'''Arinsal''' is a village in Andorra, a small mountainous country in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe. It is located at the head of a valley. The old village part is clearly evident but due to the fact it is also a ski resort it has grown a lot and has quite a number of hotels catering to this trade. As a result though outside the ski season the place is pretty much closed up including some of the bars and restaurants.

This resort is very popular with English speaking skiers.

Get in

The main road up from La Massana which itself is up from Andorra La Vella.

Get around

There is a bus service between Arinsal and Andorra La Vella, passing through La Massana. It is not very regular so it is worth checking the timetable before planning any trips. The cost is reasonable.

The road continues up out of the village and stops about another 1 or 2 up at another hotel. Then there is a semi-private road that winds up the mountain for about 3 or 4 miles to the top station of the cable car lift.

See

There is great mountain scenery all around and it is a really good location for starting out on any hiking or climbing trip.

The highest mountain '''Pic de Coma Pedrosa''' in Andorra at 2942 metres (9,665 ft) is located in this area.

Do

During the ski season which is approximately December to March or so, you can go skiing. There is a cable car up to the Arinsal ski area which is located quite centrally in the village.

'''Arinsal and Pal'''

Arinsal and nearby Pal offer good skiing for both the novice and the intermediate skier, and first time skiers often head for '''Arinsal and Pal''' for their first holiday or two before heading for Soldeu and Pas de la Casa.

'''Arinsal''' is a little different from '''Soldeu''' and '''Pas de la Casa''' too in that it has quite a few full time residents and the villages are 'year round' while the others are fairly seasonal. For this reason Arinsal and Pal can be the perfect answer to those who are embarking on their first ski holiday as there is more than just skiing, Ordino and her first class sports centre is easily accessed for example, and if you decide skiing isn_ft for you, you do have other choices too.

Also the capital '''Andorra La Vella''' is reachable by public transport, and the duty free shopping and department stores.

'''Arinsal''' is good too for snowboard activities with a freestyle area.

Outside of the ski season you can hike around the mountains.

Buy

There are ski and snowboard shops in Arinsal as well as a couple of supermarkets, but for the best shopping head for Andorra la Vella.

Eat

There is a very good range of restaurants in Arinsal. If you want to try the local Catalan cuisine, there are several options including El Bosc, 360, and The Rocky. For international tastes, there is Surf (Argentinian Steak), Cisco's (Mexican), Quo Vadis (Pub Grub & Italian) and El Moli (Italian) to name just a few.

  • [http://www.arinsal.co.uk/winter/en/restaurants.html Arinsal Restaurant Guide]
  • [http://www.skiriderexp.com/html/restaurant.html Restaurant Guide to Arinsal]
  • Drink

    Arinsal has many bars to choose from, and most are family friendly. Starting from the top, you have...

  • The Rocky.
  • Bogarts.
  • Quo Vadis.
  • El Cau.
  • El Moli.
  • Surf.
  • Black Bull.
  • The Derby.
  • Bar Solana.

    [http://www.arinsal.co.uk/winter/en/bars.html Guide to Arinsal's Bars, Pubs & Clubs]

  • [http://www.skiriderexp.com/html/bar.html Guide to all Bars in Arinsal Andorra.]
  • Sleep

  • '''Hotel Arinsal''', (+376) 835 640.
  • '''Princesa Park''', (+376) 736 500.
  • '''Aparthotel Crest''', (+376) 835 866.
  • '''Hotel Palarine''', (+376) 835410.
  • [http://www.skiriderexp.com/html/arinsal_hotel_index.html Hotel guide to Arinsal.]