There are two ski resorts in Azerbaijan — Shahdag (Şahdağ) and Tufandag (Tufandağ).
Shahdag and Tufandag on the map
If you look at the map, they are located close to each other (they are separated by 40 km of mountains), but the distance by road between them is 390 kilometers. Shahdag is located 232 kilometers from Baku Airport, and Tufandag is 240 km from Baku Airport.
The main and most popular winter recreation center is Shahdag. There are over 30 km of trails here. The resort is 100% covered with snow cannons, so only sub-zero temperatures are needed here to open the winter season. Most vacationers (both Azerbaijanis and numerous tourists from India, Pakistan and Arab countries) come here to take pictures from the observation deck, touch the snow and have fun, but not to ride. Therefore, there is plenty of space for ski tourists here – half-empty trails (especially on weekdays) and no queues for lifts.
Tufandag is a small ski center located on the outskirts of Gabala, a popular weekend getaway for Baku residents. There are over 13 km of trails here. As in Shahdag, 95% of the resort’s guests do not come here to ski and snowboard. Therefore, the tracks are mostly half-empty.
