So where are the most ideal spots in Spain to spend the winter season? Here are my five top picks:

Fuerteventura. Photo: Regina W Bryan

1. The Canaries

Known and well-loved by Northern Europeans, the Canaries are overlooked by many travelers from the US and Canada. I assume this is because Mexico and Central America is where most North Americans go to escape January’s chill. The Canary Islands offer a summery getaway and make for a smart add-on to any trip to Spain. For example, if you’re coming to Spain this March when most of the mainland is still pretty frigid, tour around Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian and Seville, and then end your trip on Tenerife, where it’s currently 70°F. Tenerife is my favorite of all the islands, though Fuerteventura is a close second with some beautiful white-sand beaches.

A wintry scene in Andorra la Vella. Photo: Roberto Al

2. Andorra

Right, it’s not Spain! But hey, it’s nearby—just a two-hour drive from Barcelona to the north. Andorra is famous for its skiing, winter sports, and shopping (less tax there). A visit to the tiny, mountainous country makes for an interesting junket and the countryside between Barcelona and Andorra is gorgeous. A few fun facts: they speak Catalan in Andorra as well as Spanish; a country made up of mountains the highest peak in Andorra is over 9,500 feet; it is the sixth smallest nation in Europe. If you’re a skier or snowboarder put Andorra on your list this winter.

3. Madrid

It’s true that Madrid is frosty in the winter, and it can snow there, but the country’s capital deserves a place on this list because cities are excellent destinations when the weather is unpredictable. Madrid’s nightlife, art museums, and many festivals and events provide plenty for visitors to do rain or shine.

4. Barcelona

Of course, we can say the same about Barcelona, Spain’s most popular city. Wander around the Gothic Quarter, marvel at the organic shapes inside the Sagrada Família, and run your fingers over Roman walls. In both Barcelona and Madrid it can be cold, but more often than not the sun is shining. Soak up some vitamin D on a terrace with a café con leche, or cozy up inside with a hot chocolate.

Hot springs in the Pyrenees. Photo: Regina W Bryan

5. La Garriga and other hot spots

Winter is also a superb season to take a dip in some of Catalonia’s abundant thermal hot springs. Many of these springs have been used since Roman times (or before) and are contained within elaborate, historical buildings. In the village of La Garriga, just forty-five minutes from Barcelona by train, there are two hot springs open for day-use or overnight stays. Further north there is Vichy Catalan and Sant Hilari Salcalm’s deluxe spa Font Vella, plus a handful of other thermal springs spas in the Pyrenees Mountains. For a complete list of villages with thermal hot springs, check out the Catalan Spa Towns website.

Spain is a diverse country with a wide range of travel options. With a bit of planning, you could ski, soak in thermal springs, catch a show in Madrid, see Gaudí masterpieces in Barcelona and then hit the beach on the Canaries — all on the same vacation!

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For Snow Bunnies: Vall de Nuria

Vall de Nuria is the place to go if you want snow and nature, but aren’t fussy about skiing. This is more of a sledding sort of place popular with hikers, snow shoe enthusiasts, and families with children.

To get to Vall de Nuria you have to catch a zipper train from Ribes de Freser, which can be reached from Barcelona on the RENFE train. There are all sorts of package deals to be had at Vall de Nuria, making it the perfect winter escape. For example, the zipper train, two nights at the lodge, and a guided tour start at €125.00 per person. Family ski packs start at €85.00 a person.

Skiing: Andorra

Hard-core skiers and snowboarders will want to head to Andorra. It takes some work to get to Andorra from Barcelona and you will either want to rent a car, or get tickets a day or so ahead at the Barcelona Nord bus station.

Andorra is a tiny country and largely supports itself on ski and snow tourism. Look for skiing options at Grandvalira, Naturlandia, Parador Canaro and the Vallnord ski stations.

Hot Springs: Dorres

One of my favorite winter activities is taking long dips in the earth’s hot waters. I dislike the cold, and nothing warms my toes better than a hot swim in a hot spring. Most of the hot springs, and there are many, in Catalonia are built up. The exception to this rule is Dorres, which is on a snowy hillside this time of year, right on the Catalan-French border.

I also highly recommend a couple days soaking at the Balneario Vichy Catalan, or the newly opened Rocallaura. Both use hot mineral water in their water works areas and baths. They are more expensive than Dorres and you’ll need a car to get to these steamy retreats.

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Its commercial bluster may indeed shock those emerging from a weeklong mountain journey through the Pyrenees. And in fact, some of its commercial business is a bit depressing. Shops selling discounted tobacco, perfume, and jewelry are everywhere. There are also sinister militia shops hawking surveillance devices, riot gear, bb guns, and odd objects expressly designed to hide things—like dummy soup cans that screw apart to reveal a hidden chamber. Are these things even legal?

Let’s table that question for a minute and fight the conventional wisdom regarding the Andorran capital by focusing on its downright interesting attributes.

Looking at Andorra

Andorra’s pleasingly dated bar decor.

The language on the streets is the gorgeous hybrid tongue of Catalan. It’s framed dramatically by stunning jagged peaks that appear to sprout behind every building. It’s got a romantic if very tiny old town and loads of interesting, modern stone architecture. In many ways, it is reminiscent of a medium-sized Swiss city. This is the case even aesthetically, down to the faded, pleasingly dated store signage and bar interiors that pop up here and there.

Beyond shopping, true tourism draws in the capital itself are few. Just outside of Andorra La Vella in the town of Escaldes-Engordany is the enormous Caldea thermal baths complex. Our Cheapo tip: obtain a discounted nighttime admission for €25, a savings of €8 off the standard admission price.

One standout site in the city is the Casa de la Vall, the 16th-century stone house that serves as the seat of government. It’s delightful to consider that such a beautiful small house could serve as a national parliament.

Andorra’s cute Casa de la Vall.

Andorra’s governmental balancing act

Andorra is, truth by told, a bit of an anomaly. It’s in charge of its own affairs but maintains some vestigial attachments to France and Spain. Officially, it is a co-principality, and its two “co-princes” are the French head of state and the Bishop of Urgell, who represents Spain.

(Lest you imagine that France and Spain run the show, know that executive power is the domain of the Andorran government, not the co-princes.) The postage system is operated by its two much larger neighbors, who dutifully produce Andorran stamps; defense, also, is delegated to the giants on either side.

Andorra is not a part of the European Union. It also remains outside of Schengen, the EU’s customs union that de facto blankets most of the other European microstates. On the main road through Andorra there are large mountainside immigration stations—a downright rarity in today’s Western Europe. (Many bus shuttles, however, including the one occupied by your loyal correspondent, are dismissed with a wave at the border crossings. What a disappointment!)

French and Spanish mailboxes side by side.

With neither an airport nor a railway network, Andorra certainly sits off the beaten path. Unlike the other Western European microstates, it isn’t quick to get to by road, either. Andorra is a three to three-and-a-half hour bus journey from both Barcelona and Toulouse.

By way of contrast, Monaco is smack dab in the middle of the Côte d’Azur, Liechtenstein is as close as an hour and a quarter from Zurich, San Marino is a stone’s throw from Rimini, and the Vatican is encircled by Rome. Andorra’s sheer distance makes actually touching down on the ground feel a little bit more like an accomplishment.

Andorra La Vella Hotel Tip

Budget bed fans should check out the clean, quiet, and very affordable Hotel Sant Jordi in Andorra La Vella, where double rooms booked online can be nabbed for as little as €40.

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