Canazei ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Canazei
Resort reviews
Skiing in Canazei - the sport and ski holiday capital of the Val di Fassa. An area of outstanding beauty in the very heart of the Italian Dolomites at the cross-roads of the Pordoi, Sella and Fedaia mountain passes.
Canazei ski resort is a very lively and a family friendly village linking directly with the 24km Sella Ronda circuit. Relatively large for Dolomiti resorts with around 2000 residents, it provides everything you need for your ski holidays on and of the slopes.
Children
As is typical throughout Italy, children are worshipped and Canazei is no exception with miniclubs and daycare centres for the younger ones up to the age of 11.
| Key information (local area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1465m |
| Top lift | 2395m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 120 |
| Longest run | 9 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 51 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 2 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & Fun |
Canazei ski area guide
The local ski area of Val di Fassa / Carezza which includes Canazei amd Campitello has 59 lifts and 120km of pistes of which 87km are red, 24km blue / green and 9km black.
Further down the main valley, is another ski area called the Tre Valli which includes the towns of San Pellegrino and Moena. This area gives a further 100km of pistes and 26 lifts.
The main slopes above Canazei are known as the "bowl" and its from here that you can link into the Sella Ronda route and access to the 1220km of ski terrain available on the Super Dolomiti ski pass. We only have one recommendation and that is to get to the main gondola before 8.30 or after 10am as it can get quite busy especially in peak periods. After that, there are virtually no queues to be seen.
Beginners
For beginners, the Canazei bowl is ideal with a few gentle green and blue runs. From here, the blues switch to more demanding reds.
Intermediate
Intermediates are in heaven as 60% of the runs covered by the Super Dolomiti pass are red! - far more than you can ski on a weeks holiday.
To get started, try the Sella Ronda orange route in the direction of Val Gardena via the Belvedere gondola - the complete circuit should take the best part of a day and is great fun. Around 600,00 people a year ski round the Sella Ronda which shows how popuar it is!
Advanced
For experts, head towards Arabba. This is where the more challenging runs are - long and steep. From Arabba - its about another 40 mins skiing to the glacier on the Marmolada mountain which requires you to take 3 consecutive cable cars to get to the top at 3250m. Once there, you will be greeted by some excellent off-piste trails but as always, these are best attempted with a local guide.
Things to see & do in Canazei
In addition to skiing, other winter activities include:
- Ice skating in Canazei, Moena, Campitello and Pozza di Fassa
- Snowshoeing
- Snow tubing
- Hand-gliding
Après-ski
The après ski is excellent and can be as relaxed or lively as you want. In the town centre, there is a good choice of cafes, restaurants and bars some of which stay open until the early hours in season.
Our view on Canazei
We think Canazei is the ideal base for ski holidays in the Dolomites with so many touring options available and some fantastic places to vist either in winter or summer...
- Spend a day doing the Sella Ronda - a great day of skiing for all levels. The circuit can be tried in either direction and takes in 28 ski lifts and 26km of piste
- The Great War Ski Tour is another of our favourites and takes a minimum of 7 hours covering 41km
- In January and February, the towns in the Val di Fassa put on "Ladin Carnivals" called Mascheredes. Performances are in the Ladin language with the actors wearing perculiar carved wooden masks
- The Sottaguda gorge at the bottom of the Marmolada glacier is definitely worth visiting
