# Val d'Aran

Baqueira from 28 November to 4 April, huskies and snowmobiles at Beret, rafting on the Garonne, the Colomèrs lakes, where to sleep and what to eat.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/aran-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-13

The Val d'Aran is the north-facing valley of the Catalan Pyrenees: the Garonne is born here and flows down towards France. In winter it is Baqueira Beret, the valley's big ski resort, and Vielha, the capital, where you sleep and have dinner. Between the pistes and the town there are a dozen villages of stone and slate with Romanesque churches, and from the Pla de Beret leave the snowshoe outings, husky sledges and snowmobiles. In summer the valley changes its face: rafting on the Garonne, canyoning and via ferratas, horses and high-mountain lakes.

## How do you get there?

By car. From Lleida, the N-230 climbs through the Noguera Ribagorzana valley to the Vielha tunnel and emerges in Aran; from there to Baqueira it is about 15 km along the C-28. Allow about two and a half hours from Lleida to the pistes, more with snow. From Barcelona, the resort gives 4 h 26 via the A-2, the A-14 and the N-230. From the Pallars you enter over the Bonaigua pass, at 2,072 metres, which in season is also one of the resort's bases and may close in bad weather. Carry chains even if you have winter tyres.

## What does Baqueira have?

For 2026-27 it announces 175 km of pistes and itineraries, 125 pistes and 7 itineraries, between 1,500 and 2,610 metres, spread over four areas: Baqueira, Beret, with the extended beginners' area, Bonaigua, on the pass, and Baciver. This winter it opens the six-seat Mirador chairlift and a new central area at Baqueira 1800 for learners.

The adult day lift pass costs €70 by topping up the BaqueiraPASS card online and €74 with a BaqueiraTICKET; the child's, €46.50. Those born in 2021 or later and those born in 1956 or earlier pay €8. The official rental charges €36.50 for a mid-range set of equipment. There are four free car parks, Orri 1800, Beret, Bonaigua and Peülla; the outdoor one at 1500 becomes paid this season. At weekends arrive before nine.

## And if you don't ski?

With a Rutes Pirineus guide you can snowshoe up from the Pla de Beret to the Estanys de Baciver: 8 km and 525 metres of ascent, from age 9, for €47.90 plus €9.90 for the snowshoes. Baqueira sells a €23.50 walker's lift pass to ride the lifts up with the skiers and hires out sledges. Down in Vielha, the church of Sant Miquèu has a 12th-century Romanesque Christ; in Salardú, the church of Sant Andrèu has 17th-century wall paintings and another Christ from the same Erill la Vall workshop.

## What else is there in the snow?

At the Pla de Beret, Montgarri Outdoor harnesses huskies: the twenty-minute loop through the Dossau forest costs from €75 for adults and the route to Montgarri with a meal at the refuge, from €185. The same company runs snowmobiles along the Montgarri track, from €140, and the Riding School brings a horse-drawn sleigh up to Beret, from €30 for children. You have the huskies with all their routes and prices.

## And in summer?

The Garonne leaves Aran through Les: the rafting from Les to the Pont de Rei is intermediate level, from age 6, for €42. In the same day you can fit a canyon in Bausen or the Arties via ferrata, in a €75 pack. For families with small children, Aran Park, in Bossòst, with bears and wolves, from 20 March to 7 November, and the walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu, an easy hour. On horseback, rides from Vielha from €30. Higher up, with a guide, the Colomèrs Cirque links glacial lakes on the edge of Aigüestortes. And for a plan around the table, the Caviar Nacarii fish farm, in Les, shows how caviar is made and lets you taste it.

## Where do you sleep?

Vielha has more hotels and restaurants open all winter and is 15 km from the pistes. The Parador, 2 km from the town, has a spa and ski storage, and reopens on 1 December. The Hotel Fonfreda, in the centre since 1888, has rooms for up to four people from €89. If you want to ski straight out, look in Baqueira 1500. In Arties, 5 km from the pistes, the Hotel Casa Irene has a spa with a pool and a shuttle to Baqueira.

## What do you eat?

Olla aranesa, the valley stew, is the winter dish: it is on the Garona menu at Era Coquèla. For something simpler, the home-made tapas at Urtau, the tavern a family from Arties opened in 1963. On the pistes, La Borda Lobató, next to the 1500 car park, grills over embers in the resort's oldest borda (stone barn). In Vielha, Era Lucana has a €27 set menu with a drink; in Bossòst, Er Occitan is the long dinner, with an €80 tasting menu.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Pyrenees, Horse riding routes in Spain
- Cerca: Vall de Boí (a 20.2 km), Benasque Valley (a 24.7 km), Pallars Sobirà (a 27.7 km), La Pobla de Segur (a 52.5 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Skiing at Baqueira Beret** (7 h · All levels · Plenty of red runs · Desde 70 € adult day lift pass, topping up BaqueiraPass): Baqueira Beret occupies the head of the Val d'Aran and looks out to the Pallars over the Bonaigua pass. It is big, with more reds than any other colour, in a valley that drains to the Atlantic.
Runs, altitudes and areas
For the 2026-27 season the resort announces 175 km of runs and itineraries on 132 routes: 125 runs and 7 itineraries. It goes from 1,500 to 2,610 metres, 1,110 m of vertical drop. The fact sheet on its website divides the ski area into four zones: Baqueira, Beret, Bonaigua and Baciver, and gives 6 green runs, 47 blue, 56 red and 18 black, before this winter's changes. It has a snowpark, a funpark for the little ones and a boardercross.
This year it premieres the six-seat Mirador chairlift, which climbs to altitude 2,469, and has redone the beginners' area at Baqueira 1800 with double conveyor belts. At Era Coma two short reds are added, Chicòia and Parpalhòla, and at Beret the beginners' area is enlarged.
How much a day costs
In 2026-27 the adult day lift pass costs €70 if you top up the BaqueiraPASS card online and €74 with the BaqueiraTICKET. The child's, for ages 6 to 11, €46.50 and €49. The afternoon, from 13:30, €55.50. Those born in 2021 or later and those born in 1956 or earlier pay €8. There is a beginner lift pass, only at the ticket office: €26 for adults and €15.50 for children. Insurance costs €4 a day.
The official rental, Baqueira Store, charges €36.50 a day for the complete mid-range equipment, €24.50 for children's and €58.50 for high-end. It has shops at Baqueira 1500, 1800, Beret, Bonaigua and the Hotel Montarto.
Schools
More than twenty schools operate at Baqueira, which the resort lists with their telephone numbers. Era Escòla, one of them, has meeting points at 1800, Beret and Bonaigua and books online.
Getting there and parking
From Barcelona, the resort calculates 4 h 26 by car on the A-2, A-14 and N-230 to Vielha, and through the Vielha tunnel into the Val d'Aran. From Lleida, on the N-230. There are free car parks at Orri 1800, Pla de Beret, Bonaigua and La Peülla; the outdoor car park at Baqueira 1500 becomes paid from the 2026-27 season (€1 an hour, €12 a day at most). The Gondola Car Park, at the foot of the 1500 gondola, is paid: €15 a day, with online booking.
Off-piste
Outside the pistes and uncontrolled areas, the ICGC's Butlletí de Perill d'Allaus rules, which covers the Aran sector: check it before setting out, go with a guide if you have no training and carry a transceiver, shovel and probe.
- **Guided snowshoeing from Pla de Beret to the Estanys de Baciver** (7 h · 8 km · Beginners, used to walking · Desde 47.9 € per person): From the Pla de Beret, the high plateau of Baqueira, a snowshoe climb to the frozen lakes of Baciver, with a qualified Rutes Pirineus guide. Eight kilometres and 525 metres of ascent and descent: it is beginner level technically, but it asks for legs.
The route
The Estanys de Baciver are two lakes of glacial origin, above 2,100 metres, within the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. They lie on the border between the Val d'Aran and the Pallars Sobirà, between the Pla de Beret and the Marimanha massif, surrounded by high-mountain meadows and the peaks that close the valley. In winter the lakes are frozen and covered in snow.
The itinerary is partly circular, so the return does not repeat the whole climb and the landscape keeps changing. Along the way, the guide, who knows Aran well, explains how to read animal tracks in the snow, the flora and geology of the place and how glaciers shaped these valleys. The route may vary depending on the snow and the weather of the day.
What the day is like
You meet at 9:00 at the far right of the Orri car park at Pla de Beret, next to the resort's ticket offices. You get there by the C-142b from Baqueira: the turning on the right is at 6.5 km. It is about five hours of walking and seven in all, with the lunch stop; you return to the car park around 16:00. Groups of four to ten people; if there are fewer than four, the whole amount is refunded. For seven or more, or for a guide just for your group, they ask for a quote.
The season's dates are 6 and 28 December, 7 and 20 February and 14 and 27 March. If less than 40% of the route is expected to have snow, the company proposes a similar outing or cancels it, with at least two days' notice.
What you pay and how to book
The guide costs €47.90 per person with accident insurance. Snowshoes and poles can be hired for €9.90; tell them if you take under a size 35 or over a 47. Book by email, on its website or on 691 772 966, and the place is confirmed on payment.
What to bring
A mountain rucksack with straps to hang the snowshoes, warm breathable clothing, mountain trousers, waterproof mid- or high-top boots, gloves, a hat and a neck gaiter. If it snows, a rain jacket and gaiters; if it is sunny, sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm. Food and at least a litre and a half of water. Outside guided outings, always check the ICGC avalanche danger bulletin before going into the mountains.
For sleeping nearby, Salardú is a few kilometres away: take the chance to see the church of Sant Andrèu. If someone in the group prefers a shorter plan, the Baqueira walking lift pass takes pedestrians up on the lifts, and from the Pla de Beret itself the snowshoe route to Montgarri starts.
- **Baqueira without skis with the walking lift pass** (3 h · Non-skiers · Families · Desde 23.5 € walking lift pass, at the ticket office): If there is someone in the group who does not ski, Baqueira sells a walking lift pass for €23.50, at the ticket office only, to ride the pedestrian lifts with the rest. At the top, the terraces of the resort's restaurants await. It is the way for the grandparent, the partner or the friend who does not ski to share the day in the mountains and meet the others at lunchtime.
What to do at the top
Ask at the ticket office which lifts admit pedestrians that day and up to what altitude: it depends on the snow, the wind and the area that is open, and the resort does not publish it in advance. Ask too about the way down: the walking lift pass is for the lifts, not for walking on the runs.
For children, Baqueira Store rents sledges for €11.50 and snowshoes for €19.50 a day, at its shops at Baqueira 1500, Beret, 1800, Bonaigua and the Hotel Montarto: use them only in the off-piste areas they indicate, never on the ski runs.
When and how much
The 2026-27 season runs from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 4 April 2027, if conditions allow. The walking lift pass costs €23.50 and cannot be bought online: you have to go to the resort's ticket offices. The very young and the elderly have a special rate of €8 at the resort; confirm at the ticket office whether it also applies to the walking pass.
Where to park
Baqueira has free car parks at Orri 1800, Pla de Beret, Bonaigua and La Peülla; the outdoor car park at Baqueira 1500 becomes paid from the 2026-27 season (€1 an hour, €12 a day at most, according to Naut Aran's tender). If you are going to go up from 1500, the Gondola Car Park, at the foot of the gondola, is paid, with online booking. You have the details at Baqueira car parks.
Another option without skis: Montgarri
For those who prefer to walk, a classic snowshoe excursion starts from the Pla de Beret to the sanctuary of Montgarri, a village abandoned in the mid-20th century at the end of the Pla de Beret. Visit Val d'Aran presents it as a low-difficulty route to do as a family: you follow the track on the left bank of the Noguera Pallaresa, normally on packed snow, among open meadows and black pine forest. Next to the Romanesque sanctuary, the Refugi Amics de Montgarri has a bar and restaurant. You return the same way: the track on the other bank is the one for dog sleds and snowmobiles.
If you are looking for a guided outing, see the guided snowshoeing to the Estanys de Baciver, which also leave from the Pla de Beret. And if you prefer a village plan, the church of Sant Andrèu in Salardú is about 5 km from Baqueira.
- **Church of Sant Miquèu de Vielha and its Romanesque Christ** (30 min · Everyone · Ask at the tourist office): Vielha's main church is in the centre, on the church square. It has an octagonal bell tower that Ferdinand the Catholic ordered built in 1506 and which also served as a defence tower, a portal of the 13th and 14th centuries with five carved archivolts and, inside, the piece you come to see: the Christ of Mijaran, a 12th-century Romanesque carving from the Erill la Vall workshop, which was part of a larger sculptural group.
What to look at
The church is of a late Romanesque that already heralds the Gothic. It was built beside Vielha's old medieval castle, of which nothing remains, and that is why the 16th-century bell tower looks like a fortress: besides being a bell tower, it was a defence tower and keep. It is square at the bottom and turns octagonal above the height of the church; the windows of the top two floors were changed in later centuries to hang new bells.
The portal shows the transition from Romanesque to the first Gothic forms, with biblical scenes carved on its five arches; it has a parallel in the one at Sant Estèue de Betren. In the west wall, beside the entrance, the tympanum of the original Romanesque portal is set in, with a crucified Christ dressed in a tunic to the knees. If you walk round the building outside you can pick out its phases, from the first Romanesque chapel to the extensions of the 15th to 18th centuries.
Inside, the 13th-century baptismal font, with plant reliefs as is usual in the Aranese fonts, and the Gothic altarpiece in the apse, attributed to the Master of Vielha. And the Christ of Mijaran, one of the most representative works of 12th-century Romanesque sculpture.
Hours
The tourism website does not publish fixed visiting hours. In summer, Visit Val d'Aran has included it among the valley churches open every day from 10:00 to 19:00, except when there is a guided visit. At other times, ask at the Vielha tourist office, on Plaça d'Aran, right in the centre, or on 973 64 01 10.
A walk around Vielha
Visit Val d'Aran suggests a short loop that begins in this square: you cross the bridge over the River Nere and climb Carrer Major. Soon the Torre del General Martinhon appears, a 17th-century manor house that today is the Musèu dera Val d'Aran, at number 26: it keeps the Sies Claus cabinet, where the documents of the valley's old government were kept, and two polychrome wooden Christs of the 13th century. Further up is the Fabrica dera Lan, the old wool factory, which worked until 1960 and can be visited. You return to the church by coming down Carrer Sarriulèra.
For eating in the centre, the Tauèrna Urtau and Era Coquèla are also in the centre of Vielha. The other great Christ of the Erill workshop is in the church of Sant Andrèu de Salardú.
- **Church of Sant Andrèu de Salardú and its paintings** (30 min · Everyone · Ask at the tourist office): Salardú is the village below Baqueira, and its church of Sant Andrèu, from the 12th to the 15th centuries, keeps one of the most extensive and best-preserved sets of wall paintings in Aran, from the 17th century, beside the presbytery. In the central apse is a Romanesque Christ of the 12th century, from the same Erill la Vall workshop as the one in Vielha.
What to look at
From outside, the church has the look of late Romanesque, around the 13th century: a basilica plan with three apses and a portal without a tympanum, of five diminishing archivolts, protected by a drip moulding and decorated with plant motifs. Above the keystone of the arch there is a chrismon, the monogram of Christ. Around the wall, under the eaves, runs a row of carved corbels.
At the south-west corner rises the 15th-century bell tower, which on its ground floor still keeps a vaulted, habitable room. The church was surrounded by a castle, and that bell tower was its main tower.
Inside, the Gothic structure is surprising, with square-based pillars and rib vaults. Beside the presbytery are the wall paintings, with biblical figures and scenes. And as you approach the central apse you reach the main piece: the Christ of Salardú, a 12th-century carving attributed to the Erill la Vall workshop, the same one to which the Christ of Mijaran in Vielha is attributed. It is a suffering Christ, with legs of triangular section, with the typical features of Romanesque imagery.
Hours
The official page gives no fixed hours. In summer, Visit Val d'Aran has included it among the valley churches open every day from 10:00 to 19:00, except when there is a guided visit; outside that season, ask at the Vielha tourist office, on 973 64 01 10, before going.
Getting there and what to combine
Salardú is about 5 km from Baqueira on the C-28. It is a good stop on coming down from the slopes or a plan for the day you do not ski. From the village square you climb to the church by a steep street.
If you like Romanesque, Visit Val d'Aran suggests a circular walk that leaves Salardú towards Unha, where you find the 16th-century manor house Ço de Brastet, the church of Santa Eulària, with wall paintings that run from Romanesque to Renaissance, and the Musèu dera Nhèu, the snow museum. Continue along the GR 211 to Gessa, with the tower house Ço de Ròsa, and return to Salardú.
To see the other great Christ of the Erill workshop, go down to Vielha: the church of Sant Miquèu is in the centre. And if there is someone in the group who does not ski, see the Baqueira walking lift pass.
- **Rafting on the Garonne, from Les to Pont de Rei** (3 h · 10 km · Families and first-timers · You must be able to swim · Desde 42 € per person): The Garonne rises in Aran and leaves for France through Les. Its last Spanish stretch, from the foot of Les to the Pont de Rei reservoir, beside the border, is ten kilometres of medium level that the company offers to families with children from age 6, with a guide in each raft.
Which stretch to choose
Altisport, in Vielha, runs three stretches of the Garonne. The one from Les to Pont de Rei, medium level, is the family one: from age 6, €42. The one from Les Bordes to Bossòst, nine kilometres of high level, is only run in spring and requires age 12: €47. The third is already in France, from Saint-Béat to Fronsac, the calmest, also at €42. You are on the water for about an hour and a quarter on all three.
What the morning is like
Departures are at 10:30 and 15:30, and the whole activity, with changing and the transfer to the river, takes about three hours. You change at the centre in Vielha, where they give you a wetsuit, booties, helmet, life jacket and paddle. Bring swimwear and a towel, and bear in mind that you must be able to swim. In July and August the times are confirmed when booking. In low season the departure needs at least three people; if there are one or two of you, a supplement is paid.
Combining it
If you want to do more in a day, rafting on the Les stretch plus a beginner canyon or the Arties via ferrata costs €75 as a pack, paying half in cash on the same day. In the afternoon, in Les, you can visit the Caviar Nacarii fish farm, and in Bossòst, 5 km away, eat at Er Occitan.
- **Canyons in Aran: Bausen to Start, Unhola for the Technical** (2 h 30 · Bausen for a first time · Unhola with some experience · Desde 45 € per person): Descending a canyon means following a torrent from the inside: you walk through the water, slide down rock chutes, jump into pools and abseil the waterfalls that can't be jumped. Altisport Aventura, based in Vielha, descends several in Aran and in the Ribagorça. Two of them mark the levels well within the valley: Bausen, in the lower Aran, to get started, and Unhola, in the Naut Aran, for those who have done some already and want real rope work.
Bausen: a kilometre to learn on
The Bausen canyon is next to the village of the same name, in the lower Aran, above Les and almost on the border. It is a kilometre long and combines a bit of everything: chutes, down-climbs, jumps and some abseiling. The descent takes an hour and a half and is beginner level, for €45 per person. It is the one to choose if the group includes teenagers or adults who have never put on a wetsuit, or if you want to combine it with rafting the same day.
Altisport offers another beginner one at the same price, the Arlos one, also of an hour and a half.
Unhola: twenty-metre waterfalls
The Unhola one is in the Naut Aran, the upper part of the valley. It is also a kilometre long, but medium-high level and technical: several abseils down waterfalls of about 20 metres, down-climbs and a chute or two. In the price list it appears at two hours and €50; the canyon's page speaks of two and a half hours of descent, so allow the whole afternoon. It calls for physical fitness and not getting nervous hanging from a rope with water falling on you.
What the day is like
You meet at the Altisport shop, at Carrer des Arroquets, 3, in Vielha. There are two approximate sessions: departure at 10:00 and return around 14:00, or departure at 15:45 and return around 19:30. You go to the canyon in your own car, behind the guide, so organise the group's transport beforehand.
Altisport provides the wetsuit, helmet, harness, rope and descenders. You bring sports shoes that can get wet, clothes to wear under the wetsuit, and spare clothes and shoes. You must be able to swim. The company doesn't publish a minimum age: if you are going with minors, ask when booking. For €5 per person they take a photo report of the descent.
Booking and paying
Book with the form on its website or by phone. You pay half when booking, by bank transfer, and the other half in cash at the shop on the day of the activity. If you cancel more than 12 days ahead you lose nothing; between 7 and 12 days before you lose half of what you paid, and with less than a week, everything. In low season each departure needs at least three people; with one or two a supplement is charged.
The pack of rafting on the Garonne plus a beginner canyon costs €75 on the same day and €80 on different days, only if the second half is paid in cash. If you prefer air to water, the same pack works with the Arties via ferrata. To sleep near the meeting point, the Hotel Fonfreda is in the centre of Vielha.
- **Guided Via Ferratas in Aran: Cledes, Arties and Pui de Unha** (2 h · No experience on the beginner stretch · Arties and Unha for the experienced · Desde 45 € per person): A via ferrata is a rock face equipped with staples, rungs, bridges and a steel cable to which you are secured the whole time. It is halfway between a hike and a climb: it gives the feeling of exposure of a vertical rock without the technique of a climber. Aran has several, and Altisport Aventura, from Vielha, runs them with a guide at three levels, from the first-timers' one at Les to the long one on Pui de Unha, above Salardú.
Cledes, the first-timers' one
Altisport's beginner stretch, of an hour and a half and €45, is done at Cledes or at Arties. The Cledes one is at Les, in the lower Aran: according to Visit Val d'Aran, it is 125 metres of route with 80 of elevation, two minutes from the car. It starts with a terrace and a 35-metre bridge, continues up a vertical tower and an 8-metre Tibetan bridge, and ends on a 42-metre wall that comes out at a viewpoint. It is grade K2, and the tourist office says it is suitable for children from 110 cm tall. It is the right one for someone who has never put on a harness or for teenagers keen to try.
Arties, a step up
At Arties, the village between Vielha and Baqueira, Altisport runs the medium stretch: about two hours, for €55. It needs a bit more arm strength and head for heights than Cledes; if anyone in the group has serious vertigo, it is better to start with the one at Les.
Pui de Unha, for those already used to it
The Pui de Unha is the high level: two and a half hours with a guide, for €73, and the company offers it in low season. According to Visit Val d'Aran, the route starts after a 25-minute approach from the Unha car park, at 1,350 metres, and has three sections and about 500 metres of ascent up to 2,221 metres: the first beginner level and the other two difficult, with a ladder, a 20-metre Tibetan bridge and a slab wall over the void. Ask which sections you will do in the two and a half hours.
What they give you, what to bring and how to pay
The guide provides the helmet, harness, energy absorber and carabiners, and explains how to use them before you start. You bring mountain or sports shoes with a good sole, comfortable clothes, gloves if you have them and water. For €5 per person they make a photo report. Altisport does not publish a minimum age or weight for its outings: ask when booking.
You meet at the Altisport shop, at Carrer des Arroquets, 3, in Vielha. When booking you pay half by bank transfer and the rest in cash on the day of the activity. Cancelling more than 12 days ahead costs nothing; between 7 and 12 days before you lose half of what you paid, and with less than a week, everything. In low season each departure needs at least three people.
With the Garonne on the same day
The beginner ferrata with Garonne rafting comes as a pack at €75 on the same day or €80 on different days, if the second half is paid in cash. For lunch in Arties, the original Tauèrna Urtau has stood in Plaça Urtau since 1963, and the Hotel Casa Irene has a restaurant on Carrer Major.
- **Husky Sledding at Pla de Beret, from the Dossau Forest to Montgarri** (1 h · All ages, with a child price up to age 11 · Desde 75 € per person, normal season): At Pla de Beret, Baqueira's high plateau, Montgarri Outdoor harnesses its huskies to the sled and takes you, seated, through the forests and snowy meadows at the head of the Noguera Pallaresa. The short run is a twenty-minute introduction; the long one ends at the Montgarri sanctuary, with lunch or dinner at the refuge.
The routes

Dossau Forest: 3.5 km, about 20 minutes, with departures at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 15:30. From €75 for adults and €40 for children under 11 in normal season; €80 and €42.50 in high season.
Bear Trail: 10 km, one hour, at 10:00 and 10:30. From €135 for adults and €70 for children, or €140 and €72.50 in high season.
Montgarri with lunch: 14 km there and back, from 13:30 to 16:30, from €185 for adults. The refuge menu, €55, is not included.
Night run with dinner at Montgarri: from 20:00 to 23:30, from €200 for adults.

Prices are from the 2025-26 season sheet, the latest published; the 2026-27 one was not yet online in mid-November. The long routes leave with a minimum of two people.
High and normal season
High season is every weekend, from 22 December to 6 January and all of February. On weekdays in January or March you pay the normal rate and there are more free times.
Going up to Pla de Beret
You go up to Pla de Beret from Baqueira along the C-142b; park in the resort's free car park. The company does not publish the exact meeting point or a minimum age: ask when booking on its website or on 616 772 105.
- **Snowmobiles from Pla de Beret to Montgarri** (1 h 30 · 14 km · Drivers from age 18 · Children as passengers, not under 3 · Desde 115 € per person, two adults on a two-seater snowmobile): From Pla de Beret, the snowy plateau above Baqueira, the track along the right bank of the Noguera Pallaresa heads east: in winter it is used by dog sleds and snowmobiles to reach the sanctuary and the abandoned village of Montgarri. With Montgarri Outdoor, which has run excursions at Beret since 2003, you ride it driving your own snowmobile behind a guide, among snowy meadows and mountain pine forest, with a stop at the Amics de Montgarri refuge.
Fourteen kilometres to the sanctuary
The short outing is the Montgarri Visit: 14 km there and back, an hour and a half, with a stop at the refuge. There are three times, at 10:30, 12:30 and 17:30, the last designed for after skiing, as long as the snow allows. Before setting off, the guide explains how to drive; the machines are Polaris or Yamaha and the company insists they are easy to handle. You choose a single or two-seater snowmobile, to go two to a machine.
For those who want more, there is an 18 km loop, of about two hours, and the Moto Riders, of over two hours and many more kilometres. Several outings add a lunch stop at the refuge, and the 14 km one has a night version.
At night, with dinner at the refuge
The night outing leaves at 19:30 and returns around 23:00: an hour and a half on the snowmobile through the forest in the dark and dinner at the Amics de Montgarri refuge. The premium menu, paid there, costs €57 per person, for two at least: cold cuts and cheeses of the Pyrenees or olla aranesa (Aran stew), aged beef chop and artisan yoghurt from the valley, with wine and cava. The children's menu, €20.
Prices, ages and deposit
The website gives prices from €115 per person on the 14 km excursion; that is what it works out per head if two adults share a two-seater. On the latest price sheet, for 2025-26, that outing cost €140 on a single snowmobile in normal season and €150 in high season; €160 for a two-seater with one adult and a child under 11, and €210 for two adults. High season is weekends, from 22 December to 6 January and all of February. If someone doesn't want to drive, a place on the guide's snowmobile costs €40.
To drive you must be over 18. The company does not recommend the activity for babies under 3, pregnant women or anyone with back or heart problems. Before setting off a €500 deposit per snowmobile is charged to a Visa card, returned at the end if there is no damage or fines.
Included are the excursion, the guide, the helmet, accident and public liability insurance and VAT; meals and anything you have at the refuge are not.
Getting to Pla de Beret
You meet at the Montgarri Outdoor cabin at Pla de Beret, where you show the booking voucher. Drive up from Baqueira with time to spare: during holidays there are traffic jams, and if there is snow on the road you need chains or winter tyres. If you arrive late or can't get up, the amount paid is not refunded. With 48 hours' notice or less, in high season and at weekends, the cancellation is charged in full.
Bring ski clothing: anorak, waterproof trousers, gloves, hat and sunglasses. Book and pay in full on the website, or on 616 772 105, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00.
From the same Pla de Beret leave the husky sleds towards the Dossau forest and the horse sleigh, and the plan for a snow day without skis combines them with lunch in Baqueira.
- **Bears, Wolves and Lynxes at Aran Park, in Bossòst** (2 h · Families with children from age 3 · Desde 13 € child ticket (ages 3 to 11); adult, €17): Aran Park is a mountain wildlife park on the road that climbs from Bossòst to the Col du Portilhon, at 1,200 metres and a step from the French border. It covers about twenty hectares of forest with some 150 animals of about fifteen species in semi-freedom: brown bears, wolves, lynxes, otters, marmots, vultures, deer, ibex, chamois and mouflon, among others. It is the plan with children in the lower part of the valley, and it also works for anyone who wants to see Pyrenean wildlife up close without spending the day looking for it.
A concrete path between the enclosures
The visit is on foot and takes between an hour and a half and two hours. The path is concrete and has no steps, so it is fine with a baby pushchair; if anyone in the group has reduced mobility, the park asks you to call beforehand. There are toilets at the start and halfway round, with a changing table. Bring binoculars if you have them: the enclosures are large and some animals can be seen from afar.
The park advises arriving early, when it is cooler and the animals move more. Feeding them is forbidden: the keepers do it according to each one's diet. Photos are allowed.
The park's museum occupies a former Guardia Civil barracks and teaches you to recognise sounds, coats and antlers, with games for children. There is also a shop.
The Canadian wolves, with a keeper
The wolf observatory is a €5 extra on top of the ticket: a keeper presents the pack of Canadian wolves and, with a safety device, you can feed them. It lasts 15 or 20 minutes, in groups of 20 at most, and is booked at the entrance at least a quarter of an hour beforehand. In May, June, September and October there is a session at weekends at 11:30; from 12 July and in August, every day at 10:30 and 16:30.
To go further, In the Skin of a Keeper is two and a half hours feeding wolves, lynxes and mustelids, entering the bear enclosures and visiting the dwarf goat farm. It costs €75 for adults, €60 for ages 3 to 12 or €240 for a family of two adults and two children, with admission included, and is booked at least 24 hours ahead. In July and August it is Monday and Thursday from 16:00 to 18:30; in April, May, June, September and October, on Saturday from 10:00 to 12:30. The night visits, of two hours and from April to October, are for groups of 15 people at least.
Opening hours, tickets and food
It opens every day, including Sundays and public holidays, from 20 March to 7 November 2027: from 9:30 to 18:00 with the ticket office until 16:30, and from 9:30 to 19:00 with the ticket office until 17:30 in the months with more daylight. Admission costs €17 from age 12 and €13 for children; under-3s don't appear in the rates. The season pass, from April to the end of October, is €33 for adults, €25 for children or €106 for a family of two adults and two children. Tickets are bought at the ticket office or online, undated, valid for the whole season; payment is by card or cash.
Halfway round there is a snack bar and a shaded picnic area. The bar opens every day from 19 June to 6 September, from 9:30 to 18:00; the rest of the season, only at weekends, public holidays and school holidays, until 17:00, and it is closed on Tuesdays in March and April.
Dogs and other pets cannot enter, for veterinary and safety reasons, nor bicycles, scooters or skates.
Bossòst and the rest of the day
From Bossòst, on the N-230 between Vielha and France, the Portilhon road climbs to the park. At Artiga de Lin, above Es Bòrdes, the walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu is an easy hour with children; at Les, the Caviar Nacarii fish farm can be visited in summer. For dinner in Bossòst, Er Occitan, on Carrer Major, with a reservation.
- **Visit to the Caviar Nacarii Fish Farm, in Les** (1 h 30 · Food enthusiasts · Children from age 6 on the visit · Desde 15 € per adult, visit without tasting): At Les, beside the Garonne and at kilometre 181 of the N-230, Caviar Nacarii raises sturgeon in a cold mountain-water fish farm and produces from them a fresh caviar that it sells in its shop and online. It opens the facilities for guided visits: an outdoor tour among the sturgeon pools, separated by age, with a guide who explains where caviar comes from and how it is made. It is a short visit, and works as well for food enthusiasts as for families with children who want to see big fish up close.
From the pool to the tin
The guide tells the history and origin of caviar, how the sturgeon lives in the wild and in captivity, how the fish are selected, how the roe is extracted and how caviar is made and matured, and what to look for to tell a good product. The visit alone lasts about 50 minutes and groups are 25 people at most. As it is outdoors, dress for the weather and bring a waterproof or umbrella if rain threatens: it runs in the rain too.
With tasting or without

Guided visit: €15 for adults, €7 for ages 6 to 10, free up to 5. Groups of more than 20 pay €10 per person.
Visit with tasting: 40 minutes of guided tasting of two of the house's caviars, with a glass of cava or vodka, are added to the 50-minute visit. It costs €40 for adults; children pay €7 and don't taste. In a group of more than 20, €35.

If afterwards you want to take caviar home, the house sells it in several lines; the smallest tins of the Tradición line start at €22 in its online shop.
Days, times and booking
The visits are handled by Aran Experience, the Vielha booking centre, on 973 64 00 87 or on its website, where you choose the day and time on a calendar, pay by card and receive the voucher with directions. You must be on time: the visit starts punctually.
The fish farm does not publish a calendar for 2027. The latest, for 2024, gave visits in April and from June to September: Wednesday to Sunday at 10:00 and 16:00, and the tasting one Wednesday to Saturday at 16:00. Check the open dates on the booking calendar before planning your day.
For bookings of up to five people, cancelling more than 72 hours ahead gets you a full refund; between 72 and 48 hours, half; after that, nothing.
Garonne in the morning, Bossòst at night
Les is the starting point of the Garonne rafting, and the plan rafting, caviar and signature cooking combines the two in a summer day. For dinner, Er Occitan, on Carrer Major in Bossòst, a few kilometres along the N-230.
- **Horse Rides from Vielha, to Vilac or Mont** (1 h · No experience needed · Routes from age 8 · Ponies up to 5 · Desde 30 € per person, one-hour route): The Escola d'Equitació Val d'Aran is a family stable on the Carretera de França, 22, on the way out of Vielha towards France, which has been taking people horse riding around the valley for more than forty years. From there leave the routes to Vilac and Mont, the two villages that look down on Vielha from the hillside: mountain paths, tunnels of woodland and the river Salient, with the valley ever further below. You don't need to have ridden before.
Before you mount
Before setting off they teach you the basics: how to get on the horse, how to hold the reins and how to stop it. Then the house guide goes in front, sets the pace and your horse follows the one ahead. The school chooses a horse for each person according to weight and experience; if you have doubts about weight, say so when booking. Aran Experience, which resells these outings, gives as a reference a minimum age of 8 and a maximum weight of 95 kg. The price includes horse, helmet and guide.
Vilac, Mont or the whole morning

Route to Vilac, one hour, €30: a path that crosses a tunnel of woodland and ends with Vielha at your feet. It is the one beginners and families choose.
Route to Mont, two hours, €60: more woodland, the crossing of the Salient river and arrival at Mont; the return passes through Vilac.
Long route, three hours, €90: it climbs higher than the others. It is new and the school is still finishing preparing it, so ask about the route.

Any of them can be private, only for your group, from four people: €60, €120 and €180 per person. For schools and companies they prepare group outings.
Ponies for under-fives
For under-5s there are pony rides of a quarter of an hour around the ring, led by hand by an instructor, for €10. For older ones, the school asks for the ages when booking and recommends a route and horse. Lessons of one hour, in the Vielha ring and all year, cost €35, for those who want to learn to handle the horse on their own. Experienced riders can request one- or two-night treks through the high mountains; the price depends on the trek.
In summer, from Beret
From 5 July to 15 September the school has a base at Pla de Beret, at 1,850 metres, above Baqueira, and runs routes across the plateau. In winter, at the same Pla de Beret, it harnesses the horses to the horse sleigh.
What to bring and how to book
Long, comfortable trousers, closed shoes, preferably with a bit of heel, and no sandals. Water, a cap, sun cream and a jacket, because in the mountains the weather changes quickly.
You fill in the form on its website with the day and number of people, and they confirm availability by phone or WhatsApp, usually the same day. Also on 629 46 38 05 or at escuelaequitacionvaldaran@gmail.com.
After the ride, Vielha is a step away: the church of Sant Miquèu holds the 12th-century Christ of Mijaran, and at Era Lucana there is a set lunch menu at midday.
- **Horse-Drawn Sleigh at Pla de Beret** (30 min · All ages · Under-2s free · Desde 30 € child, 30 min; adult, €60 for half an hour and €100 for an hour): For those who don't ski and don't want to walk in the snow, a horse-drawn sleigh across the white plateau of Pla de Beret, above Baqueira. It is run by the Escola d'Equitació Val d'Aran, the Vielha stable, which in winter takes its horses up to Beret and harnesses them to the sleigh; the school says it is the only one in Spain offering these rides. You sit wrapped up, the horses pull and the guide holds the reins. It is fine for grandparents, couples and children of any age, babies included.
Half an hour or an hour on the snow
There are two rides, of half an hour and an hour. According to Aran Experience, which resells the outing, the sleigh goes towards the Parros hut or towards the Montgarri sanctuary depending on the duration. You don't need to know how to ride or any preparation: it is a matter of sitting and looking at the landscape of Pla de Beret, with the snow, the mountains and the forest around you.
It only runs in winter and when there is snow at Beret. If the weather doesn't allow it on the booked day, the school lets you know and changes the date.
What it costs
Prices are per person:

Adults: €60 for half an hour and €100 for an hour.
Children: €30 for half an hour and €50 for an hour.
Under-2s: free.

For a family of two adults and two children, half an hour comes to €180. The school does not publish from what age you pay as an adult: ask when booking.
Book in good time
Places are limited and fill up especially at Christmas, Carnival and Easter. You request it on the form on the website, with the day and number of people, and they confirm by phone or WhatsApp; also on 629 46 38 05. Ask at that point for the time and the exact departure point at Pla de Beret.
Going up to Beret
You go up to Pla de Beret from Baqueira along the C-142b, and the resort car park at Beret is free. On snowy days, bring chains in the car. Dress as if for skiing, because you are sitting still: snow clothes, gloves, hat, sunglasses and sun cream.
From the same Pla de Beret leave the husky sleds and the snowmobiles to Montgarri. The snow day without skis combines the horse sleigh with the dogs, a lunch in Baqueira and the Romanesque of Salardú.
- **The Lakes of the Colomèrs Cirque with a Mountain Guide** (5 h · 8 km · Used to walking · Low technical difficulty, high effort): The Colomèrs Cirque is a high-mountain glacial basin on the edge of the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, above Salardú, surrounded by peaks of more than 2,800 metres. A path links a chain of lakes, and with a mountain guide from Aran Experience, the booking centre of Naut Viatges in Vielha, you do the circular route past six of them: the Estanh Major, the Mòrt, the Garguilhs, the Long, the Cabidornats and the Lòssa, passing the Colomèrs refuge.
From Ribera de Aiguamòg to Montanheta by taxi
You meet in the Ribera de Aiguamòg car park, opposite the Hotel Balneario Banhs de Tredòs. Getting there is up to you. From the car park, an authorised National Park taxi takes the group to the Montanheta stop, where the walk starts. It costs €7 per person each way, €14 return, and is paid to the driver: it is not included in the price of the outing.
Five hours from lake to lake
The route is about 8 km with 360 metres of ascent, and takes about five hours with stops. The paths are high-mountain, with stones, slopes and uneven stretches. The company rates it low technical difficulty and high physical difficulty: you don't need to know anything about mountains, but you must be used to walking several hours on broken terrain. Along the way, the guide explains the geology of the cirque, the flora, the fauna and the history of the place.
The guide may change, shorten or lengthen the route according to the group and the weather, or call it off because of storm, snow or strong wind; if called off for safety, you are given another date or a refund.
From age 10 and used to walking
From age 10, with walking experience and with a responsible adult. The company doesn't recommend it for those with reduced mobility, problems on uneven terrain, recent injuries or cardiovascular problems. Groups of at least four leave, from June to October depending on the state of the mountain, with the guide in Spanish, Catalan, French or English depending on availability.
They admit one dog per group if you tell them beforehand and the rest of the group agrees; it must be kept under control and comply with the National Park rules.
What is included, what to bring and what it costs
Included are the qualified mountain guide, explanations throughout the route and public liability insurance. Not included are the taxi, the journey to the meeting point or food. The listing doesn't publish a fixed price: the price appears on the booking calendar when you choose the date.
Bring mountain boots or trail shoes, mountain trousers, a fleece, a waterproof and windproof jacket, a rucksack of about 20 litres, at least a litre and a half of water per person, food, a cap, sunglasses and sun cream. Walking poles are recommended. If your footwear is unsuitable, the guide may not let you set out, and then there is no refund.
Booking and cancelling
Book on the website, choosing date and time, and pay by card; the voucher arrives by email with the meeting-point directions. Also on 973 64 00 87, at reservas@nautviajes.com or at its office at Avinguda Pas d'Arrò, 11, in Vielha. For groups of up to five, cancelling more than 72 hours ahead gets you a full refund; between 72 and 48 hours, half; after that, nothing.
The night before, sleep nearby: the Hotel Casa Irene is in Arties, a few kilometres from Salardú, where on your way back you can see the paintings in the church of Sant Andrèu.
- **Walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu, at Artiga de Lin** (1 h · 2.5 km · Families · Easy · Free): At the Uelhs deth Joèu, the "eyes of Jupiter", the water that sinks into the Forau d'Aigualluts, at the foot of the Aneto glacier, on the Mediterranean side of the mountain, gushes out powerfully between moss-covered rocks. Here it emerges on the Atlantic side and forms the Joèu river, which ends in the Garonne. It was shown in 1931 by the speleologist Norbert Casteret, who poured 60 kg of fluorescein into the Forau and saw the dyed water appear at this point. Around it is Artiga de Lin, a closed valley of meadows, beech and fir, with water coming out everywhere.
Seven kilometres from the square in Es Bòrdes
Es Bòrdes is 7 km from Vielha along the N-230, towards France. In the village square starts the paved road that climbs the Joèu valley; about 7 km along is the Uelhs deth Joèu car park, at 1,393 metres, where the walk starts. A kilometre further up there is another car park, beside the Artiga de Lin refuge.
In summer access changes: according to Rutes Pirineus, from mid-July to mid-September traffic is restricted on the last 3 km of the track, a tourist train runs and cars stay in the car park before the chapel of the Mare de Déu de la Artiga. The dates change every year: confirm them at the Vielha tourist office before going up.
The loop, step by step
From the car park you go down a couple of minutes towards the sound of water and reach the Uelhs, with a viewpoint a few metres from the spring. A metal bridge crosses the newborn river and the path climbs through the woods with log steps, wooden railings, benches and panels. It passes the entrance to the Plan dera Artiga, crosses the Puis ravine and reaches the Artiga de Lin refuge, at the foot of the Còth deth Hòro, with the walls at the head of the cirque in front. From the refuge, Rutes Pirineus adds a short detour to the Pomèro waterfall. The return to the car is along the paved road.
Visit Val d'Aran gives 2.5 km, 90 metres of ascent and an hour; with the waterfall, Rutes Pirineus counts 3 km and an hour and ten minutes without stops. The path is signposted and easy, but the damp makes it slippery in places: hold small children's hands. With a pushchair, the woodland stretch has steps; if you are with one, drive up to the refuge car park and do only the flat part.
When to go and what to bring
The best season runs from late spring to late autumn; outside it snow is easy to find. In summer the place fills up, so arrive early. The listings mention no bar or facilities: bring water and something to eat. If you go with a dog, keep it on a lead: the meadows are grazing land.
To round off the day
From Es Bòrdes, the N-230 continues to France as far as Bossòst. On the Portilhon road, above the village, Aran Park shows Pyrenean bears and wolves, and on Carrer Major Er Occitan serves dinner by reservation.

## Dónde comer
- **Tauèrna Urtau Vielha** (Bar, Vielha, €€). Qué pedir: a few tapas at the bar, such as the tempura sturgeon cubes, or the house olla aranesa and a grilled meat
- **Era Coquèla** (Restaurant, Vielha, €€€). Qué pedir: the olla aranesa as a starter and, for the main, the boned suckling pig or the oven-roast leg of lamb, within the Garona menu
- **La Borda Lobató** (Restaurant, Baqueira, €€€). Qué pedir: a meat from the open grill or the grilled burger, with a wine from its cellar
- **Er Occitan** (Restaurant, Bossòst, €€€€). Qué pedir: the tasting menu if the whole table is up for it; if not, the €58 menu, with a starter, a main and a dessert of your choice
- **Era Lucana** (Restaurant, Vielha, €€). Qué pedir: the set lunch; à la carte, the olla aranesa and the venison civet

## By car: Aran by car, from Vielha to the slopes
The car is the normal way to reach Aran: by the N-230 and the Vielha tunnel from Lleida, or over the Bonaigua from the Pallars when the pass is open. You sleep in Vielha and go up every morning to Baqueira, about 15 km away. The budget includes lift pass, food and a shared hotel.
Presupuesto orientativo: 140–230 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Parador de Vielha** (Spa hotel): The Parador de Vielha is on the tunnel road, on the way out of the capital of the Aran towards Lleida, about 2 km from the centre and with views of the valley. It is a large, bright hotel in the Paradores network, with lounges with big windows towards the mountains, a circular dining room surrounded by garden and rooms some of which have a terrace over the valley. Baqueira is about 20 minutes away by car.
Closed until 1 December
In 2026 the Parador closes from 5 October to 30 November: it reopens on 1 December, with the Baqueira season already started on 28 November. If you are planning the first ski weekend, you will have to sleep elsewhere. In 2027 it closes again from 4 October to 30 November.
Four categories, some with a terrace over the valley
There are four types: standard double, superior double, junior suite and suite. The rooms have air conditioning, a flat-screen television with Chromecast, a minibar, a kettle, a safe big enough for a laptop, a hairdryer and free wifi, and you can ask for breakfast in the room and room service. If you want views, ask for one of those with a terrace over the valley when you book. The price appears by date in the Paradores booking system, with room-only, bed-and-breakfast or half-board rates, and discounts for Amigos de Paradores.
Spa, pool and children
The spa has a sauna, jacuzzi and a treatment room with views of the Pyrenees, and there is a seasonal outdoor pool with a sun terrace and sunloungers. The circuit is paid separately; Paradores publishes the conditions and prices on its page. The 2026 treatments run from €49 (30 minutes on one area of the body) to €135 (a 75-minute facial and massage ritual), with a draining one for pregnant women for €59.
For families there is a children's playground, a games room and a garden. For the snow, ski storage. Outside, free parking, plus a paid garage and an electric-car charging point.
The cooking of the valley in the dining room
The restaurant serves mountain cooking from the Aran, with Catalan and French influences: cured meats from the valley, game and mushroom recipes, and spoon dishes such as the olla aranesa. The Parador itself presents it as hearty cooking, to restore your strength after a day's skiing.
What is nearby
According to the Parador itself, the Pla de Beret, from where the husky sleds and snowmobiles set out, is 23.5 km away; the Montgarri sanctuary, 31; and the walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu, in the Artiga de Lin, 19.5. In Vielha, the church of Sant Miquèu holds a 12th-century Romanesque Christ.
Book at paradores.es, on 973 640 100 or at viella@parador.es.
- **Hotel Fonfreda** (Hotel, desde 89 € / night): The Hotel Fonfreda is a family hotel at Paseo de la Libertat, 18, right in the centre of Vielha. It prides itself on having opened its doors in 1888, and today it is a simple, well-kept hotel, with wooden rooms and home-style service, designed as a base: ski at Baqueira, about 15 km along the C-28, and walk back through the village for dinner.
Five types of room, for one to four people
The prices it publishes are "from" prices, taxes included:

Single, 21 m², with a double bed, from €89.
Double, 26 m², with a double bed or two beds, from €95.
Superior double, 26 m², from €125.
Triple, 28 m², with three single beds, from €130.
Quadruple, 40 m², with one double bed and two singles, from €150.

The rooms have heating, a flat-screen television, a bathroom with hairdryer and towels, a ceiling fan and wifi; the double also has a balcony with views. All are non-smoking, and the hotel has no smoking room. Cancellation is free depending on the rate you choose: check when you book.
Breakfast, skis and lift pass
Every morning it serves a buffet breakfast with fresh, local produce. For the snow, it has free ski storage and sells lift passes at reception. There is also bicycle storage, left-luggage, a lift, laundry and ironing service, and 24-hour reception.
Parking and other rules
The hotel has no parking of its own for cars: only spaces for motorbikes. There is public parking nearby, subject to availability. It does not admit animals, so if you are travelling with a dog you will have to look at other accommodation. The hotel works with Magatzem Garona, a beauty centre with treatments and pressotherapy.
A walkable base in the centre of Vielha
For families who need a room for four, groups of friends going skiing and anyone who wants to get around Vielha on foot. In the centre itself, on foot, you have the church of Sant Miquèu and the tourist office, and for dinner, the Tauèrna Urtau on Avenida Pas d'Arrò or Era Coquèla. The canyoning and via ferrata outings of Altisport are on Carrer des Arroquets, also in Vielha.
Book on its website or at reception, on 973 64 04 86 and at info@hotelfonfreda.com.
- **SNÖ Hotel Beret** (Hotel): A hotel on the Baqueira road
The SNÖ Hotel Beret, the former Hotel Beret, is in Betrén, the district of Vielha on the way out towards Baqueira, at kilometre 24 of the road, at Carrer Eth Roser, 3. It is a large hotel of 152 recently renovated rooms, of the SNÖ chain, which has several mountain hotels in the Pyrenees. It opens for the ski season and also in summer.
The rooms
The chain offers four types: suite, double, double for single use and economy double. There are also duplex rooms, on two floors, which are worth asking for if you are travelling as a family or with friends. Suite, double and double for single use have television, full bathroom, wifi and hairdryer; the economy double, television, full bathroom and wifi, with no hairdryer on the list. The website does not publish sizes, number of beds or prices: they appear when you book.
Services
Wifi throughout the hotel, restaurant, heating and a small meeting room. The chain marks it as cyclist-friendly, which is useful if you come in summer. The page does not detail whether there is parking, ski storage, a spa or the meal plan (breakfast or half board): ask when you book.
Hours and offers
Check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00, with late check-out subject to availability. If you book on the chain's website, wifi and late check-out are included and there is a 5% discount. It also publishes two offers: seven nights paying six, any date except August, and five nights paying four, from Sunday to Friday, all year. Members of its loyalty programme get 10% with a code.
Who it suits
For those looking for a practical hotel between Vielha and the slopes: you are a step from the centre of Vielha and on the same road that climbs to Baqueira Beret. The weekday offers make it interesting for a ski week from Sunday to Friday. If you are looking for something smaller and in the centre of Vielha, see the Hotel Fonfreda; with a spa and views, the Parador de Vielha.
In Vielha you have the church of Sant Miqueu, with its 12th-century Christ, and the tourist office on Plaça d'Aran. For dinner, Era Coquèla and Urtau are in the centre.
Bookings
On the SNÖ Hotels website, on 973 089 507 or at reservas@snohotelberet.com.
- **Hotel Casa Irene** (Spa hotel): Casa Irene is a small four-star hotel at Carrer Major 22 in Arties, the stone village halfway between Vielha and Baqueira. The family opened it in 1974 and it is still a house with a family feel: 22 rooms, its own restaurant and a spa with a pool. It is 6 km to the Baqueira Beret slopes, and in winter the hotel takes you.
Chalet-style rooms
The rooms are decorated like a mountain chalet, with wooden furniture, and some are in the attic. All have a private bathroom with a bath, hairdryer and toiletries, and there is free wifi throughout the hotel.

Standard double: most look onto the garden or the mountain; you choose twin beds or a double.
Suite: for families of up to four, with a living room and sofa bed for the children, a bedroom and a bathroom. Some are duplexes, with the living room downstairs and the bedroom upstairs.
Suite Cabana: the couples' room, with a jacuzzi inside the room and mountain views.

There is room service from 16:00 to 22:00, every day except Monday. The website gives no prices: you ask for availability through a form or by phone.
The spa, paid for even by guests staying at the hotel
The spa has a heated indoor pool, Finnish sauna, hammam, jacuzzi, contrast showers and a relaxation area with herbal teas. Note that it is not included in the room rate. Hotel guests pay €15 per person, or €10 if they book a treatment; non-guests pay €25, or €20 with a treatment. The pool is open from 10:00 to 21:00 and the spa circuit from 16:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30. Children under 12 can only enter from 16:00 to 18:00, and those aged 12 to 18 must be with an adult. Swimsuits and flip-flops are compulsory; the hotel provides towels. Massages, from €45 for 25 minutes to €70–95 for 50 or 75, are booked at reception.
Irene's restaurant
The hotel restaurant serves mountain cooking with produce from the Pyrenees and from the other side of the border. The summer menu had homemade cannelloni of Gers goose with morels, €26; grilled beef loin with béarnaise, €32; organic xisquet lamb leg, €29.60; and the thin apple tart with vanilla ice cream, which they have made since 1973, €12.50. The gastronomic menu, for the whole table, costs €63 with wine, water and bread. There is a children's menu for children up to 12. They say they adapt dishes for coeliacs and other intolerances.
Since 2025 the house also has La Borda de Irene, a more informal mountain restaurant 4 km from the hotel, with a grill and a terrace; it opens at midday only, from 13:00 to 16:00, and you book at reception.
Skiing and the rest of the year
In winter the shuttle to the slopes is free if you book at reception, and the hotel stores your skis. In summer it offers outdoor yoga in the garden for guests. The website does not give check-in and check-out times, parking or whether dogs are allowed: ask when you request availability.
Altisport's medium-level via ferrata leaves from Arties, and in the village is the first Tauèrna Urtau, from 1963. The Colomèrs Cirque is done with a guide from the Ribera d'Aiguamòg, in the upper valley.
### Servicios
- **Baqueira Beret car parks**: Free car parks at Orri, Beret, Bonaigua and Peülla; the 1500 outdoor car park becomes paid from 2026-27; Gondola Car Park, €15 a day

## As a family: Aran with children, from the Beret slopes to the Bossòst bears

Baqueira charges little for the very young and has beginners' areas at 1800 and Beret, enlarged this winter. For those who do not ski, there is a walking lift pass, sledges for hire and sleds pulled by huskies or horses at Beret. In summer, the valley is done with children between family rafting on the Garonne, Aran Park and short walks.

### What works best
The beginners' areas at Baqueira 1800 and Beret, with conveyor belts

The children's beginner lift pass, €15.50 at the ticket office

The funpark for the little ones

The walking lift pass, €23.50, for the accompanying adult

A short visit to Vielha's Romanesque Christ on the way back

The horse-drawn sleigh at Beret, from €30 per child and free up to age 2

In summer, rafting from Les to Pont de Rei from age 6, €42

Aran Park, in Bossòst: €13 for ages 3 to 11, from March to November

The one-hour walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu

### Where to sleep
Parador de Vielha, with a playground and games room

Hotel Fonfreda, with 40 m² quadruple rooms

Hotel Casa Irene, in Arties, with suites for up to four and a heated pool

### Where to eat
Urtau Vielha, open on Sunday at midday and in the evening

Era Lucana, in Vielha, with a €10 children's menu

### Bear in mind
Those born in 2021 or later pay €8 for the day lift pass

The children's pass (born 2015 to 2020) costs €46.50 with BaqueiraPASS

Children's rental equipment: €24.50 a day

Aran Park does not admit dogs, and for rafting you must be able to swim

### Qué hacer as a family
- Skiing at Baqueira Beret
- Baqueira without skis with the walking lift pass
- Church of Sant Miquèu de Vielha and its Romanesque Christ
- Church of Sant Andrèu de Salardú and its paintings
- Rafting on the Garonne, from Les to Pont de Rei
- Husky Sledding at Pla de Beret, from the Dossau Forest to Montgarri
- Bears, Wolves and Lynxes at Aran Park, in Bossòst
- Visit to the Caviar Nacarii Fish Farm, in Les
- Horse Rides from Vielha, to Vilac or Mont
- Horse-Drawn Sleigh at Pla de Beret
- Walk to the Uelhs deth Joèu, at Artiga de Lin

## With teenagers: Aran for teenagers: water, rock and snow

A teenager gets bored in Vielha if it is all churches and dinners. In Aran there is more than enough to tire them out: in summer, the Garona, the canyons and a via ferrata; in winter, the Baqueira snowpark and a snowshoe climb to frozen lakes.

### What works best
The upper stretch of rafting on the Garona, from Les Bordes to Bossòst, in spring and from age 12, €47

Rafting and canyoning at Bausen on the same day, as a €75 pack

The Arties via ferrata with a guide, from €45

The Colomèrs Cirque with a guide, from age 10, 8 km and five hours

Snowshoeing to the Estanys de Baciver, from age 9

The snowpark and boardercross at Baqueira

### Where to sleep
Hotel Fonfreda, in the centre of Vielha, so they can walk out

### Where to eat
Urtau, homemade tapas in Vielha and in Arties

### Keep in mind
For rafting you need to be able to swim

Altisport does not publish a minimum age for canyoning and via ferratas: ask when you book

At Colomèrs, the park taxi is paid separately, €7 each way

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Skiing at Baqueira Beret
- Guided snowshoeing from Pla de Beret to the Estanys de Baciver
- Rafting on the Garonne, from Les to Pont de Rei
- Canyons in Aran: Bausen to Start, Unhola for the Technical
- Guided Via Ferratas in Aran: Cledes, Arties and Pui de Unha
- The Lakes of the Colomèrs Cirque with a Mountain Guide

## Consejos

### Top up the lift pass online
With BaqueiraPASS the adult day costs €4 less than with the ticket.

### Park at Beret if you are with beginners
The learning area is there and the car park is free.

### Sleep two nights
With more than two hours' drive from Lleida, a single day falls short.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What is there to do in the Val d'Aran in summer?
Rafting on the Garonne from €42, canyoning, the Arties via ferrata, horse rides, Aran Park and the Colomèrs lakes with a guide.

### Where can you go dog sledding at Baqueira?
At the Pla de Beret, with Montgarri Outdoor, from €75 for adults.

### When does Baqueira open in 2026-27?
From 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027, if the snow allows.

### How much does the Baqueira lift pass cost?
€70 for an adult day with BaqueiraPASS online, €74 with BaqueiraTICKET and €46.50 for children.

### How long does it take from Barcelona?
The resort estimates 4 h 26 by car. From Lleida, about two and a half hours.

### Where do you park at Baqueira?
In the free car parks at Orri 1800, Beret, Bonaigua or Peülla. The outdoor one at 1500 is paid from 2026-27, like the Parking Telecabina.

### Can you go snowshoeing in Aran?
Yes: there are guided outings from the Pla de Beret to the Estanys de Baciver, from age 9.

### Where do you sleep to ski at Baqueira?
In Vielha, 15 km away, with more choice; or in Baqueira 1500, at the foot of the pistes.