Winter sports in Marbella
Though Marbella and the Costa del Sol back on to a coastal mountain range whose occasionally snow-capped peaks offer spectacular scenery in winter, the real alpine scene takes place a little over two hours from here, on the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
The Sierra de las Nieves national park that extends inland from Marbella’s iconic La Concha Mountain is named after the snow that covers its higher altitude during the winter months. This is not a region for winter sports, but instead a protected natural wonderland whose stunning winter scenery is even more beautiful than the greenery of summer. Imagine an alpine snowscape within a short distance of Marbella, complete with wild hares, deer, mountain goats and birds of prey.
The Alps on the Costa del Sol
Lovers of nature and hiking revel in the peace and beauty of the Sierra de las Nieves, which can be accessed from the mountain village of Istán, some 15 minutes from Marbella, but in winter the true focal point is the Sierra Nevada mountain range a little over two hours away. Situated just south-east of Granada is its now-famous ski resort, Pradollano, which offers alpine winter sports, après-ski and a ski resort atmosphere within a short distance of Granada’s fairy-tale Alhambra palace.
It has all the facilities of a true ski station, ranging from large and small hotels and spa resorts to professional lifts, snowmaking cannons, coaching and of course the runs themselves. The latter are divided into 16km of beginner green runs, 40km of standard blue runs, 50km of more difficult red runs and 9km of the truly challenging black runs – together adding up to 115km of skiing, serviced by 2 cable cars, 17 chairlifts, 2 magic carpets and 2 T-bar lifts.
The après-ski is lively, with one of the favoured activities being enjoying a social drink on one of the sunny, scenic terraces, soaking up those rays. The Sierra Nevada ski resort is the southernmost in Europe and enjoys one of the longest seasons on the continent. In a good year it can extend from late October to late April, making Marbella a great place to be not just in summer but throughout the year.