Ski season in the Pirineu de Girona
The ski resorts of the Pirineu de Girona will fill up with skiers over the Christmas holiday period and in the first week of January with an estimated hotel occupancy rate of 95%.
MARCH 2014
Girona's four Alpine ski resorts and one Nordic ski resort (Guils Fontanera) provide an array of winter sports options in the Pirineu de Girona. La Molina, Masella, Vall de Núria and Vallter 2000 have become classic ski resorts in Catalonia at a time of real progress thanks to improvements in services, facilities and areas such as Alp 2500, which as a result of the connection between La Molina and Masella offers the largest skiing area in the Pyrenees, with a surface area of over 115 kilometres.
For the 2010-2011 season the La Molina ski resort has adapted its Alabaus zone to host the trials of the FIS Snowboard World Cup, held from 14th to 22nd January. The ski-lifts to the skiing area have been equipped with a hands-free chip ski pass system. Furthermore, the gondola lift network has been extended in several areas and additional snow cannons have been installed. In Masella, the Snowpark zone has been remodelled, while the signage has been extended and improved on the slopes. Moreover, à la carte and family ski passes and season tickets have been created. In the Vall de Núria Mountain Resort, slope access and safety have been improved (signage, mats, nets, markers and walkways) and the accommodation capacity has been increased thanks to the refurbishment of the old Sant Josep building. In Vallter 2000, the ski lifts and gondola lifts have been refurbished, while safety and access have been improved for the Bac, Jordi Pujol Planella and Clot slopes. In Guils Fontanera the cross-country skiing slopes have been laid out and an additional 100 metres of snow fences have been installed.
This season, Girona's ski resorts are offering skiers a series of improvements and new features that provide extra quality.
Pirineu de Girona hotel occupancy estimates
According to data provided by the Catalan Association of Ski Resorts and Mountain Activities (ACEM), the county councils of La Cerdanya and El Ripollès, Turisme Garrotxa and Girona's various tourism accommodation associations, federations and guilds, occupancy estimates for mountain tourism establishments during the Christmas and New Year period are optimistic.
The Association of Hotels and Campsites of La Cerdanya estimates an occupancy rate of 80% between 27th and 30th December, although this figure may rise due to last-minute bookings. The accommodation establishments in this county will have an occupancy rate of 100% on 31st December and around 80% on 1st January. From 2nd January bookings are at around 40%, although additional bookings at the end of the year and snowfall rates may improve this figure.
One week before the Christmas holiday campaign, the Hotel & Restaurant Federation of the counties of Girona reported that the average hotel occupancy rate for the area of La Garrotxa was about 30%, taking into account that some accommodation establishments would reach 80% on New Year's Eve. The county of El Ripollès estimates an occupancy rate of 40%.
