Arinsal, Andorra
General
Arinsal is a smallish ski resort close to Andorra's Spanish border. It is linked by cable car to the neighbouring resort of Pal, and the Val Nord lift pass includes the nearby (by car) resort of Arcalis. The town is one of the friendliest ski towns you could visit, and in my experience has none of the snobbishness often found in larger resorts.
Skiing
The ski area itself is admittedly small with little to tempt the expert, however the terrain is ideal for beginners and intermediates, and the link to Pal opens up a much greater variety of terrain. In addition there are a few off-piste runs of excellent quality, although these do need to be approached with a degree of caution since the avalanche risk can be high.
The nearby area of Arcalis offers the best skiing in the Val Nord area and is well worth a visit. It can be reached in half an hour by car, and costs €1.50 each way on the local bus.
Ski and Snowboard School
Okay, I have to say this, given that I teach here, but a big attraction of Arinsal for many is the fact that the ski school employs a large number of native English speaking instructors. It does make a difference to be taught in your own language, and this is not always the case in large ski schools across Europe.
Ski school bookings can be made (in English) on 00 376 737 029.
Eating and Drinking
The town offers a range of restaurants covering Italian, Tex-Mex, Oriental, Argentinian and Fondue - to name a few. Unfortunately local cuisine is a little lacking. For that your best bet is the daily lunch menu at the Refugi D'Arinsal on the mountain, or to take a trip out of town.
In town my personal recomendations are the Oriental Xpress, downstairs from the Red X Bar, and Ciscos Tex Mex restaurant, upstairs from Ciscos Bar.
Moving on to drinking, my local drinking spot is the Red X bar, about a minute from my front door. It is also a good starting point for a pub crawl. Moving up through town the main bars to stop off at (in the order you'll find them) are Bar Solana, The Derby Irish Pub, Ciscos (built into the hillside, not to be missed) and El Cau (good for parties). Crossing over the road you'll find Quo Vadis opposite El Cau. The Bull and the Surf, both in the Gondola Car Park area are the more Spanish haunts. At the end of the road, if you keep walking uphill, is the Rocky Mountain bar, which is handy if you stay at the Crest or Patagonia hotels and provides a free minibus if you don't.
Language
The official language of Andorra is Catalan, which is used for all official documents (and most menus). However Spanish is spoken widely with many resort staff coming from either Spain or Latin America. Virtually all native Andorrans speak three or four languages, and will converse happily in French, Spanish or Catalan. In Arinsal itself, English is also widely used due to its popularity as a destination for British and Irish holidaymakers. Watch out for the upcoming language page with basic words in Spanish and Catalan. In the meantime, check out the Spanish Word of the Day at the bottom of this page (provided by www.studyspanish.com).
See Also
Arinsal 2006 Gallery on this site.
www.vallnord.com - the official Vall Nord website.
www.arinsal.com