Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada: reviews

• skiclub.co.uk visitor (15 March 2010)

  just got back from 3 full days skiing in Sierra Nevada. never been anywhere with so much snow and sun!! Burnt noses and sore knees from the powder. Stayed at Melia Sierra Nevada hotel in resort centre - great hotel and breakfast. Food on piste average but much cheaper than alps. Restaurants in resort cheap and good quality, ski hire and passes expensive but worth every penny for the fantastic views at the top. Would definitely advise staying as close to centre of resort and ski mid week mon - fri as it was manic when we left on saturday. For fantastic different experience with no queues and empty powder filled pistes go to Sierra (Pradollano), and yes it was 20 degrees on the beach 2 hours from the resort!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (15 March 2010)

  We stayed in Granada and drove up to the SIerra Nevada each morning which was a 40 minute drive with spectacular views of the mountains most of the way. We had blue skies every day even if down below it was cloudy. The resort is a gem with excellent runs for both the beginner (two nice long green runs above Borreguiles) and excellent blues and reds all served by efficient chair lifts. Not a huge amount for the advanced skier. My main gripe was the extensive lift and piste closures. For example all of the reds down from Veleta were closed. Much of this I suspect was due to too much snow and avalanche risk. That said there was plenty of really good skiing and I especially enjoyed all the cruisy reds above the Stadium chair lift. We will definitely be going back!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (30 March 2009)

  Just returned from 3 days skiing in Sierra Nevada. The conditions were excellent considering the increasing temperatures and sun. To avoid the spring conditions, we spent most of our time in the BORREGUILES and above areas. We also used the British Ski Centre for some private lesson and a guide to the mountain. The instructor (William) was very flexible as the conditions early morning were very icy. He split the 1st lesson slipping the 2nd hour to the afternoon when the conditions were softer. I would back up other comments about selection of accommodation at the bottom of the mountain. We stayed in the GHM Monachil about half way up. Apart from being extremely quiet (seemed a bit like twin peaks), it meant we needed to drive down to the main car park or up to the free car park. Access to the piste from the hotel was difficult, especially in the mornings when it was frozen. Overall I would recommend the resort for a short stay. The services are all very laid back and friendly. Also, what resort in Europe can you leave at 15:00 and be on the beach by 16:45! Yes, we followed 3 days in Sierra Nevada with 2 days in Nerja. If you don't like flying with Ryanair or EasyJet and are looking to hire a car anyway, you can probably get just as cheap a flight with BA to Malaga, and ski/boot carriage is free. The drive from Malaga to Sierra Nevada is approximately 1hr 50mins!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (22 February 2009)

  Just back from a day skiing in Sierra Nevada. We drove from Nerja in under two hours and spent the day skiing .The snow was great and the sun made conditions very pleasant. with beautiful views. We skied most of the resort in the one day but the next time we will probably stay for two days. Mostly blue runs but a few nice reds too. The resort is a little gem but we found the ski equipment very poor. We got them in a shop called Patagonia just outside the car park lift. My skis kept falling off and when we went back to the village to get them repaired the ski shop was closed for lunch! To make matters worse my husband took his boots off to stretch his toes because they were a bit too tight and then found it almost impossible to get them back on. We couldn't afford to wait another hour for the shop to re open so we had to put up with stopping and starting every time my skis fell off. If you're going to ski make sure you go to a reputable ski hire shop [don't know which one is good] we wasted a lot of our day because of this poor equipment. Otherwise things went well but I'd say that there would be long queues to get lift passes at the weekend. We went on a Thursday so it wasn't too bad but slow enough. Bring a driving licence or passport for hiring skis and for paying for lift passes with a credit card. We will go back again.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• skiclub.co.uk visitor (07 February 2007)

  Ryanair now flies to Granada airport from Liverpool and Stanstead. It is 20 minutes to the city and less than an hour from the airport to the slopes.

  You can get the 16.30 from Liverpool, have a night out in Granada (it lasts long enough to save a hotel bill) ski all the next day and catch the 9.30 flight home and be back in work the next morning!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Mark Glithero (10 March 2006)

  I visited the resort at the end of Feb 2006 & the snow conditions were excellent. The weather changes very quickly due to the close proximity of the sea but when the sun is out it's fantastic. The runs in the central bowl are blues & greens but the reds from the top are challenging enough as are those on the left hand side of the piste map back to the resort. The resort has been built up the side of the mountain so it is best to arrange accomodation at the bottom around the square, otherwise its a long walk home uphill with your ski's. A great resort for a long weekend or a couple of days but not enough to keep me occupied either on or off the slopes for longer.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Andrew Wright (17 February 2006)

  Well I'm off sking in the nevada's on Sun. 19th February for a week and can't wait. I have skied there before many times as I live on the Costa del Sol. It is a fantastic place to go and see, with beautiful people and some pretty good snow to. I will be sure to report back after my holidays. Adios

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Rebecca d'Ancona (16 February 2006)

  Fantastic. Beautiful weather, amazing views and hooray mainly Spanish. The place buzzes with their love and zest for life. Skiing was wonderful. What a place!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Dennis Hinde (28 December 2005)

  I have skied at Sierra Nevada and if the weather is ok some very pleasant ski-ing can be had. The reason I feel that the holiday companies don't support the resort is, one the costs there can be considerable compared with other European resorts, the area is very controlled by the often bad weather, and it is clearly geared up for the Spanish speaking population.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Julie McMaster (26 January 2005)

  Great day out from Granada, but make sure you take your passport along. As we didn't, we had to pay a deposit of 700 euros for equipment hire, and they also require it if you want to pay for your lift pass by credit card!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Amanda Kenny (11 January 2005)

  Since moving to Seville two years ago I have been able to go skiing on a regular basis in the Sierra Nevada. It is just under a three hour drive from here, a far cry from the days that I had to organise flights and skiing holidays when living in UK. I appreciate that I am lucky in that I can just decide to 'up and go' but I am a little surprised that Spain's Sierra Nevada doesn't feature more or is not served by more ski holiday companies. Last month I was skiing on the first weekend of December and if last year is anything to go by I will still be able to ski until April. A five month season is not bad by any standards. The views from the top towards the mountains of North Africa are awesome, as are those looking back down towards Granada. Costs are very reasonable and if one avoids the Spanish fiesta dates then there are usually no problems with lift queues. Added to this there is the facility to enjoy the delights of Granada or other areas close by. Unfortunately Granada is not yet served by international airlines but I understand that this is to change in 2005.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Geoff Williams (25 October 2004)

  I went to the Nevada on Jan 14th with an open mind, no idea what to expect. The first thing that i couldnt get my head around was that it only took us 1hr 50m from Malaga airport. The hotels are reasonable £90 for three nites h/b 3 star. The skiing is great for beginners and inters but if you like to be challanged there is about 3 days worth thats your lot. Great lift System & beginner area however some runs back into the resort depend on the weather. Theres a long tough drag to the main peak but the views across the med are amazing. The apres ski was dissapointing it had all but finished by 9pm but the drinks very cheap. All in all a great place for a 4 day break that wont hit your pocket. Booked again for Jan 05.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Harrison Maxwell (10 March 2003)

  Unfortunately both weeks that my sister and I visited the resort were a disaster skiing-wise as the lifts were shut for the whole duration due to high winds. Another moan is the 1 1/2 hour long queues to get lift passes. However, due to the lifts shutting the ski shop refunded our rental charge, the lift pass has been credited, and the hotel waived the two days we cut short our stay due to the conditions - unheard if in France. I'll definately give it another go in April!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• James Brice (06 February 2003)

  Just about to book my next trip to the Nevada's. The resort is great for a quick skiing fix, as said before 3-4 days max, which some people may think is not enough but thats perfect for me as I then drive 1hr 45min to the coast and have a few days in the sun. The whole trip will cost me less than half what it would cost to go to the Alps and I enjoy it more any way. If you have not been give it a go. Tip though - go mid week as it's very quite whilst weekends can get busy.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• James Brice (06 February 2003)

  Just about to book my next trip to the Nevada's. The resort is great for a quick skiing fix, as said before 3-4 days max, which some people may think is not enough but thats perfect for me as I then drive 1hr 45min to the coast and have a few days in the sun. The whole trip will cost me less than half what it would cost to go to the Alps and I enjoy it more any way. If you have not been give it a go. Tip though - go mid week as it's very quite whilst weekends can get busy.

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Alex Templeton (31 January 2003)

  Not the most extensive resort in the world, snow can be patchy (tho there is full cannon-coverage)and the lifts often shut when it gets windy. Having said that, it's great for a 2-3 day snow-fix if you happen to be in Spain and it has an incredible nightlife...the clubs shut just as the first lifts open!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Peter Batty (13 November 2002)

  I'm a regular visitor to Pradollano, being an ex-pat resident of Gibraltar, so I've developed a good feel for the place. Despite being purpose built, it does have that Spanish feel to it, which visitors may find charming. Advanced skiiers will find the resort frustrating, however all levels up to the better intermediates will be spoilt for choice. It's an ideal place for beginners, especially as during the week the resort is very quiet indeed, so the opportunity to build up confidence is good. The schools are excellent, though a little pricey, with good English spoken. My only quibbles are a) the lack of snow early in the season and b) the prices around the resort. But it's very much worth a visit. Highly recommended!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Nigel Pike (11 March 2002)

  It is easy to stay in Granada which offers more night life and things to do - just a 30-minute drive up the mountain each morning. Car can be hired from Malaga airport (EasyCar about £70 for a week). I have been here twice and the resort is much as already described, but it does avoid much of the pretentiousness that can be suffered in the Alps and the people are, in general, friendlier and less pushy (and less queue jumping in lift queues etc!). The Hotel Telecabina is relatively cheap and good rooms, and very convenient as the main lift comes out of the hotel!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Chris Nixon (06 March 2002)

  I loved it, it was my first time sking, and i want to go back!

  This is the opinion of a skiclub.co.uk visitor, not the Ski Club of Great Britain.

• Temperature Map
• Holidays To Resort