Arinsal Ski Resort village

Arinsal / Village

Arinsal is located at the top of a valley tributary of the Valira del Norte and still has the feel of a typical Andorran village. (If you want to see what less sympathetic development can look like go to Pas de la Casa at the northeast of Grandvalira).

The little stone church, St Andreu d’Arsinal, still dominates the village and its bell rings out the quarter hours. One of the hotels, Micolau, is an original stone borda (Pyrenean inn) dating from the 13th century. There are a few shops: Ev’s Deli which is useful if you’re self-catering and some snack bars like The Bull but the tone of the place is low key.

This is a good resort for families. It’s away from the noise of somewhere like Pas de la Casa or Soldeu and there’s a sense of staying in a real community, not a purpose-built resort.