Located just about in the centre of the Pyrenees Mountains, eight kilometres from the French border, Formigal shares the same valley with Panticosa ski resort. Away from the skiing and snowboarding, the surrounding region of El Serrablo has pre-Romanesque sites, Mozarab and Catalan-Lombard churches.
Formigal is a lively purpose-built resort suitable for beginners, intermediate skiers and families. You don't come here to mix with high society, but it's a friendly and relaxed resort with good facilities provided at considerably lower prices than in the better known winter playgrounds of the Alps. However, the ski resort mainly caters for beginners and intermediate skiers, with experts preferring to head for the more challenging runs in Candanchu.
Good quality, cheap food and drink are available at several bars and restaurants on and off the pistes. The fixed price ‘menu del dia’ is exceptionally good value compared with the kind of prices you have to pay in the more exclusive Swiss and French resorts. There's a good range of accommodation, including self-catering apartments in and around the resort and four-star hotels in the village itself. The four-star hotels include the 125-room Hotel Formigal, which has excellent facilities and wonderful mountain views from many of the bedroom balconies. There's a big sun terrace overlooking the Pyrenees, an indoor heated swimming pool, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and massage service.
The slopes rise to 2,250m and the season lasts from December to early May. There are 57kms of marked runs, consisting of four greens, 13 blues and 24 reds. More than 21,000 skiers per hour can be transported via the resort's 22 lifts (one gondola, five chairlifts and 16 draglifts). Expert skiers have the option of going off-piste or heading for the more challenging resort of Candanchu, which has steep, tough blacks to rival the hardest Alpine slopes.
Visitors to Formigal should check out the nearby town of Jaca, which is steeped in history and has many sights to savour. There is an interesting museum and cathedral to visit as well as the impressive 16th century Ciutadella fortress, built on the outskirts of the town by order of King Felipe II when he feared invasion by the French.
The season lasts from December to early May, with the first three weeks in December being the cheapest. Pamplona and Zaragoza are the nearest major cities. Pamplona is served by direct flights from Barcelona and Madrid. Formigal can be reached by bus and car from either city.
