Skiing in SOUTHERN SPAIN!!! – Check out our visit to the Sierra Nevada ski resort from Benalmádena

Skiing in SOUTHERN SPAIN!!! – Check out our visit to the Sierra Nevada ski resort from Benalmádena

Whilst staying and walking in the Torremolinos area we had met a few people who told us that it was possible to drive for 2 hours from the Costa del Sol, to the ski resort of Sierra Nevada, ski for the day and return home. As it was our first time in this ski resort we decided to drive up the night before.

We hired a car locally, then went on a walk in Nerja before arriving at Sierra Nevada resort, in the late afternoon. We had booked the skis/boots/poles and hotel in advance. Arrival was so easy in the resort, the road ends at a huge underground car park which had plenty of spaces in. It was possible to park by the entrance of our hotel, and just catch the lift up to check-in. Hotel Ziryab, is a beautiful hotel, with views from the restaurant down to Granada. When we stayed (low-season), it was good value and included a buffet breakfast, and definitely in the correct location.

We checked out the resort, and went for tapas/dinner at the very friendly restaurant-Sabor Andaluz, which has free tapas with a drink, a bar area, football on TV and a restaurant.

The next day, we were up early, collecting our skis/boots/poles at 8.30am, which we had pre-booked from Mulhacen Ski Hire. The shop had very friendly service, a small amount of English is spoken, and we could leave our shoes there. We had booked 2 days of skiing, so at the end of the day one, we could store our skis and boots at the shop, and pick them up again the following morning.

We bought the ski pass from the nearby huge ticket office. It was a quiet day with no queue, but the queue area was well signed. Alternatively we could have booked the passes on-line.

We then caught the nearby gondola up the mountain. It leads to a huge bowl, with ski lifts, and a beginners slope with a travelator. The skiing was fabulous with big, wide, empty, green and blue runs. Most of the red runs were shut, and the resort has only a couple of small black runs.

It is possible to ski all the way from near the top of mainland Spain’s 2nd highest mountain of Veleta (3396m) down blue runs, all the way to the resort centre, before taking the gondola back up.

We went for lunch outside Pans and Company, very good value (for a ski resort) with a meal deal of drink, chips, and a large baguette €9.70. We ordered 2 but one meal between us would have sufficed.

Dinner on the 2nd night we returned to the same restaurant. Most of the restaurants around the main square were very quiet. The restaurant is tucked away down an alley lined with busy bars.

For lunch on day 2 we went to Borreguiles restaurant, situated at the top of the gondola, overlooking the ski bowl. Again very good value at €9.50 for a drink, chips and baguette. There are plenty of seats inside, and 2 outdoor terraces, one with views of the slopes, the other with views to Granada.

Summary

We went during mid-week in January after checking the resort web-cams and weather forecast in advance. The hotel prices are so much cheaper in January, I presume that it is off-season.

We would really recommend this resort. It really is just a 2 hour drive from Costa de Sol. Leaving at 6am, we could park, collect ski gear, ski pass, and be on the slopes by 9am. In January the resort was very quiet.

The resort stretches all the way up a steep hill. I was very pleased with the location of our Hotel. There is a chair lift from the centre taking people to the top of the resort, but this shuts at 5.30pm. In the evening, we had met some people who were catching a taxi back to their hotel, at a cost of €20, as the road goes a long way round. When leaving the resort we drove up the road, and could not believe how far away from the centre some accommodation is.

We will definitely be returning to the area for skiing, either for one day driving from Torremolinos and back, or staying one night.

Info

The ski lift passes cost €106.00 each for 2 days

Boot and ski hire was €66.60 each for 2 days

Car park €40 for 48 hours in Plaza Andalucía

Hotel Ziryab, €210 for 2 nights, for 2 persons with buffet breakfast. But it is considerably more in high season.

Car hire was €128 for 4 days for a Nissan Micro

Websites Used

https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Sierra-Nevada/6day/mid weather/snow forecast

https://sierranevada.es/es/invierno/la-estaci%C3%B3n/en-directo/webcams/ webcams

https://mulhacenski.com/en/ Ski Hire

https://restaurantguru.com/Pans-and-Company-Monachil-Andalusia lunch in resort

https://sierranevada.es/es/lugares/restaurante-campanario/ lunch on the mountain

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g608981-d7287547-Reviews-Sabor_Andaluz-Sierra_Nevada_National_Park_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html restaurant in the evening

https://www.ziryabhotel.com/en/?r=4784002&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKWvnJ_P9QIVq_HjBx1zmgboEAAYASAAEgLV4_D_BwE Ziryab Hotel

https://centrocomercio.sierranevada.es/forfait-dias-consecutivos To save time the ski passes could have been bought in advance.

https://autosremo.com/en/ Car Hire Torremolino