Santa Cristina ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in S. Cristina
Resort reviews
Ski holidays in S.Cristina - a sunny village surrounded by gentle alpine pastures and the rugged peaks of the Dolomites. It sits at 1428m and is the gateway to the Nature Park Puez-Odle which was declared a world natural heritage site by UNESCO.
From its location, Val Gardena combines Italian and Austrian influences to create a wonderful mix of unique food, culture and traditions. It was awarded the title of "Leading Mountain Resorts of the World" which means it offers first class holidays at any time of the year.
Après-ski
S. Cristina is quieter than its sister resort Selva in terms of bars but is perfect for families offering relaxing evenings with fine holiday offers a full range of après-ski from the quite and sophisticated to lively and late with several very good bars and clubs.
| Key information (local area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1428m |
| Top lift | 2518m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 400 |
| Longest run | 10 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 115 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 5 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed |
Santa Cristina - Val Gardena ski area guide
S. Cristina benefits from its easy access to the sunny bowl of the Alpe di Suisi ski area above Ortisei in Val Gardena. The local ski area is impressive and there is more than enough terrain for beginners and early intermediate skiers and boarders for a weeks holidays. However, for those who like ski touring, Santa Cristina links into the massive 26km Sella Ronda carousel - probably one of the best on-piste ski tours in the Alps.
Arabba has the most blacks around the Sella Ronda circuit and from there, time permitting, skiing on the Marmolda is not to be missed. From Arabba, it takes around 40 mins to ski to the base cable car. A further 2 cable cars gets you to the top. The best known run is the Bellunese from Punta Rocca at 3300m down to Malga Ciapela, a vertical drop of 1800m and some 12km long - truly amazing and stunning scenery all the way.
Beginners
Selva is a perfect resort for beginners with gentle slopes which are also ideal for second week skiers who want to improve their techniques before venturing out around the Sella Ronda.
Intermediate
The local and entire Super Dolomiti area is tailor made for intermediate skiers and boarders with literally more pistes than you could imagine in every direction.
As a starter, head to Ortisei and take the lift to the top of the Seceda (2518m) and from there, its a long Red all the way down to the village - ideal for your first run of the week before heading over to Ciampinoi.
Advanced
The local area of Ciampinoi / Sassolungo between Selva and S. Cristina has the most challenging runs and certainly the best off-piste. Taking a guide is the best way to discover the best trails. Farther afield, a trip to Arabba via the Podroi Pass is highly recommended.
Things to see & do
And, if you don't ski, there are plenty of other activities to try or watch through various organised events such as the Christmas Market in December, a snow and ice sculpture competition, sporting events such as the "Val Gardena Ciasp" snowshoe race, the Sellaronda ski marathon and the ”Südtirol Gardenissima” - just some of the classic Winter Highlights in Gardena.
- Ice skating
- There are 51km of cross-country and skating trails in the valley with the longest, Circuit de Coufin, being 9km long
- Heli-skiing
- Mardolomiti leisure centre with pool & spa centre in Ortisei
- Indoor hot spring pool
Featured chalets in Santa Cristina
One visit to Val Gardena is not enough. This could go some way to explaining the increasing popularity of the valley and the Dolomites as a place to go on a skiing holiday. There is plenty of good value accommodation in Val Gardena ranging from superb family run residences to high quality self-catering ski chalets. Wherever you choose to stay, you are never far from the slopes and the beautiful village centre.
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Mychaletfinder view on Santa Cristina
Ski holidays in S Cristina are really well suited to family holidays. This traditional resort is charming and welcoming to all its guests and provides access to the largest ski carousel in the world - Dolomiti SuperSki. A few suggestions for your ski holiday...
- Not to miss is the Great War ski tour around the Col de Lana which is possible if you get the first lift out of Val Gardena and head over towards Arabba either clockwise or anti-clockwise around the Sella Ronda
- For some entertaining fun, don't miss the Luisl Keller in Selva and the gogo girls dance outside the Piz Seteur Refuge at Piz Sella
- Definitely try the Sella Ronda circuit even if you are an early intermediate - superb fun all the way round
- For some entertaining fun, the ski boot bop in Corvara is a good way to end the afternoon. This "disco" kicks off around 3pm each afternoon and generally continues in the surrounding bars until the early hours!!
- Ski over to Alta Badia via Corvara and head up to the hidden valley to discover the frozen waterfalls. At the end of the piste, you get towed by horses back to the ski lift!
