Vallnord appeared in 2005, apparently as a response to the creation of GrandValira from the merger of Soldeu and Pas De La Casa. Unlike GrandValira the three areas that form Vallnord – Pal, Arinsal and Arcalis are not lift-linked together; although Pal and Arinsal are linked by a modern gondola, creating the largest single sector.

Pal Arinsal offers a combined trail length of 63km (39 miles) of runs served by 30 lifts, with a combined total of 30,400 skiers per hour. The cable car that links the two runs between Coll de la Botella at 2067m and Port Negre at 2489m a distance of 2376m. The Doppelmayr built lift, the first of its type in the Pyrenees, has a journey time of six minutes and can carry 50 people per car, offers spectacular views, and has a capacity of 500 skiers per hour. The lift represents the culmination of a huge investment in the area which has seen the installation four new quads, a high speed gondola linking Arinsal to its resort base and the upgrading of trails, snowmaking and most other aspects of the two ski areas, now officially one.

Arcalis is Andorra's newest ski area with ultra modern lifts is located in one of the country's most beautiful mountain valleys, also offering some of the principality's more challenging skiing above. La Portella del Mig on the north eastern face of the Cercle de Arcalis has great chutes and powder stashes. If you like tree-lined runs then the Arcalis side has blues and reds through the trees. The quietest of Andorra’s ski areas, there’s high value as always in Andorra and lift queues a rarity.

Despite the limited amount of pisted terrain (26km or 16 miles served by 14 lifts, with only two black trails), making it the smallest ski area in Andorra, many purists claim that Arcalis has the most varied and some of the toughest runs in the principality. The Canal Gran black (trail X) that starts as the red run La Portella del Mig off the ridge from the top of the Basera chair, runs through narrow ravines and over mogul fields as the swiftly drop away. Another exciting run down the other side of the same ridge is the La Balma red, that cuts off right from the Coma blue at the top. This sweeps round and becomes the Canaleta red as it enters the trees, giving a full descent of over 3km (2 miles) off the long Basera chair, the longest of its type in the Pyrenees.

Arcalis is known in Andorra as Vall d’Ordino as the resort comprises ten small villages along the Ordino Valley. The ski lifts depart from Arcalis, the largest single settlement is Ordino itself, where most facilities are located.