Ski lessons in Astún and Candanchú

Where the lessons take place

We teach at Astún and Candanchú, two neighbouring resorts at the head of the Aragón valley, right on the French border in the province of Huesca. They share a single lift pass, which means one booking can use either mountain depending on where the snow is better that morning.

Between them they cover roughly 101 km of marked runs: Astún has 59 runs and 15 lifts between 1658 m and 2300 m; Candanchú has 57 runs and 22 lifts from 1530 m to 2400 m. Candanchú opened in 1928 and is the oldest ski resort in Spain.

The nearest town is Jaca, about 30 minutes away by road, and that is where most visitors stay. Astún is 33 km from Jaca and Candanchú 27 km. Driving from further afield, count roughly an hour and a half from Huesca and two and a quarter hours from Zaragoza.

Private and group lessons

Private lessons start at 60€ per hour for one person, and up to 5 people can share the same instructor for 95€ an hour in total. Sharing it with someone of a similar level is usually the best value on this page.

Group lessons run as a three-hour session at 60€ per person per session, in groups of no more than 6. We hold that cap deliberately: beyond 6 people an instructor stops teaching and starts shepherding, and beginners in particular lose most of the session waiting their turn.

Every instructor holds an official Spanish ski-instructor qualification (Técnico Deportivo). That is a state-regulated qualification with formal examinations, not an in-house badge. Lessons are taught in English, Spanish and French.

Children

We take children from age 3 in private lessons and from age 5 in group lessons. Both resorts have a fenced beginners' area served by magic carpets rather than drag lifts, which matters more than it sounds: a small child who cannot yet hold a T-bar can still ride a carpet unaided, so the lesson is spent skiing instead of queueing for help.

Children's groups are organised by ability rather than age, and the same cap of 6 applies. Parents are welcome to watch from the edge of the beginners' area, though most children settle faster when they cannot see you.

What the price includes — and what it does not

The hourly price covers the instructor and nothing else. Two things are not included and catch visitors out often enough to be worth stating plainly:

• Equipment. Skis, boots and poles are rented separately. We can arrange it for you — see equipment rental — but it is not bundled into the lesson price by default.
• The lift pass. Bought from the resort, not from us. It is a single pass valid for both mountains. Current lift pass prices.

Absolute beginners often do not need a full-mountain pass on day one, since the learning area is served by its own lifts. Ask us before you buy.

When to come

The season normally runs from December to April, depending on snow. February tends to hold the most reliable conditions; late March and April give longer, warmer days and thinner crowds, which suits families learning. Lessons run from 09:00 to 17:00, seven days a week in season.

Booking

The quickest route is to pick a slot online. For anything that does not fit a standard slot — a group of friends, a week of consecutive mornings, a mixed-ability family — message us on WhatsApp and we will put something together. We reply in under 1 hora during the season.

We have been teaching in these two resorts for more than 10 years. If you tell us your level honestly, we will tell you honestly what you can expect to achieve in the time you have — which is usually the most useful thing we can do before you book anything.

Frequently asked questions