Baqueira-Beret

Infobox ski area
name= Baqueira-Beret

picture= baqueira2.jpg
caption= Baqueira-Beret, "Perdiguero" peak.
location= Aran Valley, Pyrenees, Spain
nearest_city= Lleida
lat_degrees= 42
lat_minutes= 41
lat_seconds= 57
lat_direction= N
long_degrees= 0
long_minutes= 56
long_seconds= 48
long_direction= E
top_elevation= 2510 m
base_elevation= 1500 m
skiable_area= 104 km
number_trails= 72
longest_run=
liftsystem= 1 gondola lifts, 20 chair lifts, 5 ski tows
snowfall=
external_link= http://www.baqueira.es|

Baqueira Beret is a ski resort located in the heart of the Pyrenees, in the Aran Valley, Lleida. The ski area extends from 1,500 to the 2,510 meters.

The resort

Baqueira - Beret is one of the largest Winter resort in Spain and in the Pyrenees, with 104km of marked pistes and 7km of cross-country ski. It is located in the highest part of the Aran Valley (Naut Arán), and Pallars Sobirá (Valls d'Aneu). It has long and wide ski runs some through trees. It is divided into three different zones, "Baqueira", "Beret" and "Bonaigua". The resort of Baqueira Beret, due to its westerly aspect, has a good snow record throughout the winter. In addition is more than 1,000 meters vertical drop and an extensive skiable zone which makes it one of best ski resorts of Spain. It is the favourite of the Spanish Royal Family.

Much of the region of the Aran Valley and Pallars Sobirá is made up of over 50 small rural populations, each one with stone and wood houses and ancient Romanesque churches. The resort was founded 60 years ago on the initiative of the local authorities in the Aran Valley. A group of people commanded by Jorge Jordana Pozas, Jesús Serra Santamanas and Luis Arias (after whom a slope is named after he died in a dramatic accident) founded the ski resort in the municipality of Naut given the good snow conditions found there. Baqueira-Beret, with over 100 kilometers of ski runs, is the most visited and extensive station on the Iberian Peninsula. At the moment there is an expansion planned towards Pallars Sobirá. The extension of the ski resort is controversial, because despite the tourist and economic benefit to the region, there are environmental impacts on the mountains. A number of locals and environmental organizations oppose the extension, seeking the protection of Val d'Arreu.

Lifts

Almost all of the resort's lifts are modern and of high capacity, the resort has:
* 1 gondola lifts
* 20 chair lifts of which: 2 six seaters, 6 four seaters, 7 three seaters and 5 two seaters.
* 5 ski tows

Pistes

The resort offers 72 pistes of different difficulties:

*3 beginners.
* 38 easy.
* 25 intermediate.
* 6 expert.

Services

The Ski Center offers the normal services, ski school, equipment rental, restaurants and cafeterias on the slopes, medical services, etc. There are also hotels and apartments as well as ice skating, heated swimming pool, and shops. There are also numerous restaurants and bars.

External links

* [http://www.baqueira.es Page of the ski resort]
* [http://www.vielha.es Guide of Vielha and Baqueira]