Candanchu resort is on the Spanish-French border in the centre of the Pyrenees, nearly 400kms northwest of Barcelona, which is the nearest major international airport. It's a popular winter weekend getaway for Spaniards and also attracts a small band of European and even American faithfuls, who are drawn by the combination of good skiing and the absence of international tourism.
The village of Candanchu is at an altitude of 1,560m and the highest peak in the resort rises to 2,400m. There are nine green runs, eight blues, 14 reds and 17 blacks. The runs are served by six chairlifts and 19 draglifts. The resort has a snow park, ski jump, half-pipe for snowboarders and a good range of cross-country trails for skiers of all abilities.
The lift capacity is 21,000 skiers per hour. There is a 35-kilometre cross-country track to France. The newer Astun ski area is almost adjacent (with the same ski pass being accepted) and offers another 43kms of prepared slopes, consisting of three greens, 12 blues, 18 reds and 10 blacks. With more than 30 per cent of the slopes in Candanchu designed for expert skiers, this is a paradise for those looking for some hard skiing. The runs are relatively short, but it is hard to find tougher off-piste skiing, even in the best known Alpine resorts.
Facilities within the resort include restaurants, cafés, bars, a disco, the usual equipment hire shops and a ski school with 95 instructors. There are sauna and massage facilities to ease your aching muscles after a hard day's skiing and, if you're travelling with kids, you can leave them in the care of the Candanchulandia nursery, which accepts children between the ages of six months and six years old. Lovers of après-ski late night entertainment can head to nearby Jaca, which has a number of bars and restaurants catering to visitors from Candanchu.
Candanchu, as befitting its status as a small cosy resort, has only 1,800 beds for overnight guests. There are three hotels in the resort, an ‘apart-hotel’, and four youth hostels. However, there's plenty of self-catering accommodation to be found in and around the resort and a good choice of hotels and hostels in the historic town of Jaca, 15 minutes’ drive south of Candanchu.
The low season is the first three weeks of December; January to the first week in February, and mid-March to Mid-April, offer medium rates. Pamplona is the regional hub and can be reached by daily flights from Madrid and Barcelona. From Pamplona, take the road towards Jaca.
