First snows of winter see start of Spain's ski season

Popular slopes relatively unknown to foreign tourists are among the cheapest in Europe and perfect for every level of skier

Although the French Alpes and Andorra continue to be the European skiing community's mecca, Spain's underrated slopes are perfect for everyone from total beginners to experts and considerably cheaper in most cases.

Whilst Spain is more commonly associated with sun-drenched beaches to northern European travellers, the Pyrénées, the Sierra Nevada in the province of Granada – just a short drive from its stunning coastline – and the mountains of the province of Teruel in southern Aragón are frequently packed out with Spanish residents seeking some winter sporting fun.

Foreign skiers travelling to Spain exclusively for its snowy pistes continue to be in a minority, but the cost of a skiing holiday in the country – or a weekend or even a day trip – is far lower than elsewhere in Europe and, in the case of Granada and Teruel in particular, easy to reach by car in anything from half an hour to three hours for tourists staying in beach areas.

Even Madrid and Asturias have excellent slopes and visitors to Spain's capital can easily combine their trip with a day out skiing or an overnight trip to the snowy peaks.

Catalunya's most prestigious ski station, Baqueira Beret, celebrates its 50^th anniversary this winter with a new investment of 11 million euros in its chair-lifts and tele-skis, plus 21 new pistes.

Popular with some of Spain's richest residents including royalty and politicians, Baqueira Beret offers Nordic skiing with racquets as well as traditional skiing.

Also in Catalunya, La Masella offers night-time skiing, whilst Port del Comte offers Nordic skiing or mushing, and the slopes at Tavascan have the first-ever piste in Spain adapted to every level from Olympic slalom racers to those who have never 'tread the boards' in their lives.

Some of the cheapest and least-known slopes outside of Spain are the Aramón stations in the land-locked region of Aragón, which sits to the east of the centre of the country, running from the Pyrénées – where the ski resorts in the northernmost province of Huesca, Panticosa, Cerler and Formigal are found – down to the western borders of Valencia where, in its southern province of Teruel, the neighbouring resorts of Javalambre and Valdelinares can be reached in just over two hours from the city of Valencia or the coast.

Deals offered by the Aragonese stations include free accommodation with ski-lift pass purchases, free children's places and discounts for beginners and university students.

To find out more, take a look at their website, www.aramon.es.

The Sierra Nevada has invested 3.1 million euros in its slopes and rewards those who book a 10-day pass in advance with a 12.50-euro discount.

Later in the season, skiing fans can combine warm, springlike climates with snowy sports – many of the resorts are open until mid-March or even April, and day visitors can spend a morning skiing and a late afternoon relaxing in a pavement café in just a T-shirt.

This year, the average skier visiting Spanish resorts is expected to spend around 150 euros – some 5% less than last year, although this is more because of special deals and discounts than because of any decline in popularity.