Every ski resort is different, and just because two are in the same area does not mean they’re equally as good. I spent some time in both La Masella and La Molina, and I’m going to be sharing my experience in both, including my recommendation and whether I’d like to return there.
La Masella and La Molina are two ski resorts located in the north of Spain, specifically in Catalonia. They occupy the Spanish part of the Pyrenees mountain range, on two mountains that stand side-by-side.
I wanted to feature these resorts in a post because they’re incredibly close to where my parents live, so every winter it was our go-to place. I have decided to talk about both of these resorts in the same chapter because they’re right next to each other, so it felt silly to do them separately.
LA MOLINA
I’ll be talking about La Molina first, for no other reason than that I prefer to go from left to right, and this resort is located to the right of La Masella, as you’ll be able to see from the image I have attached below.
This station is a little smaller than its neighbouring station, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality. The views are breathtaking (quite literally for me, because I have insane vertigo) and the general feeling of skiing there is fantastic.
The starter level slopes looked quite good, actually! I could see so many cute little children lined up going down them one by one. The overall bottom half of the mountain has really good runs and the snow is really nice to ski on. Crunchy but not too soft, and not too icy either, I’d say in perfect condition.
The top half of the mountain was like a completely different resort: bumpy and daring pistes. In a good way though! It forced you to improve your control skills and push your limits. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like skiing off a cliff, it has nice and calm runs. Some of them were just a little bumpier than I’m used to: like a turbulent plane, if you will.
Despite how fun it was, I did struggle with how steep a few of the runs were, and the heart-stopping views of the valley in front. And I do mean heart-stopping, as I had to actually walk down near the off piste zone on one occasion because of my intense vertigo. But just because I had a hard time with the steepness, doesn’t mean anyone else will, I have always had vertigo so this frequently happens. I still enjoy the runs and the adrenaline rush!
Another thing I’d like to point out was the snow at the top. Somehow, the sunlight shines at the bottom of the mountain, but not much up top. Only a few hours of sunlight a day on a lot of the runs, meaning the snow is harder and icier. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you just need to be able to control your skis/ snowboard well. It was fun to glide along the icy snow, that’s for sure!
LA MASELLA
Although these two ski resorts are so close together, they certainly have their own ‘personalities’.
This mountain is more in the sunlight, so the snow isn’t as icy. Despite the sunlight, the snow isn’t too mushy either, as the resort is higher up, so a little colder. Now, I know I said that La Molina’s snow was perfect, but I’d describe La Masella’s snow as even better than perfect. It’s the best snow I have ever skied on in my life! One or two icy parts, but you get that anywhere you go.
As it is higher up, the views are incredible! I had to stop multiple times mid-run to take photos. And I know what you’re thinking: “but aren’t you scared of heights?”. Yep! But luckily for me, there were plenty of trees in the way of the actual ‘drop’ down into the valley, so I could enjoy the views without panicking (my fear works in mysterious ways).
The runs were so smooth and magical. All of the red runs were so fun to go down, and I did a few of the blacks and they were pretty exhilarating too! The blue runs were so nice to just glide down if you’re looking for a relaxing yet fun time, and the reds are great, yet a little more challenging. The greens were a bit flat, but that’s just me. I don’t normally do the green ones, so for all I know, they could be better than the average green run.
The food at both stations wasn’t that bad, it was actually better than some other ski stations I’d been to, although it was still quite bland. What can you expect though? I’ve personally never been the biggest fan of ski station meals, but they’re an energy boost, so that’s something! I’d describe it like airport food, it does the job but it’s not the best.
If you’re deciding to go to one or the other, I’d recommend going to La Masella, however if you can, do both!! I’ll definitely be returning when I get the chance.
Anyway, that’s my review of La Molina and La Masella! I hope you enjoyed reading this and I hope that it has maybe helped in any decision making process you may be going through. If you have any questions about these places, please feel free to ask in the comments or via my private email (find it in the ‘contact’ section of this site). I love talking to you guys and helping out!
P.S. If you haven't yet, go and check out my review of the Grandvalira resort in Andorra! It-s a more detailed opinion piece as I actually stayed in a hotel right by the ski lift!
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Until next time!