# Ski instructors in Valgrande-Pajares

> The classic Asturian resort by the Pajares pass, with wide north-facing bowls and a skiing history going back to the 1950s.

- Region: Asturias, Cantabrian Mountains
- Country: [Spain](https://alpinepal.com/en/ski-instructors/spain)
- Time zone: Europe/Madrid
- Currency: EUR
- Coordinates: 42.97833, -5.77528
- Official website: http://www.valgrande-pajares.com/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6159000

Page: https://alpinepal.com/en/resorts/valgrande-pajares
Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

## About Valgrande-Pajares

Valgrande-Pajares is the oldest ski resort in Asturias and one of the oldest in Spain, sitting by the historic Pajares pass that carried the road and the railway between Asturias and León long before it carried skiers.

The terrain is wide, open and north-facing, which keeps the snow cold, and the views north towards the coast on a clear day are the kind you do not get in the Pyrenees.

## Where lessons start

Open bowls mean space to practise, though they also mean flat light when the cloud sits on the pass. Ask your instructor about the day's visibility before committing to the upper slopes.

## Getting there

Oviedo is around 50 minutes and León about an hour, on the main road over the pass.

## Instructors at Valgrande-Pajares

_No instructors have joined here yet._

## Qualifications required in Spain

Teaching for payment in Spain requires the Técnico Deportivo en Deportes de Invierno (TD1/TD2/TD3), issued by Ministerio de Educación / comunidad autónoma.

## Frequently asked questions

### When does Valgrande-Pajares have the best snow?

After an Atlantic front, in January or February. The bowls are wide, open and north-facing, which keeps the snow cold once it has fallen, and this corner of the range sits directly in the path of Bay of Biscay weather. The same openness means flat light when cloud sits on the pass, so ask your instructor about visibility before committing to the upper slopes. Oviedo is around 50 minutes, so it is an easy call to make on the morning.