A New Era in the Aragonese Pyrenees: Astún and Benasque Gear Up for Game-Changing Lifts

The Aragonese Pyrenees are undergoing one of the most ambitious infrastructure overhauls in Spanish ski history. Ahead of the upcoming winter season, major progress in two of Huesca’s key mountain hubs—the Valley of Aragón (Astún) and the Benasque Valley—marks a pivotal moment for regional ski tourism.

With new lifts nearing completion, local resorts and town councils are working to modernize mountain transport, reduce environmental impact, and build seamlessly connected ski domains.

Astún’s Strategic Stepping Stone: The New Balsas Chairlift

In the Valley of Aragón, the Astún ski resort is preparing to unveil its new four-seater chairlift, Balsas.

• The Setup: The lift’s lower terminal sits at approximately 2,015 meters below the Prado Blanco green slope, climbing to around 2,218 meters in the Balsas sector.

• The Strategic Vision: While Balsas immediately improves internal skier flow for Astún, its true value lies in what comes next. The upper arrival zone of the long-awaited Astún–Candanchú cable car is planned for altitude 2,022 m—just meters away from the Balsas base station.

• Seamless Transfer: Once the full valley-linking cable car is completed (projected for the 2027–2028 season at an estimated budget of €29–35 million), skiers crossing over from Candanchú will be able to step off the cable car and directly board the Balsas chairlift to access the higher reaches of Astún.

"The Balsas lift is an immediate upgrade for our skiers this winter, but fundamentally, it is the first piece of the puzzle in a deep structural transformation for the valley."

Benasque–Cerler Cable Car: Linking Town to Mountain

Further east in the Ribagorza region, a long-held dream in the Benasque Valley is entering its final stretch. Construction and technical testing for the Benasque–Cerler Cable Car are complete following a €17 million project, largely supported by NextGeneration EU recovery funds.

• Technical Specs: The 2.01-kilometer monocable line glides between Benasque town (1,135m) and Cerler (1,504m) in under six minutes. Supported by 15 pylons, 68 ten-passenger cabins can move up to 2,400 skiers per hour.

• Operation & Management: The Town Council of Benasque (Ayuntamiento de Benasque) will directly manage the lift during its initial two-year operating phase, backed by financial support from the Regional Government of Aragón (Gobierno de Aragón).

• Sustainability & Convenience: By turning Benasque into a direct "slopeside" (pie de pistas) resort town, the cable car aims to drastically cut private vehicle traffic on the winding mountain road up to Cerler, reducing CO₂ emissions in fragile alpine environments.

Key Project Summary

Looking Ahead: The Broader Pyrenean Vision

These developments represent a multi-million euro modernization campaign across northern Spain. While Benasque and Astún prepare to inaugurate their latest additions, earthworks and foundation construction continue on the intermediate station for the Astún–Candanchú connection.

When fully operational, the 3.5-kilometer cable car between Astún and Candanchú will unite the two historic resorts into a single domain offering over 100 kilometers of skiable terrain. For Spanish ski enthusiasts and international visitors alike, the Pyrenees of Huesca are positioning themselves to compete with Europe's top interconnected alpine destinations.