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The arrival of the first snow in Spain’s main mountain ranges is already putting winter sports on the minds of skiers and snowboarders. Those early flakes have raised hopes that the new season will get underway fairly soon, although the next couple of weeks will be crucial. Resorts across the country are keeping an eye on snowfall because it will ultimately determine when they can switch on the lifts and open the slopes.

 

Most years, November marks the start of ski season in Spain and several resorts are pencilling in dates that fall within the usual window. These dates are still considered provisional for now, but they paint a fairly clear picture of when the different regions expect to welcome visitors.

 

 

In the Aragonese Pyrenees, the idea is to open in the final week of November or the first week of December. The Aramón Group hopes to begin the 2025-2026 season on Saturday November 29, providing the weather holds.

 

Formigal and Panticosa are aiming for the same date and Cerler is planning to join them.

Astún and Candanchú have not yet confirmed when they will begin operating.

 

 

Further east, the Catalan Pyrenees are usually the first area to open for the winter. Resorts such as Espot Esquí, Port Ainé, Baqueira Beret and Boí Taüll are preparing to welcome skiers on November 28 and 29.

 

The Tavascan resort has not announced its official date at the time of writing.

 

 

Sierra Nevada in Granada is also preparing for the season. Europe’s southernmost ski resort hopes to open on November 29 and has introduced a number of improvements, including two new magic carpets, several snow cannons and three snowploughs.

 

 

The resorts in the Cantabrian Mountains are expecting a similar timetable. Fuentes de Invierno, Valgrande Pajares, San Isidro, Leitariegos and Alto Campoo are all looking at the last weekend of November or the first days of December, depending on conditions.

 

 

In the Central System, which includes the resorts in the Community of Madrid and Segovia, no dates have been confirmed yet. Valdesquí, Puerto de Navacerrada and La Pinilla are still waiting on weather conditions and management decisions before making an announcement.

 

Down in the province of Teruel, which lies within Aragon, the Javalambre resort has set its opening for December 20. Valdelinares plans to get started a little earlier on December 6.

 

 

Across the border in Andorra, the upcoming ski season marks the start of one of the busiest periods of the year. Grandvalira, which is the largest resort in the Pyrenees with more than 200 kilometres of skiable terrain, plans to open on December 5. The date lines up nicely with the long weekend that follows the December bank holiday.

 

Ordino Arcalís and Pal Arinsal are planning to open on the same day.

 

Image: Pixabay