Baqueira Beret – the best snow in southern Europe

Baqueira Beret in numbers

Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, Baqueira Beret sits between Val d’Aran and Valls d’ Àneu. Four areas make up the ski resort – Baqueira, Beret, Bonaigua, Baciver – each with its own distinct character. With 170km of runs and 114 pistes, spanning 2,273 hectares and a skiable vertical of 1,110m, it is the biggest ski resort in the Pyrenees, meaning overcrowding on the slopes is rarely an issue. Perhaps most important of all: the majority of slopes are Atlantic-facing, meaning great amounts of highquality snow throughout winter.

Top events

Beret is the stage for some of the resort’s most prominent competitions, such as the Marxa Beret, the alpine skiing Copas de Europa and the (aforementioned) Freeride World Tour held in the Baciver area. The alpine competition stadium bustles with activity throughout the week, while its funpark caters for young rising stars. Meanwhile, the Era Marmota Snowpark gives freestylers the space to practise and perfect their moves on specially designed features and jumps.

Famous for eating and drinking…

Gastronomy is another area in which Baqueira Beret shines, with 24 on mountain restaurants, and many more down in the villages, featuring dishes from the Pyrenees, Catalonia and Spain with top-quality meat and even fish – the Cantabrian Sea is just two hours away by car. Après-ski and shopping are best in Ruda and Baqueira 1500. For Spanish-style après, head to Bar 1500, the Moët Winter Lounge and Hotel Montarto’s Drinkery at the foot of the slopes. Pàrrecs Dossau and Bonaigua Dossau are being renovated for 2025, complete with large terraces to enjoy some winter sun in a more relaxing setting.

Sustainability

Baqueira Beret is committed to the environment. It has adopted measures to protect the natural surroundings and is working hard to reach carbon neutrality and preserve the Val d’Aran and Valls d’Àneu ecosystem. In 2023, the resort received a Biosphere Committed seal of approval from Biosphere Sustainable, the European body charged with the management of the certificates. The certificate endorses the resort’s progress towards sustainability on the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle platform, confirming its commitment to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals laid out in the 2030 Agenda.

The ski resort has drafted a plan to ensure that mountain tourism and the local environment can coexist in harmony, introducing recycling alongside waste and emissions reduction measures, as well as protecting local flora and fauna.

How to get there

Baqueira has two airports around 2 hours away by car: Toulouse–Blagnac airport in France and Lleida-Alguaire airport in Spain.
In Spain, Baqueira Beret ski area can be accessed from either of the two valleys, via the Vielha tunnel or by the Port de la Bonaigua mountain pass. Baqueira is a four-hour drive from Barcelona airport, which makes for a great city-ski break. Transfers can be arranged from the resort’s booking centre.

The resort’s greatness

After 60 years in business, Baqueira Beret ski resort has earned its reputation for having the best snow in southern Europe, with Atlantic precipitation bringing in heaps of the white stuff. In addition to its 170km of downhill ski slopes, Baqueira Beret has plenty more on-snow activities, including 7km of Nordic ski trails, a snowpark, boardercross, funpark and the Audi Ski Kronos race course, along with a host of other facilities for maximum fun on the snow. Off the ski pistes, there’s the Audi Driving Experience for extreme speed driving on snow and ice. Snowmobile rentals or dog-sledding outings bring you into the nearby wilderness, while snowshoeing trips show off the landscape while taking down the tempo.

A freeride paradise

The resort’s Atlantic-orientation ensures large volumes of snow which, along with the high altitude, makes Baqueira Beret ideal for freeriding – potentially the best in the Pyrenees. The resort features three marked off-piste routes and countless more off-piste runs, especially in the Cara Nord area. In 2025, the resort will host the fourth edition of the Freeride World Tour Pro.

Discover more and visit Baqueira Beret at www.baqueira.es