Pas de la Casa is really just a high-altitude duty-free shopping centre with ski lifts but it delivers what a lot of young skiers and boarders want: high snowsure slopes, a large ski area, convenient slope-side accommodation, lots of places to party and endless cheap alcohol.
The first thing most people mention about Pas de la Casa is its duty-free status. Quite simply, it's a great place to buy cheap alcohol - and tobacco, perfumes, electrical goods and anything else that normally has VAT or some other tax loaded onto its price. And inexpensive alcohol is a proven way to kick-start a party, and that's the other thing Pas de la Casa is famous for. And whilst the apres-ski scene is neither pretty nor classy, it can be fun if you enjoy free vodka shots. And if you're too old and sensible for this kind of holiday, try neighbouring Grau Roig or Soldeu instead which are much less boisterous.
Then there is the skiing - and slightly to some people's surprise, that's quite impressive too. Grandvalira is the name of the large lift-linked ski area that Pas de la Casa is just one part of, and it lives up to the Grand part of its name, stretching over to Grau Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter and finally onto the El Forn sector above the small resort of Canillo, with an optional extra leg via lift (but not piste) to Encamp. In total there are over 60 lifts, 120 runs and 200km of piste, more than enough to keep most skiers busy for at least a week, even if they don't over-indulge on Pas de la Casa's nightlife. Beginners and intermediates are spoilt for choice, and there are plenty of ski schools for those who want to learn or improve. Advanced skiers have a couple of challenges on-piste (the Avet piste down to Soldeu is seriously steep) and rather more off-piste, particularly around Grau Roig and Pic d'Encampadana above El Tartar. There is also the opportunity for a day trip to Andorra's other ski area, Vallnord, which has a small sector around Arcalis with good freeriding.
But for most skiers Grandvalira has all the skiing they need: as well as being a large ski area, it's also a high one, especially around Pas de la Casa, which is situated at 2100m above sea level, and that's high by both Alpine and Pyrenean standards. The Grandvalira slopes also mostly face North and there are plenty of snowguns, so the pistes are pretty much snowsure.
The accommodation in Pas de la Casa is mostly slope-side. There is not much charm to the large hotels and apartment complexes but they are very convenient. Be warned however that the road running through the centre of the resort is a busy one, but if you've come here hoping for a good night's sleep, you've probably come to the wrong place anyway.
Thee are plenty of equipment rental shops near the lifts and along the main drag, but they tend not to compete on price if you simply walk into them when you arrive. To get a bargain, you have to book online in advance. SKISET has a number of outlets in Pas de la Casa and will give discounts of up to 50% on ski hire if you book online in advance here.
ALPINRESORTS.com also works with a number of rental shops in Pas de la Casa and throughout Andorra and it also can secure significant discounts - check here for latest special offers and shop locations.
Already the chairlift TSD6 Estanay heads east out of Pas
de la Casa into France and the addition of Porte des Neiges across
the French border into this 193 km sequence of runs is anticipated
soon.
Skiing in Pas de la Casa begins at TSF4 Solana from the top of
which it is possible to get to all the other runs in the
Grandvalira. If you get to the end and don't want to ski back,
there's a free ski bus from any point on the Grandvalira all the
way back to Pas de la Casa - the bus displays the word
"Grandvalira" so you don't mistake it for the local village
transport.
All ski lifts have both a numeric code and a name noted in upper
case on the ski map while the ski pistes themselves just have names
some of which sound curious to Anglophones "clot", "muflo". "llop",
"cucut", "fagina" and "tubs") but you quickly get used to
them.
From Pas de la Casa you can ski over the Coll Blanc (2,528m) into
Grau Roig and back again. Grau Roig is not the most exciting place
in the world - it's basically one hotel and a car park - but you
can eat there and if you plan your route cleverly you can take in
the two freestyle areas known as "portella" at the top of the
button lift Coma Bianca III.
The four-person TSF4 Solana chairlift runs from the ski
school meeting place opposite the Olympia shopping centre in Pas de
la Casa, and from the top you can then ski down and ride the
six-person TSD6 Font Negre cable car to the top of Coll Blanc. From
Coll Blanc you can ski down to Coma Blanca III which has no number
code, which means that it's either a button lift or T-bar.
Cortals (2,502m) and Tossal de la Llosada (2,560m) are the two
peaks to aim for. From these you can get to most parts of
Grandvalira. Cortals is served by two lifts and Tossal de la
Llosada by three.
Ski passes in Pas de la Casa are as for the rest of Grandvalira,
ranging from 28.50 (one day) to 187.50 (6 days) in High season
(26.50 to 182.50 in low) Beginner rates for Pas de la Casa are 22
euros in all categories, regardless of season or age and restrict
you to just the immediate area.
The cartel which runs Grandvalira is putting a lot of money into
developing the lift system (spurred on by its rivalry with the
people running Vallnord in the southwest of the country) so things
are only likely to get better. There is a lot of money in Andorra
and ski tourism is a major priority for the locals.
Lifts open at 9am in the morning and officially close at 5pm
although some start closing from 4:15pm onwards so check last lift
time to avoid being caught out when skiing late in the
day.
There's good off-piste skiing from Pic D'Encampadana but
getting there is a challenge. From Tossal de la Lossada take the
blue run Llosada to where the pistebasher will tow you across the
saddle to the Pic D'Encampadana. Alternatively, take three lifts up
from Canillo.
The off-piste runs converge at Riba Escorxada from which there is
a snowshoe route down to El Forn where you can take the TSD4
Portella ski lift back up to Portella and ski down the blue run
"daina" to start again.
If you fancy clocking up as much as 193km in a single day there's
the new Grandvalira tour itinerary which gives you the option to
cover the whole resort from Pas de la Casa to El Forn and pretty
much traverse Andorra from its north east border to the very middle
of the principality, but the route needs improvement.
At the moment you can get on a cable car at Encamp at the southern
end of Grandvalira right up to Collada D'Enradort (2,447m) but
can't then ski back to Encamp - you have to ski down to El Tarter
and get the Grandvalira bus back. The whole sequence is oriented
towards Pas de la Casa and Soldeu.
The Grandvalira route is new central government initiative that gives skiers the option to pretty much traverse Andorra on a combination of red and blue runs from its north east border to the very middle of the principality. The route needs improvement. At the moment you can get on a cable car at Encamp at the southern end of Grandvalira but you can't ski back to it. The whole sequence is oriented towards Pas de la Casa and Soldeu with Pas being particularly good for intermediates.
There are three gentle "beginner zones" just outside Pas
de la Casa making it perhaps the most beginner-friendly of all the
villages. Taking the TSD 6 Estanay into France brings you to
Abellettes where there are two beginner zones. There's a small
beginners' area with a button lift just across the L'Ariege stream,
which officially divides Andorra and France.
Getting across the Coll Blanc and down into Grau Roig is possible
for adventurous beginners if you take the TSF4 Solana lift followed
by the TSF4 Costa Rodona and then take the "pastora" blue run down
to Grau. There's a great sense of achievement for beginners in
having made it into the next valley. Unfortunately there is no blue
run back, but the Granvalira bus will return you or free on
production of your ski pass.
At the top of the Coma Blanca II button lift there is a
freestyle area round the "portatella" blue run and further down
next to the blue "clot" run.
The "tubs" slope which runs back down into Pas de la Casa is also
designated a freestyle area though this can lead to some congestion
on one of the busiest slopes in Andorra. Across the border into
France take the TSD6 Estanay up to Abelletes and descend the
"amateur" blue run for the only freestyle zone in the French part
of Grandvalira.
Restaurants with charm
Average cost 36 euro, top menu (international choices) and with
good views
Self Service Restaurants
Average cost 10 euros- salads, pizzas, basic fish and meat
dishes
Fun Food
Average cost 6-10 euros - burgers, salads, sandwiches
Espress'Oh! Cafeterias
No price indication. Coffee outlet offering breakfast in the
mornings
Xirixucas
No price indication - usually a small stone or wooden hut which you
can ski up to and refuel without even taking your skis off.
Costa Rodona (376 800 870) definitely comes into
the Charm category and can be found at the base of the TSF4 Costa
Rodona chairlift (the second leg of the ascent from Pas de la
Casa). Built in the style of a mountain refuge it has fireplaces to
warm up by and offers chargrilled meat dishes, escudells (ham,
chicken and pork hot pot) and rice dishes.
There is also a Self Service outlet on the ground floor (average
meal price of 27 euros) an Espress'oh! and a Xirixuca in this
popular complex owned by th eGrandvalira organisation.
There are also Xirixucas at Coll Blanc, Park Pas (at the start of
the Snowpark) and Font Negre.
Built on lower slopes of the Costa Rodona the centre is
dominated by a car park and the four-storey Olympic shopping
centre. The rest is hotels, shops, eateries and cars.
About the only thing Pas de la Casa has done to improve the look
of the place is to ban coaches from its relatively narrow streets,
but this is a mixed blessing as it means that new arrivals now have
to walk up to their hotels from the coach park while their luggage
is transferred.
If you want a taste of real Andorra go to the capital or a resort
like Arinsal which was a thriving farmers' village before skiing
became its major money spinner. Meanwhile enjoy Pas de la Casa for
what it is - a place to drink, dance, eat and shell out a small
fortune on the latest gadgets that haven't reached Dixon's yet at a
fraction of the price you'll pay in the UK. Across the border the
French have excellent ski slopes, but come to Pas de la Casa just
for the shopping.
With only a 4% tax on spirits, ordering a beer or glass of
wine with your meal will cost considerably less than it does in the
UK.
Pas de la Casa is full of places to eat. At the bottom of the
"tubs" run are a few privately owned eateries - Olympiades Inn, Pas
83 and L'Husky bar creperia which serves a mean couscous on
Wednesday evenings.
Once off the slopes there is no shortage of eateries. Asterix Bar
Restaurant, Llac Negre, Restaurant Envalira and McDonalds are all
good for snack food. A bit more upmarket is KSB (376 856 453) which
does chargrilled meat dishes, then at midnight if not sooner is
usually taken over by people bevvying up for a night on the
town.
Although looking like a typical Andorran mountain lodge, El Raco
d'en Sorolla (376 855 199) is the best restaurant in Pas de la Casa
for middle Eastern and Morroccan food and on alternative Fridays
provides live music.
Cusine du Perigord (376 856 887) is probably the best tapas bar
with excellent French and Spanish dishes to tempt you: oysters,
charcuterie, carpacccio and black leg country ham, and good value
set meals.
It seems Pas de la Casa has an infinite number of bars so you'll
definitely not go short of a drink.
For those who would rather work out than get plastered the Sports
& Socio-Cultural Complex of Pas de la Casa (376 856 830) is
open till 9pm every night.
Tourist Office
Tel: 376 855 292
Web: www.encamp.ad
