Winter sports
Baqueira Beret is home to the largest winter sports centre in the Pyrenees, and the skiing is world class. The Spanish Royal family are regular visitors, as are our own mock-royals, Posh and Becks. There are 57 runs with a combined length of 93km, set over four levels of difficulty. There's also a 7km-long cross-country Nordic skiing trail, and other snow-related sports including heli-skiing, dog-sledding and snow-shoe walking.

Luce and I decided that a walk was in order and we set off for the nearby village of Montgarri. It was a perfect late winter day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining, but there was snow all around us. Montgarri is not a thriving metropolis - there's only an ancient church, a youth hostel (serving beer!) and a restaurant - but the walk to and from there was spectacularly beautiful. Maybe it was the contrast with the grey days in London, but the chocolate-box beauty of the area was magical.

Walking in the Pyrenees
Good walking in the Pyrenees is available all year round, and in spring and summer you'll find the mountain sides covered with wild flowers. In Vielha, the main town in the middle of the valley, you can hire a guide to take you, or you can follow the trails by yourself. There are also cycle paths and horse-riding tours available.

The Garonne River flows through the valley, which is dotted with pretty little villages, many of which are World Heritage Sites boasting churches from the Middle Ages. Many of the churches are beautifully decorated with painted walls and ornate sculptures and are well worth a visit. Old traditions still continue and are reflected in the festivals. In the village of Les, for example, Crema deth Haro is celebrated on 23 June, the eve of St John, when a huge fir tree is set alight in the village square and locals and tourists dance around it.

The hotel
La Pleta hotel, where we were staying, is a small hotel with 67 rooms. It welcomes children, and all the families we met were enjoying the skiing. Part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, it lived up to expectations in terms of decor and service. All the staff were friendly and helpful, and our rooms were spacious and comfortable. The beds were enormous and the bathroom had a hydromassage shower (which I was less than impressed with as it just seemed to squirt water at random parts of your body).

There were plenty of comfy sofas to lounge on in the communal areas and a huge, roaring fire made it welcoming. In summer, the whole of the terrace area is opened up, and you can order snacks and drinks as you enjoy the sunset. Locked cabinets house vintage ports and brandies, but the waiters are never far away, and they were happy to discuss the subtle differences between the different bottles.

It's a purpose-built resort, and did feel a little soulless, especially when it came to night life. I'd expected a little village where we could wander and choose a restaurant, but the hotel is a bit too far out. You need a car to negotiate the steep roads as there are no pavements, making walking at night perilous. We opted to eat in the hotel's Del Gel al Foc restaurant, and the food was delicious. One of the delicacies is locally-produced caviar, which seemed a little odd to me, until we were told there's a fish farm in nearby Les, which makes it.

Val d'Aran is a beautiful part of the Pyrenees and well worth investigating if you're in need of some wide open spaces. My top tip would be to hire a car, as transfers from the hotel and taxi fares can soon add up.

La Pleta Hotel & Spa
Ctra. de Baqueira a Beret. cota 1.700
E255998 Baqueira-Lleida
Espana
Tel: +34 973 645 550
Web: www.lapleta.com

Our body wrap treatments cost €100 and lasted for 50 minutes. The spa offers all the usual suspects in terms of treatments, with facials costing between €105-120 and massages from €40-115.

You can hire ski equipment at the hotel and buy your ski passes there.