Skiing in Spain

If you're not an avid skier, you might not know that Spain, too, has great skiing. In fact, most people associate Spain with its temperate climate and not snow. However, Spain does have excellent ski resorts and has more mountains than any European country except Switzerland.

In fact, it has about 1000 km of marked ski trails so that skiers of variety of expertise levels can find a particular venue for them. There are also over 30 ski resorts, and half of those have gotten awards because they cater to tourists and provide excellent quality and services.

The Pyrenees Mountains in the north border have several ski resorts. Sierra Nevada is in the southern part of Spain and is another popular ski locale. With the longest winter season in the country, Sierra Nevada has five months of snow to satisfy the most diehard skier.

If you're looking for a ski resort near city life, there are several that are close to Barcelona and Madrid. There are ski trails just outside of Madrid that take less than an hour by car to get to. You can also use a bus or other public transportation from the city. In fact, Xanadu shopping mall has an indoor slope in the southwestern part of Madrid that is perfect for beginners.

There are six main mountainous regions catering to skiing in Spain. These are the Penibetic Mountains, the Central Mountains, the Iberian Mountains, the Catalonian Pyrenees Mountains, Aragon, and the Cantabrian Mountains.

If you don't ski often but would like to try it in Spain, don't worry. You can rent any equipment you need from resorts. You can also learn how to ski there or practice skiing in Spain with plenty of instruction available.

If you're looking to plan your vacation, the first place you should look is online. Perhaps the best place to start is to go to a directory web site or a web site that lists ski resorts by region. There, you can find quick information about most ski resorts, including customer reviews, maps and snow reports.

In fact, you can even have a look around, literally. Some sites update web cams daily so that you can get a firsthand look at the snow conditions or other necessary information on various resorts. Make sure you look for accommodation deals or packages so that you can save money while you have fun on ski vacation in Spain. You can also look for tour operators in Spain that can arrange ski trips for you to various resorts in the area you'll be going to.