2015 Ski Destination Review: Granada & Sierra Nevada

Hola todos, hello everybody! OK people I have just booked my flights - I am going to ski in Spain in early January 2015! Now many people don't really think about Spain as a skiing destination but I wanted to do something different this year. I have a good friend who lives near Malaga in Spain and I asked him if he fancied going to go skiing in the Sierra Nevada with me and he said yes! There are currently three of us going skiing but I am trying to get one more friend to join us (let's see if he can sort his work schedule out in time). We are going to be based in the city of Granada, which is just about 20 km from ski station in the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak in continental Spain, Mt Mulhacén, is found within the ski resort. I just love Andalucia, that whole part of Southern Spain is so beautiful.

I am going back to Andalucia!

Sierra Nevada is an unusual ski resort: it is a lot further south than most of the other ski resorts in Europe but with summits reaching 3480m in altitude, there is plenty of snow for skiers. Much of these mountains will have some snow on their summits throughout the year despite the temperatures at sea level reaching 40 degrees in the Spanish summer. There will be more sunshine, better food and it will attract a mostly local clientele. Having said that, this is the ski resort the 2015 Winter Universiade Games will be held. There is a public bus that connects skiers from downtown Granada to the ski lifts in the Sierra Nevada, but thank goodness my friend from Malaga drives (and has a very nice car) and we won't be jostling with the locals on the bus this time! I am amazed that I did leave Granada out of my top 15 ski + city breaks list which I compiled earlier this year, so allow me to subject it to the same grading system.

Granada, Spain = 77

• proximity of the ski facilities to the downtown area = score 7 (approx 20 km) 
• how long it takes to get from the downtown area to the ski area = score 8 (20 - 30 mins) 
• availability, cost and ease of public transport = score 8 (public bus) 
• the quality of the city break component = score 8
• the quality and size of the ski area = score 9 
• is there a language barrier for English speakers? = score 6
• how hard is it to get to this city? = score 5 
• is this going to be an expensive holiday? = score 7
• how's the food? = score 10 
• will I be bored after 2 -3 days? = score 9

Granada scores a grand total of 77 out of 100 in this score card, which would actually place it in 4th place behind Innsbruck but ahead of Vancouver as a ski + city break destination. OMFG, how could I have forgotten all about Granada? I guess the last time I was in Granada (back in 2009), it was summer and it was so freaking how that I totally forgotten that it was possible to ski in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the winter. I remember exploring the amazing Alhambra gardens, admiring the snow on the mountains in the distance and saying, "hey, it's so hot down here, let's drive up there and find us some snow!" Granada is a small city though, so you may actually find it easier to fly through a bigger airport like Seville, Malaga or even Madrid. There is a small airport in Granada but not that many flights go there. There is plenty to see and do in Granada, as well as nearby cities like Seville, Cordoba and Malaga.

I am going to be skiing three days at Sierra Nevada, the rest of the 2.5 days will be spent exploring the Andalusian coast. It may be a bit cool at this time of the year in Malaga (about 5 degrees at night, 18 degrees in the day) but I am definitely visiting the beach and this could be the first time I have both a skiing and a beach holiday. It'll definitely be warm enough to sit down and have an ice cream on the beach, though probably too cold to swim in the sea. I am really looking forward to this trip as I have been to Spain many times and it is one of those places I will gladly visit again and again. I speak Spanish, I love the food and it has been ages since I've seen my old pal in Malaga. OK, I am just buzzing with excitement because I have just booked those flights (I'm flying via Malaga as my pal will pick me up from there). I need to go to bed now. So glad I booked this as we've yet to have any snow in London this winter!