wind and rain - forming strange organ-like shapes.
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