What to do in Baqueira if you don't ski (or just don't feel like it today)

Half past eight, and the house smells of sun cream and thermal socks. Everyone is hunting for gloves and arguing over lift passes on the way out to the gondola. You stay in the kitchen with your coffee still hot. You don't ski, or you don't fancy it today, and you already know the question: "So what are you going to do all day?"

Quite a lot. Baqueira Beret has snow activities that need no skis, most of them starting at Pla de Beret right next to the slopes, plus a valley of stone villages you can cover in a morning. The 2026-27 season is planned from 28 November to 4 April, snow permitting (Baqueira). Prices below are the ones each operator publishes.

What can you do in Baqueira if you don't ski?

The short answer, from quietest to loudest:

1. Snowshoeing through the forest with a guide. Half a day. Fine with kids.
2. Husky sledding from Pla de Beret. Anything from 20 minutes to a whole afternoon. Children's favourite.
3. Montgarri, an old sanctuary turned mountain refuge, 7 km from Beret. You get there without skis.
4. Snowmobiling, for speed without learning to snowplough.
5. The villages: Arties, Salardú, Bagergue, Unha, Tredòs.
6. Vielha, for shopping, coffee and the Palai de Gèu ice rink when the weather turns.

Snowshoeing

If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Go with a guide: the Val d'Aran publishes a map of marked snow routes in avalanche-safe areas, but conditions change daily. Montgarri Outdoor's 2025-26 price list had a three-hour half day at €55 to €75 per person depending on group size, guide and snowshoes included. The 2026-27 list isn't out yet and no minimum age is published, so ask when you book.

Husky sledding

This is the one children talk about for weeks. The operator listed by Visit Val d'Aran is Montgarri Outdoor, based at Pla de Beret and running since 2003. In 2025-26, the short Dossau forest ride (3.5 km, about 20 minutes) cost €75 to €80 per adult and €40 to €42.50 per child under 11. The one-hour Senda de los Osos ride was €135 to €140, and the afternoon trip to Montgarri with lunch at the refuge about €190, meal (€55) extra. With small children, take the short ride: 20 minutes is about what a four-year-old lasts before asking for hot chocolate.

Montgarri Outdoor's website still lists its winter trips with online booking, but the only downloadable price list is for 2025-26, so check the price when you book.

Montgarri

Montgarri is an old village and sanctuary, now a refuge with a restaurant, 7 km from Pla de Beret along a track that is gravel in summer (Refugi Montgarri). In winter you reach it by snowshoe, husky sled or snowmobile. Visit Val d'Aran warns that the way back is uphill, so with young children, ride rather than walk. The refuge restaurant is where the operator's lunch and dinner trips stop. Going on your own? Book a table on +34 639 494 546 and check it's open that day.

Snowmobiles

Guided rides leave from Pla de Beret. In 2025-26 the basic 14 km round trip to Montgarri (about 90 minutes) cost €140 to €150 on a single machine, or €160 to €175 on a two-seater with a child under 11 riding behind. The price list doesn't say what age or licence you need to drive, so ask when you book.

The villages

The cheapest snow-free morning is a car and five villages, none more than ten minutes' drive from Baqueira 1500 without traffic. Start with Bagergue, high up and empty early on, then Unha next door. Drop down to Salardú for the church of Sant Andrèu, glance at Tredòs and end in Arties in time for an aperitif that will run longer than planned. For where to eat and how to get around, see the first-timer's guide to Baqueira.

Vielha

Vielha, 13 km or about 15 minutes' drive away, is the valley's capital and the place to go on a bad-weather day. The Palai de Gèu there has an ice rink and two heated pools, according to Visit Val d'Aran. Last season the rink opened Monday to Thursday 18:30 to 20:30 and Saturday 17:30 to 20:30, closed on Sundays (Visit Val d'Aran agenda, February 2026). This winter's hours aren't out yet, so call +34 973 64 28 64 before you drive down.

And in summer?

In July the valley turns green. Walk to the meadows and waterfalls of Artiga de Lin, the Saut deth Pish waterfall, or, with stronger legs, Lake Montoliu and the Bacivèr lakes from Beret. Montgarri is reachable by car or bike, and the Aran Park wildlife park near Bossòst has bears, wolves and lynx in semi-freedom. In 2026 it opened daily from 28 March to 1 November (Aran Park), so it's a spring-to-autumn plan.

If the non-skier ends up being the one who most wants to come back, it may be time for a home of your own. VIVLA sells homes in Tredòs, Garòs, Bagergue and Pleta de Nheu by eighths, with six weeks a year per co-owner. See which are still available in homes for sale in Baqueira.

Frequently asked questions

Is Baqueira worth it if I don't ski?

Yes, especially if you're travelling with skiers. Snowshoeing, husky sledding and snowmobiles all start at Pla de Beret, next to the slopes, and the stone villages are a short drive away. What you won't find is city nightlife: after eight, the plan is dinner and a fire.

How much does husky sledding cost in Baqueira?

The short 20-minute ride cost €75 to €80 per adult and €40 to €42.50 per child under 11 in Montgarri Outdoor's 2025-26 price list. Longer trips to Montgarri with lunch were around €190 per adult. The 2026-27 prices had not been published at the time of writing.

What can young children do in Baqueira without skiing?

A short sled ride with huskies, a walk around Bagergue and Arties and, on a grey day, skating at the Palai de Gèu in Vielha. For under-threes, the resort's Baby Baqueira 1500 nursery takes children from six months. The long snowshoe trek to Montgarri is the one to skip with little ones.