Highlights from my First Summer Holiday in Sainte Foy Tarentaise
When you’re searching for summer holiday inspiration, you might be thinking the last place you would stumble across would be in the French Alps! From my own experiences in the mountains, I genuinely thought The Alps were only worth visiting in the Winter, when they’re the perfect playground for snow sports… How wrong was I!?
As a snowboarder, I fell head over heels in love with Sainte Foy almost immediately. Although it’s renowned for being somewhat smaller than its neighbouring resorts, this doesn’t reflect on what this special place has to offer. With its wide, tree lined and super quiet slopes, on some days you can literally get from top to bottom without seeing another sole! Think secret trails and a vast expanse of off-piste terrain. I’m sure you can now see why I repeatedly come back to this incredible resort! Find our more about Sainte Foy during the winter months.
So why would you visit during the summer I hear you ask? Well I must admit, I did wonder the same myself. Presented with a unique opportunity to extend my stay, the resort closed its lifts and the return of fresh grass, blooming flowers and the mountain wildlife came along in quick succession. The first chairlift re-opens in July & August providing your golden ticket to the mountains during the summer. I was genuinely surprised with how much was on offer and I wasted no time making the most of the few months I had there. Of course, when you’re on holiday you have the choice of doing as much or as little as you desire. Summer in Sainte Foy offers exactly that!
Summer Holidays: Hiking, Biking and BBQs
Once the snow clears, you are left with endless amounts of MTB trails and walking routes, which can lead you to explore so many different areas of the mountain. All you need is a bike or good pair of walking shoes, a packed lunch or picnic and then you’re all set for a day of adventure! The ancient village of Le Monal is a must see!
Whilst always wanting to take advantage of the incredible weather, which by the way – if you ever thought you’d be missing out, whilst everyone else spent their day soaking up the sun on a beach somewhere, think again! The sun in the mountains is incredible and whilst the soft mountain breeze my fool you into thinking the sun isn’t as hot, it really is and sun cream is an absolute must!
So anyway, taking advantage of the weather… BBQs up the mountain are a great way to spend the day. The walk up is totally worth it when you can spend the day enjoying the sunshine, eating great food and even taking a paddle in one of the fresh mountain rivers – Absolute bliss!
Challenge Yourself
If you’re anything like me, you will often need a gentle push to bring out your more adventurous side! The older I get, I am becoming increasingly scared of most things I would have dived straight into in my 20’s! This was no exception when I found myself at Tignes lake trying to talk myself out of doing the “hot jumping slide”. Under the guidance of an instructor, you choose whether to slide down on your back or belly, finishing with an acrobatic jump in the lake!…
Well, I did it, but there was nothing acrobatic or graceful about my crash landing into the lake! Along with the slide you can also take part in plenty of other activities including the jumping ramp, the blob jump, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and much, much more. It really is a perfect day out for the whole family or group of friends.
Local Markets & Restaurants
During my summer stay in Sainte Foy I was a regular visitor to the local town of Bourg St Maurice, just 12km down the mountain from Sainte Foy. It boasts an impressive selection of cafés, restaurants, bars, shops and markets, which sell fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, clothing and all sorts of regional goodies. A great spot to find your souvenirs to take back home!
If all this wasn’t enough to keep you entertained for the whole day, you will also find the streets filled with different street performers who can dazzle you with a magic trick or you can even try the retro and vintage games!
Once the sun sets, you can head over to one of the many local restaurants and get yourself comfy for an evening of the finest cuisines, wines and live music!
One of my favourite restaurants in the area is Chez Merie which is in the authentic mountain village of Le Miroir. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food is amazing! You can choose to sit beside the pool before or after you eat to soak up the glorious sunshine.
Adventure or Relaxation – You decide!
The beauty of Sainte Foy is not only are there endless amounts of activities, events and day trips to keep everyone entertained, you also have the choice of just sitting back, relaxing and doing absolutely nothing! There were days where I would just sit back on a deck chair, on the balcony of my chalet, read a book and take in the spectacular views. The Peak & La Marquise have perfect outdoor seating to do just that.
In the evening you can take a leisurely stroll across to one of the Sainte Foy restaurants right on your doorstep or if you are staying in The Peak, you can enjoy being taken care off by a dedicated host and professional chef.
So these are just a few of the reasons I loved spending my summer holidays in the mountains. For me, Sainte Foy ticks every single box!
If you’d like to hear more information about our Summer Holidays, do get in touch with our friendly Sales Team!