If you thought that holidays to Spain were all about playing golf, building sandcastles and swimming in the sea? Well think again! The ski resort at the centre of the Sierra Nevada mountain range is around 30 minutes drive from Granada city centre and 40 minutes from the airport – just over two hours from Marbella. It’s a straightforward drive up a winding mountain road, which leads directly into the village of Pradollano. The 2012/2013-winter season is already looking promising with two substantial snowfalls having been recorded in October. The slopes will hopefully be ready to welcome the first skiers and snowboarders over the Spanish bank holidays on 6th and 8th December, and host competitions, events and recreational skiers right through the winter and spring until late April/early May, weather permitting.

Beginners will find the Sierra Nevada a great place to learn their winter sport of choice. The innovative travelator lifts designed especially for those still getting used to having planks of wood strapped to their feet have been extended throughout the beginners’ zone for 2012/2013. Many of the other slopes have green and blue runs for honing your skills; there are some red runs for the more advanced but just a few black runs for the real experts. A number of ski schools operate in the area; if you’re looking for an English speaking instructor try the British Ski Center, Sierra Nevada. They can also help you find accommodation in one of the village hotels or self-catering apartments, buy your lift passes and hire equipment. The resort is not particularly large; you will easily find each other at lunchtime even if you head off with different ski schools in the morning. And the village itself is very easy to navigate with a good selection of hotels as well as a handful of shops, restaurants, bars and supermarkets. Sierra Nevada Ski is the portal that provides all your general information and booking assistance for the resort. It also features a selection of webcams from different slopes, hotel balconies and restaurants so you can hunt out the best conditions for you, plus weather forecasts, snow reports and some inspiring videos of incredible skiers and snowboarders tackling the slopes and snow parks. Because the resort is so high at over 3,000m, it can be windy, but usually the weather is amazing and it’s not unusual to see skiers taking a break and having a sunbathe outside one of the bars or restaurants at the top of the slopes dressed in just a T-shirt. You certainly don’t need thermals to ski in Spain! And once you’ve had enough of the wet white stuff, pack up the car, head back down to the coast and you could be walking along the Marbella beaches or playing a round of golf the very next day. Where else in the world could you do that?