Grandvalira Resorts recorded more than 173,800 visitors during the summer season up to 15 September. This figure surpasses last year's, although the episodes of rain had a clear impact on key dates. Once again, this confirms the good performance of the summer offerings at Grandvalira, Pal Arinsal, and Ordino Arcalís since they opened last June.
The data also shows that visitors have well received the new afternoon passes and the extended hours at the Mon(t) Magic Family Park in Canillo and the Mountain Park in Pal Arinsal. In addition, the Tristaina Solar Viewpoint has become established as one of the star attractions in Andorra with 60,000 visitors to date.
It should be noted that although many of the season's offerings concluded on Sunday, 8 September, the Viewpoint will remain open until 3 November, with access via the Creussans chairlift and, on weekends, via the Tristaina cable car.
Additionally, the Pal Arinsal Bike Park will be open on weekends until 13 October, and the Soldeu Golf Course and its magnificent Wine & Meat Bar by Jean Leon will remain open until 29 September. Furthermore, the Refugi Llac de Pessons restaurant will be available until 12 October.
Mon(t) Magic and Soldeu Golf Course: two emblematic attractions of Grandvalira
This year, 42,100 people visited the Mon(t) Magic Family Park in Canillo and the Soldeu Golf Course during the summer, a slightly higher figure than last year when 40,000 people visited. The family leisure centre opened on 22 June with new Family Walks itineraries and a new lift to enhance its wide range of leisure activities, which include archery, tubing, kayaking, the longest zip line in the Pyrenees, and the iconic Magic Gliss slide.
The Soldeu Golf Course will remain open until 29 September, as will the Wine & Meat Bar by Jean Leon. Thus, golf enthusiasts can still make the most of the last days of Europe's highest 9-hole course, which this year unveiled a new practice area and changed its orientation to improve the customer experience.
The Funicamp: one of the nerve centres of e-bike routes
Europe's longest funitel closed on Sunday, 1 September, with nearly 12,000 users, a notable figure considering that this summer it remained open 15 days less than last summer. In terms of average daily occupancy, the number of users was slightly higher than in 2023.
The Funicamp is one of the main access points to the more than 100 km of electric bike routes in Grandvalira, which were introduced last summer and have been expanded this year with more kilometres and improvements to the circuits, consolidating them as one of the country's best-received summer proposals. It also allows visitors to enjoy the excellent offering of Racó de Solanelles, one of the resort's most iconic restaurants.
In turn, the Pioners cable car in Pas de la Casa recorded similar figures to last year, with more than 2,000 visitors, mainly families and children, who went to Orri del Cubil to experience the catch-and-release fishing activity in the lake and enjoy a walk in nature. It is worth noting that the Pioners cable car operates on 100% renewable energy produced by the Pessons mini hydroelectric power station and the photovoltaic panels in the Grau Roig sector.
A summer full of offerings at Pal Arinsal
Pal Arinsal attracted many visitors this summer. Specifically, 57,700 people, which is 34% more than the 43,000 who visited the La Massana mountain station last year.
One of the summer's novelties was the Furious by Pal Arinsal club, the MTB programme for children aged 3 to 11, which enhances the resort's cycling offering alongside the Bike School. Similarly, the prestigious Bike Park and its more than 60 km of circuits for all disciplines will remain open on weekends until 13 October.
The balance is also very positive for the resort's activity centre, the Mountain Park, and the new afternoon passes that allow access to the park's various offerings, such as go-karting, the climbing wall, and skill challenges, among many others.
Furthermore, this season has highlighted the good performance of the Els Orriols cable car in Arinsal with more than 6,000 users.
2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
The summer in Andorra was marked by the major sporting event of the year in the country, specifically at Pal Arinsal, with the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. The event brought together the world's best riders and thousands of fans from around the world between 26 August and 1 September. The excellent organisation of the World Championships was a key factor in the competition's success and was praised by both the athletes and their teams, as well as by the International Cycling Union itself.
The final occupancy figures during the World Championships will be communicated shortly, but the high occupancy rates achieved at Pal Arinsal this summer are largely due to this event, which once again demonstrated its ability to host top-level international competitions.
The Tristaina Solar Viewpoint consolidates as Andorra's star attraction
The summer balance at Ordino Arcalís shows the success of the Tristaina Solar Viewpoint with 60,000 visitors, at least until 15 September, as access will remain open until 3 November. The figures are very similar to those of the previous year, although they were affected by episodes of rain that impacted key periods, especially on some weekends. In any case, the Viewpoint remains a tourist reference in Andorra for another summer. Furthermore, its success boosts other resort offerings such as the Riberamunt route, with more than 30 information points to learn about the history of a territory declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, or the Sorteny-Arcalís outing guided by the Grandvalira Mountain Guides.
The summer experience at Ordino Arcalís was completed by the gastronomic offering of La Coma Restaurant, which offered its high mountain cuisine and rice dishes, and the Refugi de Sorteny, with traditional Andorran cuisine dishes, where guests could also stay overnight.
Gastronomic destination
Another attraction of Grandvalira Resorts is its extensive catering offer. Over the next few weeks, the Wine & Meat Bar by Jean Leon will remain open until 29 September, and the Llac de Pessons Restaurant until 12 October. The latter is the perfect option for those who want to enjoy the incredible views of the lake and traditional mountain cuisine dishes.
Indeed, savouring the local gastronomy has been the main attraction this summer at the Racó de Solanelles brasserie in the Encamp sector and the Coll de la Botella in Pal Arinsal, known for its rice dishes.
Moreover, visitors to Ordino Arcalís have also been able to enjoy an extraordinary culinary offering with La Coma Restaurant, which focuses on quality and locally sourced products, and the Refugi de Sorteny as highlights.