Arinsal is a beautiful village in Andorra, set at an altitude of between 1550 and 2560 metres. In the summer Arinsal is home to walkers and bikers, as well as those who just want to relax in the beautiful mountain scenery. In the winter, it offers excellent skiing and snowboarding for beginners, as well as a good selection of runs for intermediates. The fact that Arinsal is part of Vallnord means that Arcalis and Pal are included with the lift pass, offering a fantastic variety of runs, as well as some great places to cut off the pistes, if you need something a little more challenging.
Off the mountain, Arinsal is a very friendly resort, attracting repeat visitors year after year. There is a great selection of bars and restaurants which cater for all kinds of taste. The restaurants in Arinsal serve a wide variety of dishes from local Catalan food to traditional British favourites.
The valley running west from La Massana was, until recently, occupied by mostly small hill farms and mills. But since the spread of ski-slopes, it has become a hive of activity in winter. Ski lifts are flourishing as well as other tourism-related industries.
Out of Arinsal, for example, there are helicopter flights out over the mountains and valleys, giving amazing views of the scenery.
The highest point on the southern branch is at Pal. On the northern branch, the road continues above Arinsal and, in summer, it is possible to follow the old smugglers' trail over the top into Spain. Do not attempt this in a normal road vehicle. The State of Andorra has maintained the road as far as the border, but the same is not true of the Spanish Government. It is a route for cross-country motos only.
Arinsal is a little village of Catalan slate and gray stone, near the head of a narrow valley north of Andorra La Vella. It has seen rapid development in recent years, giving the place a building-site appearance.
The gondola, from the village center to the mid-station, installed in 1999 put an end to the trek to the inconveniently situated chair-lift and the new link via a 50 person tram from Coll de la Botella in Pal's Seturia sector to Port Negre at the top of the Arinsal slopes finally linked the separate resorts of Pal and Arinsal in 2000. The new link has increased the area's appeal hugely. Snow making was also extended and now covers 17km/11miles of slopes.
