PAL:  LA CAUBELLA 1950

Picturesque Setting
The snowline and main ski area at Pal begins at the attractive La Caubella base area at 1950 m (6398 ft). The base is surrounded by sheltering pine forest and it is without doubt Andorra's most picturesque ski station.

Reachable by road, and with ample free on-site car parking, this is the same arrival level as the gondola up from La Massana.

Orientation
If you are arriving via the gondola, do pause on the arrival-level terrace if it's a clear day, to take in the great views over this sector and up to the principal ski area on the face of Pic del Cubil on the horizon ahead, before you exit via the access ramp down on to the start of the wide pisted snowfields below.

Pal's ‘Baby Club’ crèche service playrooms are housed in this same building, on the ground floor under the station;  the children's Snow Garden is on the gentle snowfield next to this, safely out of the way of piste traffic.

The nearest building next to the gondola station is the ski school office and picnic saloon, both at piste level on the lower ground floor, with an ATM next to the lift pass office on the upper ground floor (at car park level).
Ski school class meeting-points are clustered on the pisted area immediately in front of the ski school office. There is a tool point fixed to the wall by the exterior steps which run up the far side of the building.

Beyond this is the main base lodge, next to the principal El Planell beginners' slope. The lodge is quite extensive and offers good facilities (full details below), making it an ideal spot for non-skiing visitors to relax and watch/meet their friends & family on the pistes.

The gentle El Planell snowfield sweeps down to the foot of the lodge and is served by an easy-to-use conveyor-belt surface lift. The nearest chairlifts are just a short walk/skate away, over by the trees opposite the base area buildings; and the wide El Beç piste flows gently away from this area, running down towards two further chairlifts (best for a quick warm-up and queue-jump out of the base area).

Arriving By Road
If you arrive by car at La Caubella, there are ample free car parks fanning out in a linear fashion on the approach to the gondola station and past the base lodge. Regular shuttle transport runs round the outlying parking zones to ferry visitors to/from a central plaza in front of the base area buildings. From this road-level plaza, simply walk straight into the base lodge or lift pass office, or down the steps between these two buildings to the foot of the pistes.

Arriving On-Piste
If you approach La Caubella from the pistes (if you have skied over from Arinsal, for example), then the whole base area is spread out in front of you and easily accessible as you finish on the gentle El Planell piste.
CAUTION: ride with care, this whole area is designated as a beginners' zone.

Edifici El Planell
The base lodge at La Caubella is reasonably bright and attractive.
The first-floor restaurants are definitely the best quality in this sector, and the sunny piste-side terrace overlooks most of the buzzing El Planell beginners' area at the foot of the pistes.
Piste Level:  Medical centre, housed under the terrace and accessed from the foot of the pistes nearest the trees at the far corner of the building.
Personal belongings and equipment lockers are also located under the terrace; entrance beside the medical centre.
Terrace Level:  ‘El Planell’ snack-bar/café and terrace, Esports Rossell equipment rental/sales, self-service canteen, arcade-style video-games machines, WCs.
Stairs lead up to the first floor level from the side of the terrace, as well as from the interior lobby next to the self-service canteen.
First Floor:  Plaza/parking access, Esports Caubella equipment rental/sales, boutique, Internet stations, public telephones, ‘Cafeteria La Caubella’ buffet & bar, ‘La Borda’ à la carte restaurant, WCs.