All About Spain's Sierra Nevada Ski Resort

If you’re the one charged with organising school ski trips for your students this year, your head might be spinning a bit with the choices you’re faced. France, Switzerland, Italy, the USA… where do you start? It might surprise you to know that you could actually choose somewhere a little more unexpected: Spain!

School Ski Trips to Sierra Nevada

Although Spain is not considered one of the best places in the world for winter sports, for school and youth groups, it offers an array of appeal. Sierra Nevada is actually one of the highest resorts in Europe, meaning plenty of snow, amazing views and unlimited fun for your students.

So, what’s on offer for young winter wanderers on school ski trips? In a nutshell, a lot.

Great Beginner Runs

The resort is superb for both beginners and intermediates, so for a mixed group there’s definitely something for everyone. Out of the total 120 runs, 60 are beginner and 53 intermediate, along with a smattering of advanced for the very experienced. There are also some superb opportunities for the snowboarders and off-pisters.

The beauty of the resort is that the majority of the well-groomed beginner runs are close to the accommodation, meaning your students can feel comfortable with their own capabilities without feeling out of their depth. There’s even a timed ski run, where they can pit themselves against their own and others’ results if they’re looking to improve, as well as three excellent schools.

And There’s More

The best resorts ensure that there’s a diverse selection of activities and Sierra Nevada certainly does that. As well as regular skiing and snowboarding, some of the other sports you can introduce young learners to on school ski trips include:

Sledging: They won’t need any skills at all to have fun on a choice of slopes of different gradients. This is a way for youngsters to really let off steam in a safe and fun environment.

Night skiing: What could be a more exciting adventure than the chance to whizz down the slopes at night?There are a couple of different routes (Maribel and Rio) and the edges of the slopes are illuminated to show you the way – so it’s very safe. With fresh tread on the pistes this is a fantastic experience that students invariably love.

Russian sleigh and toboggan runs: The popular Mirlo Blanco area is a veritable winter playground for young people. The Russian sleigh runs on rails and provides an invigorating 250m ride for two people on each sled – which they get to control themselves. As well as the toboggan runs, Mirlo Blanco also offers a magic carpet ride, ski bobbing and more.

Off-Piste Activities

We all know the attention span of youngsters, so it’s important to know what’s on offer off the slopes as well. Along with excursions to nearby Grenada (or even the beach!) you could factor in some time to hike or snowshoe in the mountains, go on sleigh rides, snowmobile, shop or (and this is the piece de resistance) take a night sky guided tour, where young visitors will be introduced to the constellations and planets in a magical winter environment.

Expert Organisers, Expert Itineraries

Before you even think about organising school ski trips this year, call on the services of a dedicated educational travel operator. They’ll be able to guide you through the details of locations, available accommodation and other administrational details, so you can focus on crafting the best experience for your students in beautiful Sierra Nevada, or a range of other popular destinations.

Author Plate

John Gardiner is the Managing Director of The School Travel Company, a tour operator specialising in educational trips in destinations all over the world. If you’d like help organising school ski trips, cultural tours in Europe or exciting UK day trips, this company will work with you to design bespoke outings to suit the needs of your students.