News

Five years after their first performance in the country of the Pyrenees, Cirque du Soleil will return this year to present his new show: SCALADA: STELAR. Keep reading and don’t miss the first details that have been unveiled about this event. A new chapter Year after year, the famous Canadian company has brought us a series of shows under the name of SCALADA. Outdoor shows that have made us travel to different worlds or to the most emblematic legends of our country. With STELAR, we will accompany two brothers to a futuristic universe full of acrobatics, unique numbers, lights and music. From July the 2nd to the 30th, 2017, technology and magic will be present another summer to make us live a unique moment. The enclosure This year the show will feature 22 performances, one more than last year, to which up to 5,000 people will be able to attend per performance. SCALADA: STELAR will take place the nights from Tuesday to Saturday and will have a special session on the night of July the 30th coinciding with the passage of the Tour de France in Andorra. An appointment you cannot miss Discovering one of the stories of Cirque du Soleil has become over the years one of the essential activities if you visit our country. Although the themes are different, the different editions have one thing in common: Andorra. SCALADA: STELAR, like its predecessors, will be an outdoor and exclusive show, so you can only enjoy it in July. In a few months, we will not only be able to present you more details about this new show, but also we will bring you the best offers so you can see it without worrying about anything. Start organizing your getaway to Andorra and don’t miss the opportunity to discover SCALADA: STELAR

In a month, the best junior riders in the world will return to the Grandvalira slopes to participate in one of the most important competitions of the season: the Freeride Junior World Championships. Here we explain you everything about this event that you will be able to see February. The event Between February the 3rd and February the 9th, 60 skiers from 15 different countries from Europe, North America and Oceania will gather in Encamp, more precisely at the Peak Alt de Cubil. These skiers that are between 15 and 18 years old are the future promises of this off-piste ski modality, which is gaining more fans. The area in which the race will take place is one of the highest in the domain of Grandvalira. Its northern orientation makes the snow in it perfect for freeriding. In the Pico Alt de Cubil there are vertical channels, areas of rocks and a great incline that will make this competition demanding for the participants and spectacular for the spectators. For freeride lovers If you are a fan of this ski modality, besides attending the event, you can start or improve your technique with one of the titled monitors of Grandvalira. In addition, this year, the ski domain has opened two new slopes in the sector of Grau Roig, the Toboggan and the Circuit Cross, which can be reached through the two-seater ski lift Coma 3 and where you can practice both freeride and freestyle. And to make sure that you don’t miss anything from this competition and that you can enjoy the snow as long as possible, book your getaway to Andorra at the El Tarter Hotel. This way, once you wake up and you are ready, you can walk to the slopes, since we are only 200 meters away from them. Get your skis ready and see the Freeride Junior World Championships in Grandvalira this winter.

The most magical time of the year is here! Some special dates during which we meet with the family and celebrate Christmas. In the Hotel El Tarter we propose you to live different holidays, surrounded by snow and during which you can enjoy the activities organized by the ski domain Grandvalira, located a few meters from your room. An exceptional guest From December 22nd to 24th of December, before beginning his tour around the world, Santa Claus will visit in snowmobile the children who are in the Snow Gardens of Grandvalira and in Imaginarium. On December 24th, he will change his transport way and will ride a dog sled to reach Canillo and Soldeu. At 11:00 am on the 25th, Santa Claus will make a final visit to the ski and snowboard schools of Grandvalira in the sectors of Soldeu and El Tarter. Ice Dreams At 19:45, on December 30th. Disney’s favorite children’s characters will star in an ice skating show at the Palau de Gel. A show in which Mickey and his friends will dance and make tricks to the sound of the most emblematic soundtracks of their universe. Lights in the snow On December 31st, from the Pla dels Espiolets of Grandvalira, you can observe how, gradually, a row of little lights descend down the mountain until they reach the village of Soldeu. This row is  the famous torchlight descent at 18:30 pm. On January 5st of 2017, this event will be repeated in the Pas de la Casa to celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings, who will accompany the lights mounted on retracs. A musical après-ski On December 24th and 30th and January 7yh, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., you can enjoy a nice après-ski in the L’Abarset Restaurant. Rest after a day of skiing listening to DJs like Simply J or Miqui Puig in the El Tarter sector. Book your Christmas holidays in Andorra and enjoy some days full of activities and snow with the Hotel El Tarter.

The ski season has already started and Grandvalira has opened its slopes with a lot of novelties to make your ski day perfect. Do you want to discover them? Keep reading and we’ll introduce you to what you cannot miss this year. Gastronomy of heights This year, the restaurant offer you will find on the slopes will be more varied and healthy, because Grandvalira has signed a collaboration agreement with the Alicia Foundation, created by Ferrán Adrià, to ensure that all gastronomic proposals are prepared in a balanced way and with fresh and healthy food. In the slopes, you can find various points of restoration, to which this year are added itinerant food ratracs. One of them will offer typical dishes from the United States while the other will offer more gourmet proposals. In addition, the French firm of Champany Veuve Clicquot will be installed on the terrace Gall de Bosc in the sector of Soldeu to create a chic and unique space where you can delight with premium and exclusive products. New tracks and ski lessons If your thing is to practice Freeride or Freestyle, you’re in luck! In the sector of Grau Roig, you will find the new slopes of Toboggan and Circuit Cross, where you will be able to practice these modalities. To access them, Grandvalira has implemented a new two-seater ski lift, Coma 3. The ski and snowboard school also has novelties. If you have a high technical level, you can train as the professionals of the industry. The former Olympic skier Gerard Escoda will be responsible for training for half a day on  the disciplines of slalom and giant slalom on a slope specially designed for this activity. Finally, you will be able to discover other modalities of your favorite winter sport, since the mountain ski arrives at Grandvalira. The ski domain will inaugurate a special circuit with which you will be able to cross the zone of the Isards. These and many more are the innovations that you can discover this year on the ski slopes in Andorra. Do you want to discover them in first person? Book your ski gateway with our hotel and rest a few meters away from the sector of the Tarter

One of the things that you cannot miss when visiting Andorra is to immerse yourself in the thermal water of CALDEA. And what better way to do it than visiting the thermoludic with your family? This year, CALDEA has opened the perfect space for the little ones to live their first spa experience: LIKIDS. Do you want to discover it? A new area In the 400m2 that constitute LIKIDS, children can have fun and discover the thermalism in the different facilities made to measure. The first area they will find lagoons, jacuzzis and two beaches: one of normal sand and another of soft sand in which they can play under the watchful eyes of the caretakers. You can also find a relaxing area decorated to mimic saunas, where they can relax while listening to a story. Finally, they can participate in activities and games such as yoga for children and receive treatments specially designed for them as manicures, or masks made out of yogurt. This thermal spa for children allows children from the age of 3 to access CALDEA, when the minimum age before was 5 years. And meanwhile the parents… While the younger members of the family have fun at LIKIDS, parents can take advantage of the moment and enjoy the rest of the CALDEA termal area as a couple. Enjoy the snowy mountains from the outer lagoon, recover from a morning of ski in the indoromanos baths, connect between bubbles… There are a lot of possibilities! In addition, if the child is between 5 and 8 years old, he can accompany and discover all those facilities with you, and also enjoy LIKIDS. This year, your ski vacation will be a complete and fun experience for all members of the family. Descend down the Grandvalira slopes all together, or hire a ski monitor to teach the children to ski, and regain strength in the hot springs of CALDEA.

In July, Andorra will see the coming of two great events of the world of biking. On July the 3rd you will be able to discover the summits of the Principality at the Volta als Ports, and from July 10th to 12th, you will be able to see the arrival of the best cyclist of the world that participated on the Tour of France. We introduce you the details of these two competitions so you don’t miss anything of two of the most thrilling weekends of summer. La Volta als Ports d’Andorra The 39th edition of this competition will take place on July 3rd. This event, open to amateur and professional cyclists, will copy the same itinerary that the Tour participants will do a week later. La Volta als Ports have 3 itineraries adapted to 3 different training levels for the cyclists. The short itinerary: This event is recommended to the less experimented cyclist that cannot face the other two routes. It has 27km and 800 m of grade that will star at the Prat del Colat, located in La Massana, and will end, like the other routes, at la Coma d’Arcalís. The Medium itinerary: The medium level cyclist will face in this event 3 ports: l’Alt de la Comella, la Collada de Beixalís and la Coma d’Arcalís. 81 km and 2245 m of grade that will test the cyclist. The long itinerary: In this route, cyclist will have to surpass almost 110km and 3840 m of grade to reach the glory. To the three ports of the medium itinerary, another one is added: the Coll de la Pegue, on the south of the country. This event is only adapted to the most skilled cyclist because of its gradient and difficulty. The Tour of France From July 10 to 12, the Tour of France will come back to Andorra after 7 years. The cyclist will arrive to the country on July 10, after the 9th stage of the Tour, And after a resting day on the Principality, they will start again to Revel on the 10th stage. This event will bring with him a lot of activities distributed all around the country to créate an unforgettable weekend. In Ordino, you will be able to discover the history of bikes with the exposition “Bicis para el Tour” from the end of the XIX century to nowadays. You will also be able to discover andorran culture with the guided tours to the Llorts mines or with the demonstrations of popular dances with Andorra’s esbarts or the castellers. In Escaldes-Engordany, you will find an exposition of illustrations related to the bikes world made by Jean Jacques Sempé, known for his work Le Petit Nicolas. And Monday the 11th, you will have fun on the Vivand streets with a new edition of the Shopping night, where you will find activities and discounts. Furthermore, to complete the weekend, on Sunday the 10th, there will be a special show of SCALADA: VISION, the new work of the Cirque du Soleil in Andorra. Come enjoy cyclism and summer and spend unforgettable holidays during July in Andorra.

One of the most awaited competitions of the cyclism world comes back to Andorra after 8 years. At the hotel El Tarter, we tell you the origins of the Tour of France and how its passage in Andorra will take place. The beginning The Tour of France began in 1903, being the first cyclist competition in History to be organized in stages. The director of the french journal L’Auto and cyclist, Henri Desgrange, was the one in charge of creating this competition and manage it between 1903 and 1939. It’s in his honor that you can see the letters H and D near the logo on the emblematic yellow t-shirt of the participants. More than 110 years later, The Tour is considered a classic event that all the cyclism fans await every year. The races in Andorra On July 10th, the cyclist will participate on the 9th stage of the Tour, between VIelha d’Aran and Arcalís. This 184 km stage, will follow parts of the path designed for last year’s La Vuelta of Spain. After a resting day on the Principality, the Tour will start again in front of Caldea. This stage will take the cyclist to the village of Revel, on the South of France. It’s during this stage that the Tour will reach its highest point at the Port of Envalira, located at 2.407 m above the sea level., and will pass in front of our hotel. The best cyclist Like in every edition, the Tour of France reunite the best cyclist of the world. THis year, the person to beat, and the favorite of all the experts is the british Chris Froome, the last champion. Perico Delgado, excyclist and winner of the Tour on 88, thinks that they will be a Titan duel between Froome and Alberto Contador, but he remarks that Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde can also reach the pódium. Now that you know all the details of the competition of this year, don’t doubt anymore, book now your room and don’t miss any momento of two of the most thrilling stages of this year Tour.

Summer is the perfect moment to discover all the nature and mountains of Andorra. And what’s better than doing it with your family? At El Tarter hotel, we introduce you Canillo’s Family Park, where you will have fun altogether. Summer in Andorra Our Little country, located in the heart of the Pyrenees, has 468km2 and is famous for its ski slopes during winter. But when the snow starts to melt, you can find a lot of kilometers of nature to discover. You can participate in a lot of activities for all the tastes and ages, and assist to big events like the Tour de France, shows from the prestigious Cirque du Soleil, or world cups of motorized sports. That’s why Andorra in summer, is another story. Mon(t) Magic, the Family Park In Canillo, a fun area called Mon(t) Magic awaits you. In this zone of the Forn of Canillo, from the end of July to the beggining of September, you will find adapted areas to practices a lot of activities, resto r discover nature. You will be able to spend all the day at the Family Park since there are restaurants. It’s the perfect place to enjoy Andorra with your family. A lot of activities to discover At the Family Park, there are different areas where you can do a lot of activities. For example, you will find a kid’s area, for children between 3 and 13 years old., with slides, minigolf and trampolines among others. In the lake, you will be able to stroll with a canoe, our if you prefer to do it on the land, with a pony. For the most adventurous, you will dispose of a zone of archery, or you can do arapahoe, a scooter pulled by dogs. And you can even experience the sensation of speed leaping in the largest zip-line of the Pyrenees, which goes from the Planells del Forn to the paths of legends of Mon(t) Magic. And if what you want is to know the flora and fauna of Andorra, don’t miss the tour of Fornatura. Guided by a shepherd and its dog, you will learn everything about the forest of the country playing pedagogical games. Come discover the nature and all the activities that you will find at the Family park of Canillo this summer

For the 12 year in a row, Grandvalira organices the Total Fight Masters of Freestyle in its snowpark at the Tarter sector. Discover with El Tarter Hotel why this is one of the most important dates of the freestyle world. One of the most important competitions The Total Fight Masters of Freestyle, for snowboard and freeski, is a crucial event for the competition and the world rankings. This year, the competition has became a part of the máximum quality category in slopestyle, granting the arrival of the best riders of the snowboard world. For the freeski, the Total Fight is a part of the AFP(Professional freeskierd association) World Cup, the most important championship of this modality. The perfect field From march 24th to 26, for the snowboard, and from march 31st to april 2nd, for the freeski, the competition will take place at the Snowpark of the tarter sector in Grandvalira. This slope of 1,4km can be used during all the season and has different áreas according to the rider level: iniciation, progress and experts. But the slope will be adaptated for the Total Fight to become a very fluid and technic slopestyle circuit, so the riders can demonstrate their best tricks. The best riders This year, the Total Fight will bring to Andorra the best riders of the freestyle world. We will meet again the two champions of the last edition, the German Seppe SMITS at snowboard and the norvegian Oystein BRAATEn at freeski. The latter is the current championof the Red Bull Plaustreets and fixed the first World record in Flip-to-Flop Rail. We will also have great candidates like Billy MORGAN, the England representant at the 2014 Sochi Olympic games in snowboard and third classificated, in february 2016, at the Oslo Xgames in the Big Air category. The best competitions, slopes and riders will be present at the Grandvalira Total Fight Masters of Freestyle 2016. Don’t miss it!

For the 6th year in a row, comes the Skiers Cup America vs Europe, one of the most emblematic events on the ski world. Starting from January 30th and February 4th, the best freeriders and freestylers of the world will be reunited.   An intercontinental battle The Skiers Cup confronts, since 5 years ago, the best professionals of ski of America and Europe, to check who has the best skiers. At the moment, the scores are closed with 3 “Ski boots” for Europe and 2 for America. This year, Americans have the chance to get back in and equal the Europeans, or give them for the 4th time the victory.   Two strong teams America will appear with a team formed by great skiers like Grant Howard, Parker White or Logan Pehota, and will be leaded by Sage Cattagriga-Alosa, a crossover style Pioneer. Europe will have to fight against them with a team under the commands of Richar Permin, famous for competing with all of his strength, and will have skiers like Fabio Studer, Bene Mayr or Markus Eder.   The perfect slopes Even if the Big Mountain race awaits the confirmation of its location, the Backcountry slopestyle race will take place on the Cubil highest peak, one of the highest points of Grandvalira’s slopes. This peak situated in Encamp on the Tarter sector, is oriented towards the north, a position which gives it the best condition to have the most abundant and perfect snow to extreme freeriding. We are all ready for what looks like one of the most intense competitions of the season. Will you miss it?