holidays in Panticosa, Pryenees

A beautiful, traditional village of stone built houses set around a thirteenth century Romanesque church in the breathtaking scenery of the Tena valley close to the French border. The famous old spa town of Panticoa Los Lagos, to give it it's full name, is a real gem of a ski resort.

Where

Set in the Tena Valley, only a 15 minute drive away from Formigal, is the ski resort of Panticosa.It sits in Northern Spain close to the French border.The nearest airports to the Tena valley are Zaragoza and Pamplona and in France, Pau and Bordeax airports. There are also good road links to both Madrid and Barcelona airports. In addition a new high speed rail link is currently being constructed between Madrid and Barcelona which will be linked to Huesca, a great bonus for skiers to get to the Tena valley!

On the slopes

Panticosa was once a traditional spa town but has undergone the transition from spa to resort very well. Much of the old charm is still there but the modern facilities for skiers and boarders are very good. The skiing and boarding suits intermediates best with 30 of the total 38 runs graded either blue or red. For experts and more advanced skiers and boarders you may want to try Formigal only 13 km away which has 50 km of runs to its name. In fact you can ski or board Cerler, Formigal, Javalambre and Valdelinares on the one ski pass.

Ski area

If you ski Panticosa you are also in the ski region of the Aragonese Pyrenees.

Off the slopes

There is plenty to do here including snowbiking, tennis, windsurfing and even canoeing on a nearby reservoir. There are luxury hotels from the old spa days, casinos and of course still the thermal baths to help you unwind after a tough day on the slopes.This is a really beautiful old town, with steep narrow streets and a history that goes way beyond its current status as a ski resort. If you want to escape the commercialism of some of the more modern purpose built resorts Panticosa could be for you.