For Carnival this year (2026), we decided to enjoy the Brazilian festivities in Cascais and booked a trip to Andorra just for Wednesday (18) until Sunday (22). I'd wanted to visit this small country for a long time and thought that number of days was ideal for winter, but I was wrong. It was 5 days in total, but because of travel from Lisbon, we only had 3 full days in Andorra, which was very little in my opinion. If I could go back in time, I would try to stay at least 5 full days to explore the country properly. Just a suggestion!

A Summary of Andorra (Chatgpt)

Andorra is a small country located in the Pyrenees, between Spain and France, known for its mountainous landscapes and high quality of life. Although it is not part of the European Union, it uses the Euro as its official currency, which makes life easier for visitors. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is also an important commercial center, attracting tourists due to its low taxes and wide range of shops.

The country is especially famous for its winter tourism, boasting three major ski resorts: Grandvalira, Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalís. These resorts offer options for all levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Here's a summary:

• Grandvalira, the largest and most complete, ideal for all levels –https://www.grandvalira.com/en
• Pal Arinsal, smaller and perfect for beginners and families – https://www.palarinsal.com/en
• Ordino Arcalís, known for its excellent snow quality and freeride conditions – https://www.ordinoarcalis.com/en

Our Hosting

We booked a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment through Booking.com in a place relatively close to the capital, Andorra La Vella, but in a mountain house style, you know? The place was... Xixerella Park Resort Apartments (Rating 8.5) and we paid 950 euros for 4 nights without any meals included. It was one of the most affordable options we found and we loved everything, especially the view from the apartment of the stream and the snow-covered mountains. When we opened the balcony and window doors, we could hear the river. Pure delight! Some photos:

Our Itinerary

Day 1 – Wednesday (February 18)

We took a flight from Lisbon to Barcelona on Wednesday at noon and arrived there around 3 pm. We picked up our rental car from Booking.com at the airport parking lot and hit the road to Andorra. Along the way, we stopped at the Norauto store to buy a... sock for the tires In case there was snow on the roads. We read in some places on the internet that if the police in Andorra stopped us and we didn't have snow chains or socks, we could have to pay a fine of up to 180 euros. We thought it best to pay 60 and we were at ease! Almost 3 hours and 30 minutes later, after a beautiful drive, we were arriving at our hotel with the children super rested, since they slept practically the whole way.

We left our things at the apartment, stretched a bit, stopped at a small market in a town near the hotel, and went to meet my family and some friends at a restaurant for dinner. We went to an Italian restaurant. Ditaly, We went to a restaurant in Andorra La Vella that had a welcoming atmosphere, but it lost points because they refused to give us larger tables, claiming that other people might arrive. Those people didn't arrive, and we spent two hours crammed into medium-sized tables with five children and ten adults. Anyway… at least the food was good, and being with everyone was great! 🙂

We returned to the hotel, put our groceries away in the mini-fridge and cupboards, got ready for bed, and were overjoyed to see it snowing on our balcony! It's always magical to see the snow falling. 🙂

Day 2 – Thursday (February 19th)

We woke up without rushing, had a hearty breakfast, and put on several layers of clothing to go down and play in the snow. What a blast! After a while, we were exhausted and ready to drive and explore other places.

We had decided that on our first day in Andorra we would do activities that didn't involve skiing, precisely so we could get a feel for the place and understand the logistics. The children weren't very enthusiastic about ski lessons, especially the oldest, so since we knew it was all expensive and we were afraid of being disappointed, we opted for other activities. We found some interesting options on the official website of [the website/organization]. Grandvalira Resort, ...such as snowmobiling, mushing (sledding pulled by huskies), the Mon(t) Magic park, the Snake Gliss, and the Caldea Spa. When we talked to our families and friends, we understood that they would be skiing the whole time, so we ended up choosing to visit Mon(t) Magic that day.

This place is a park with activities for all ages at the top of the mountain, including zip lines, tobogganing, slides, etc., and we found it a great option for our group of members aged 4 to 72. We parked the car under the Canillo cable car without any stress, bought tickets for the pedestrian cable car (much cheaper than the ski pass, only 19 euros, and Ju didn't pay because of her age), and also bought tickets for the Magic Gliss ride, which is an alpine toboggan that descends 555 meters and whose car can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. Unfortunately, the zip line was closed due to bad weather with strong winds, so we ended up going up to the park and only managed to go on that attraction.

The cable car ride was already quite interesting for everyone, but the Magic Gliss truly exceeded all our expectations. What a fun, fast, and well-designed ride! The surrounding view is breathtaking, and the adrenaline rush is real! Luckily, I bought some passes for us, so we could go on it again. We left there super happy! In terms of value, a single pass cost 9.50 euros per person, and a pass for 3 rides cost 17.50 euros. We got the 3-pass pass and found it sufficient.

We left there and went to eat at the only restaurant up there, the El Forn, It was in a super cozy wooden house. It was quite crowded and we found the food a bit expensive, but it was enough to warm us up. Since it was around 1 pm, we opted for a self-service option, but I don't know if it's always like that or if you can also order at the counter. It was packed and I didn't even try to find out more details.

Afterwards, we strolled around without much hurry, made our first snowman of the trip, and took some photos until it was time to go down on the cable car. Unfortunately, it was very windy, which didn't help much, but seeing several children skiing finally made my kids excited for the lessons I had booked for the next day. It was worth the trip just for that!

We returned to the hotel and went to the jacuzzi for a few minutes while the children slept in the car with my mother-in-law. The hotel isn't the most modern, so the facilities aren't anything to write home about, but the hot water jets worked and the mountain view was beautiful, so I was quite satisfied.

We went back to the room and got ready for dinner with the family. This time we went to... Alpi Refuge We indulged in our delicious raclette and fondue dishes. I really enjoyed this restaurant, but I thought it was a shame they didn't accept reservations. We arrived 10 minutes before opening and there was already a line! It's located right in the square with the melting clock, and the wait there is interesting and makes for beautiful photos. We left there very satisfied and went to our hotel with snow falling on the road.

Day 3 – Friday (February 20th)

A day full of booked tours!

We closed the deal through the app. Grandvalira Resorts (I recommend downloading!) the snowmobile tour for 10 am in Roig Degree And in the afternoon, ski lessons for the four of us. Pal with instructors who spoke Portuguese (yes, you can choose the language!).

We woke up very early, had a quick breakfast, and left later than I would have liked because our car was almost stuck in the snow in the hotel parking lot. After an hour and a half on the road, we arrived just in time for the tour, left Juju with my father at the company's reception, and went to put on our helmets, sit on our snowmobiles, and listen to the guide's instructions. The tour lasts 30 minutes, and when there are two people on the snowmobile, they say to switch halfway through so everyone can drive.

We started the ride and the scenery in this region is even more impressive than the places we saw the day before. Snow-covered fields with scattered trees and a sense of peace… I loved it! I started driving and was impressed by how well the motorcycle responded to acceleration. I really enjoyed the cold wind on my face, but I confess my hands got a little tired from pressing the throttle for so long. 15 minutes was enough to thoroughly enjoy our zigzags through the fields. My mother-in-law then took the lead and started driving, and that's when I took some photos and videos and was able to see the landscape more calmly. It's absolutely beautiful!

However, though, nevertheless… not all good things last forever, right? When we were going up a hill, we hit a tree hard, and it was a huge shock for both of us. Luckily, we were leaning to the right because it was an uphill curve, so when we hit, we were thrown to the side and not into the tree. We lay there in the snow for a while – thankfully there was A LOT of snow, it seems like the most in the last 25 years – and we gradually tried to move and get out of there. The instructor took a while to reach us and even pulled us out without a stretcher, which I thought was wrong, but in a short time we were returning to the reception area as passengers on two other motorcycles. Our motorcycle was left there, crashed into the tree, and I think the damage was quite extensive.

We then went to the health center because my mother-in-law had injured her head and had blood near her eyebrow, and was also feeling strange sensations in her arms. Fortunately, I was only slightly sore from the impact, but without major injuries, so I was able to walk around and be present during her treatment. After almost 2 hours, 2 stitches on her face, an OK X-ray, and some prescribed medication, we got in the car and drove back to our hotel area. I called the ski lesson company and explained that I couldn't take the lesson because of the accident and that my husband would be staying with his mother at the hotel, and they promptly rescheduled our lesson for the next day at no extra cost. Celo dropped me off in Pal to supervise the children's lesson and then came back to pick us up when the lesson was over.

From what I've researched... Pal, I think it's the cheapest and most child-friendly ski resort in Andorra. (And that's why we chose it). We were able to drive up to the top of the station instead of taking the cable car, saving us a lot of money. You can find more information at [website address]. Their official website. As soon as Celo dropped us off, we went to the information desk and a Brazilian gentleman promptly explained everything we needed to do and where we had to go. It was spot on! I really enjoyed watching the children ski for the first time and I thought the Argentinian instructor who spoke Portuguese was a sweetheart. We were very lucky with him because he was enthusiastic and creative and managed to get the children to learn a lot and want to ski more, even after an hour of continuous exercise. He certainly managed to show them that skiing can be fun and, God willing, we'll be skiing again many more times. Thank you, Pedro! 🙂

Note: See that covered tunnel in the middle of the snow? There's a conveyor belt inside, and people taking lessons can easily climb up to try and slide down the slope again. The kids loved it and went on it a thousand times!

We returned to the hotel exhausted and made pasta with a basic sauce in our super kitchen. The aches and bruises started appearing that night and unfortunately, I couldn't sleep well. Anyway, I can only be thankful that it wasn't anything more serious, neither for me nor for my mother-in-law.

Here are some of the costs for that day (certainly the most expensive day of the trip):

• Snowmobile for 2 people (half-hour ride) – 85 euros per snowmobile for 30 minutes
• One-hour lesson for two children with a private instructor who spoke Portuguese – 126 euros (without equipment or ski pass)
• One-hour lesson for two adults with a private instructor who spoke Portuguese – 126 euros (without equipment or ski pass)
• Ski pass for children per day in Pal – 50 euros for both.
• Equipment rental for the ski lesson – 44 euros for two.

Ah, there are group lessons instead of private ones, and that's why they're cheaper. Since I wanted instructors who spoke Portuguese and wanted to closely follow the lesson, as well as wanting them to get the most out of the class because we had limited time, I thought a private lesson made sense. I think for future times when we're skiing for longer, we should take group lessons. We'll see…

Day 4 – Saturday (February 21st)

We had a leisurely breakfast, took some pain medication, and got ready to leave. We decided to go to the hospital because my mother-in-law was experiencing strange pains and a lot of sensitivity in her right hand, and Celo took the children for a walk around the center of Andorra la Vella and then took them to our ski lesson (which we managed to reschedule for them and was at 2 pm).

We ended up spending 5 hours at the hospital because she needed to have some tests done, but I honestly thought they were very slow and the service could have been much faster. There weren't that many patients, but the number of doctors was also low. What we saw a lot of were nurses, and even the daughter of the lady who helps me here at home in Cascais has worked there for almost 20 years and loves it! It was good to see her and know that we were in good hands.

We left there on foot and walked through the charming residential streets to the more commercial center of the city. We stopped at the store. Primor, We had heard that they had excellent prices because of the tax exemption, so we did some shopping.

Then we met up with Celo and the kids and went to dinner – or rather, lunch – at a Viking restaurant that had great reviews, the Blot. We ate burgers and some fried food, and despite the strange service, we enjoyed the experience.

We left there and headed towards the parking lot where the rental car was. We even went into a Julia store for our little girl, who also has the same name, to buy something for herself, but unfortunately we didn't find anything worthwhile. I ended up giving her the Primor souvenirs and we continued on our way without any drama.

We returned to the hotel with snow falling again on the road, packed our things to check out the next day, and went to bed exhausted. The cold is tiring!

Day 5 – Sunday (February 22nd)

We had our last coffee in the apartment, packed our bags, took out the trash, and closed the door for check-out. Since it had an electronic lock with a password, the whole check-in and check-out process was very simple, quick, and stress-free. I highly recommend it!

I took one last walk around the hotel to enjoy the scenery, and then we drove for 3 hours and 30 minutes back to Barcelona.

We wanted to stop at the Monastery in Montserrat, but it would have been too rushed as our flight to Lisbon was in the early afternoon. It'll have to wait for next time!

Near the airport we stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank, returned our car without any stress, and headed to the departure lounge, where we bought our lunch and killed time until our flight.

It was a confusing and stressful trip, but we saw incredible places, spent time with our loved ones, and even left with two kids excited to ski! There are always rewards in these adventures. 🙂