Enjoying a fun day in the snow!

ENJOYING A FUN DAY IN THE SNOW!

Gijon is a coastal city on the shore of the Cantabric Sea in the Gulf of Biscay in the northwest of Spain. One of the great advantages is the proximity to skiing resorts in over an hour drive. Where else do you have the opportunity to ski or snowboard in the morning and surf in the afternoon? There are 3 skiing resorts within the mountains of Asturias and Leon: Fuentes de Invierno, Valgrande Pajares, and San Isidro. Most certainly, they do not compare in size to those within the Austrian, French, Italian or Swiss Alps. Nevertheless, they are big enough for a fun day in the snow!

 

San Isidro

San Isidro is located in the Cantabrian Mountains north of the province of Leon in the border with the Principality of Asturias. First of all, the altitude ranges from 1500 to 2100 meters above sea level.  It counts with approximately up to 27.5 kilometers of slopes. They are distributed to accommodate all categories from beginners to medium and also expert levels in four sectors. More information is available on their web page such as resort map, snow report, catering, accommodation, price list for ski pass or rental equipment at the premises.

In addition, please note bus company Alsa provides transportation from Gijon to San Isidro. Please refer to their web page for further inquiry on availability as well as prices.

Enjoying a fun day in the snow!AEnjoying a fun day in the snow!
Enjoying a fun day in the snow!AEnjoying a fun day in the snow!

Snow Fun at Fuentes de Invierno

Fuentes de Invierno is located nearby in the heart of the Asturian Central Mountains with 8.7 kilometers of slopes with 3 green tracks, 3 blue, 6 red, and 3 black ones. There is catering as well, and the possibility to rent ski or snowboard equipment. Please visit their web page for more information on snow report, as well as prices and more.

Valgrande

Finally, Valgrande-Pajares opened in 1954. It offers 30.9 kilometers with 4 ski lifts and 4 chair lifts. There are 140 places of hostel accommodation at the foot of the slopes. As in the other resorts, there is catering available and the possibility to rent ski or snowboard equipment. Please visit their web page for more information on snow report, as well as prices and more.


 Please visit our calendar section for more suggestions on things to do in Gijon and nearby. Enjoy!


 

4 Comments

  1. The Gijon area looks like a fun area indeed. My favorite city I’ve ever lived in is Vancouver, Canada, and it’s mostly for the same reason you mention – that I could swim in the ocean in the morning and climb the neighboring mountains in the afternoon. Love that!

    I like that you have all the info I need on one page if I were considering skiing on any day. Makes it really easy. Great addition of the map there too. Thanks!

    • Hi,

      There is indeed something great about having the opportunity to enjoy the sea and the mountains from one place. There is indeed a great viewing point not far from Gijon named Mirador del Fitu where you can enjoy spectacular views of the mountain range Picos de Europa and great views on the Cantabric coastline. In fact, as you are into hiking, there is an spectacular hiking route from there to the peak “Picu Pienzu” with amazing views. On the other hand, from Gijon city center there is a 6 kilometers walk each way to the Providencia Park in the city outskirts which goes by the seacoast all the way. Besides that there is a diverse cultural scene here in Gijon with many music festivals such as Gijon Sound Festival, Metropoli, Tsunami, Euroyeye or even the Xixon International Film Festival with the best on independent movies played in original version. We are continuously updating the events in the section Calendar which you might certainly find useful for reference during your next visit. Get the best out of Gijon 🙂

      Thank you for your positive feedback and the time taken to visit the site. Gijon is waiting for you!

      Have a great weekend.

      JL

  2. What an absolutely wonderful looking place, we thought we knew the best place to go for snow in Spain but this appears to be just as beautiful as Mulhacen near Granada, Southern Spain which is our favourite spot, (at the moment)

    We will definitely be checking this out for one of our future snowy holidays as we’re always looking for new places to visit and do appreciate all the information you have about the area of Gijon, especially the maps you have included.

    I am making a note of this site for future reference, all the details about tourism and things to do will also be very useful. Thanks again!

    • Hi Ches, 

      I am happy you liked it, and great to hear you are considering it for future vacations. Those skiing resorts are only about an hour drive from Gijon, and even though smaller than Sierra Nevada in Granada, they are definitely well equipped for a fun skiing vacation. Nevertheless, a visit to the north of Spain would also give you a more complete experience with the diversity of the Spanish culture. For instance, the local folk music here is of Celtic origin with bagpipes such as in England, Scotland or other Commonwealth countries. The traditional regional drink is the natural cider and there are many local bars and restaurants where you can taste the local Asturian natural cider and the local gastronomy with lots of fresh fish, seafood, meat, cheeses, vegetables, fruits and other delicacies. Every second weekend each month, there is an Ecological and Artisan Market at the Main Square in Gijon with lots of ecological products and the best of craftsmanship from different gilds. As an interesting fact, we do also have in Gijon the biggest building and the tallest stone tower in Spain at Laboral City of Culture. The views from the viewpoint at the tower are spectacular as you can see both the sea and the mountain range Picos de Europa. This could be a great joined activity with the nearby Atlantic Botanical Garden with more than 25 hectares of Atlantic negation and some examples of the regional folk architecture. I could go on and on 🙂 This is just a brief preview on the wonderful things that are awaiting for your family, friends and you here in Gijon.

      Thanks for your visit and such a positive comment! Wishing you a great weekend.

      JL

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