.jpg "Bici Lab Andorra - La Vuelta")
Ice karting in Andorra
Location and contact
Get your team together and get ready to compete! Try out our 20-minute timed races on an open circuit, or if you prefer, go for our shorter, more intense 10-minute individual heats. Don’t forget, Saturdays is kids’ day, where the Canillo ice rink welcomes younger motor racing fans, aged 8 to 15. Both open-circuit timed races and individual heats are accessible to children. And you won’t have to worry about food and drink, either – the centre has its own restaurant, Tapika’s offering a set menu or individual dishes, all home-made cuisine.
Palau de Gel, Canillo’s very own Olympic-sized ice rink, is home to a variety of sports and leisure activities for the whole family: ice skating, ice karting, ice hockey and ballon-balai are just some of the sports you can try out. Ballon-balai, or “broomball”, first appeared at the start of the 20th century in the state of Manitoba, Canada, and consisted in hitting a small football with corn brooms. Although it’s less well-known, it’s actually very similar to ice hockey, being played in the same ice rink with similar game rules and techniques. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Players hold a wooden or aluminium stick ending in a fan-shaped head, and the idea is to move around a ball called a “puk”. The team that scores the most goals wins the match!
If you prefer, you have the option of visiting us in the evening so you can pair up a sports activity with dinner among friends!
If skating’s not your thing, don’t worry – we have you covered. Palau de Gel is fitted with a heated swimming pool offering fun activities such as water polo and canoeing.
Discover Ice karting
Our huge Olympic-sized ice rink measures 1,800 square meters (almost 20,000 square ft) and is open for ice karting or ice skating sessions throughout the day and into the night. You might even prefer to have dinner first, and leave your ice fun for afterwards. Not to mention the Palau de Gel’s very own Disco Gel, the country’s only disco on ice!
Once you’ve tried your hand at ice karting, you’ll likely want to try out our other ice based sports and activities. Ice hockey is an obvious choice – but first, you’ll need to find some team members to join you. For this sport, you’ll need two teams of players, with the total number of players in the game ranging from 10 to 22 (teams of 5 up to 11 players). Next, contact the Palau de Gel directly and book the whole ice rink. Don’t worry, booking the rink comes with all the equipment you’ll need to play the game, including skates, sticks and helmets. As a bonus option, the rink can also be booked with dinner for the entire group included in the booking price. There are some requirements, though: all players must be aged 16 or above and must wear adequate sports clothing, including long trousers, a long-sleeved top and socks.
Already experienced an exciting ice hockey match at the Palau and ready to try something new? Great! Ice skating is always a fun and popular activity – you can even skate on your own, all through the week and even at night. And, of course, there’s also curling, the lesser-known but very enjoyable Canadian sport “broomball”, and, yes, motorised ice karting, too!
Why try Ice karting in Andorra
Andorra’s Palau de Gel in Canillo is the ideal place to visit for all your sporting needs. Families with children are more than welcome, too! The Palau offers a wide range of safe and fun activities for our little guests, such as birthday parties, with an hour’s guided activity and snack included. And any equipment required for the sport to be enjoyed can be easily rented at the centre itself: helmets, skates, knee pads, elbow pads and much more.
On your family visit to the Palau de Gel, we strongly recommend taking the opportunity to try out something completely new. Ever tried curling before? Curling is a precision and team sport which originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages! It’s been an Olympic sport since 1988, and has been growing in popularity across the world ever since, particularly in Canada, the US and countries in northern Europe. It’s a simple sport to play as a family, as there are no age limits or special requirements in terms of the physical condition of the players. It’s a game for all, and the rules are easy peasy!
The activity is played on an ice rink with two teams of four players, or “sweepers”, eight 20 kg (44 lbs) granite stones and a “broom” or “brush”. The first player, or “lead”, will launch the first two stones and will sweep the next six; the second and third players will launch stones 3, 4, 5 and 6 and sweep the rest. Finally the fourth player, known as the “skip” or captain, decides on the team’ strategy: namely, where to aim the throws and when to sweep, as well as how to do the last two throws.
Where to try ice karting in Andorra
Andorra’s Palau de Gel is located on the Carretera General Canillo, next to the Grandvalira ski resort and only 15 minutes from the region’s capital city, Andorra la Vella. The Palau de Gel is a stunning sports complex with high-quality facilities and equipment for enjoying and practicing sports all year round. During the winter months it offers ice hockey and other ice based sports and activities in its Olympic-sized ice rink, as well as a heated pool with no less than six lanes, open all year round. In the summer, the open-air solarium can be used, including our full-scale Urban Gym equipped with a climbing wall and sauna – everything you need to keep up your general fitness and improve your muscles and cardio!
Palau de Gel’s skating rink offers all its visitors the perfect opportunity to practice a wide array of sports and activities in a fun, enjoyable, modern, safe and secure environment. These include ice karting, children’s circuit with electric vehicles, ice hockey games, ballon-balai or “broomball”, curling and even ice football! The facilities even include a full-size heated swimming pool measuring 25 m x 12.5 m (82 ft x 41 ft) where water polo can be played as well as canoeing. As well as the outdoor solarium, sauna and gym, the centre also features a UV cabin, indoor climbing wall and courts for both tennis and squash games. It even has a spacious auditorium with capacity of 314 guests, and a store for guests to conveniently acquire their sports-related articles.
Passes and tickets
Andorra’s Centre Esportiu Palau de Gel is located on Avinguda Sant Joan de Caselles in the town of Canillo. Passes and tickets, as well as full details on facilities and equipment as well as practical visitor information, can be found on the centre’s official website. Passes can be bought for shows and sporting activities. Check out the special offers and promotions page for details on year-round discounts and deals. For example, an Adventure Pack is available at a discount and includes entry to Mont(t) Màgic Grandvalira. There’s a wide range of discounts available for members of specific groups and associations – do check the website for full details and requirements. The website also has details on all the activities included in your ticket and who the activities are suitable for (some age and height restrictions do apply to certain sports and activities, so please make sure to check these carefully in advance to avoid disappointment).
