Where to go on vacation in the Alpes Maritimes mountains?

Go on vacation in the mountains in the Alpes Maritimes, is to discover the Alpes du Soleil! Known for its coast and its climate, the Alpes Maritimes department hides surprising valleys and landscapes in its mountains. There are several treasures to discover during your vacation in the mountains of Alpes-Maritimes, including the National Park of Mercantour.

When you are in Nice, Cannes or Menton, on one of the most beautiful Rivieras in Europe, you may not imagine that behind the hills lies a universe of green or snowy mountains depending on the season that has nothing to envy other Alpine regions. From the port of Antibes, or the Var plain in Nice, you can see in winter the high snow-capped and sparkling peaks of the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes, proof that something is happening up there. And these reliefs attract vacationers for a stay in the mountains in the Alpes Maritimes. They will be able to discover the flora and wild fauna in the magnificent Mercantour National Park.

Isola 2000 and Auron, the two major ski resorts in the Alpes Maritimes

It is by going up the Tinée Valley from Nice that you will come across the main mountain sites: Isola 2000 and Auron.

Mountain holidays in the Alpes Maritimes in Isola 2000 and Auron

The two main stations of the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes, rather modern, were built at altitude above the Tinée valley. These are the usual places to stay for holidays in the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes.

At Isola 2000, you can enjoy beautiful snow-covered slopes just 1 hours from Nice. An efficient and welcoming ski resort, where your mountain stay, focused on snow sports, is sure to be a success. Snow falls abundantly in this border region, and stays for a very long time during the season thanks to the altitude: the center of the resort is located at nearly 30 meters, as its name suggests. In summer, you can spend the Lombardy Pass to visit the highest place of pilgrimage in Europe at over 2000m, the sanctuary of Saint Anne of Vinadio, in the Piedmont.

Auron is a slightly different resort. As soon as you arrive, you admire the magnificent landscape that unfolds before you: perched on a balcony above Saint Etienne de Tinée, the Auron resort lets your imagination soar above the peaks of the Mercantour. Its architecture, more harmonious than that of Isola 2000 with the presence of large chalets and small second homes on the plateau, makes your walks more welcoming. Your mountain vacation will seem more harmonious. As soon as you leave the resort and climb the slopes of Las Donnas, you breathe the air purified by the omnipresent forest. It is also in the forest that in winter you will ski on the lower part of the area. A true resort that is evolving towards four-season tourism, Auron surprises all visitors with its deeply mountainous spirit so close to the Mediterranean Sea.

Discovering other mountain villages in the Alpes Maritimes and Mercantour

As you head into the Tinée valley towards the Col de la Bonette, which takes you into Ubaye, you discover Saint Dalmas le Selvage, a real little village that you will love. We won't tell you any more so that you can be surprised by this very remote site during your stay in the mountains in the Alpes Maritimes.

Further south, accessible via Beuil les Launes, Valberg is also a small historic resort in the Alpes Maritimes. Situated on a pass, you come here in summer to cool off and in winter to spend a day skiing under the Mediterranean sun.

The prize for the southernmost mountain resort in the French Alps goes to Gréolières. In the Pre-Alps of the Azur, from the summit of Cheiron, you can marvel at the landscape of the Côte d'Azur just twenty km as the crow flies from the sea! From here you can see Saint Tropez! Suffice to say that in good years you can ski on the last snow in April in the morning and take a dip in the Mediterranean in the afternoon! That's the charm of the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes: the proximity of the sea.

Moreover, it is an experience that can also be tried from Isola 2000 or Auron because in less than two hours you go from the snowy peaks to the beach! So why not try it?

The Mercantour National Park

If, on the other hand, you prefer the mountains in summer, the wild spaces of the Mercantour National Park offer you hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails between forests and panoramic ridges.

Hiking in the Mercantour National Park, in the heart of the Alpes Maritimes mountains.

The Park is a natural setting where high-altitude lakes, such as Lac d'Allos, the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe, offer breathtaking landscapes. The rock engravings of the Vallée des Merveilles bear witness to a thousand-year-old human history, while the majestic peaks invite you to unforgettable hikes. Each of the preserved valleys, such as the Ubaye, Roya, Tinée, Vésubie, and the high valleys of Var and Cians offer a unique experience, from the discovery of exceptional fauna and flora to the exploration of picturesque villages nestled in the mountains. From a natural point of view, you can marvel at your own pace at the biogeographic diversity of this protected area, between Mediterranean and Alpine influences. And for the more adventurous, the same landscapes covered in a thick blanket of snow are accessible in winter by ski touring or snowshoeing.

Activities not to be missed in the mountains of the Alpes Maritimes and Mercantour

Le Planetary Trail in Valberg.
The Cians Gorges.
Vesubia Mountain Park in St Martin Vésubie to learn canyoning, climbing, rope bridges, etc.
Le Alpha Park, to discover the fascinating world of wolves (temporarily closed), in St Martin de Vésubie.
The Museum of Wonders in Tende, and the Valley of Wonders, discovering prehistory.
The old town of Saorge
Le Pignes Train
Le Train of Wonders
The climb to the Col de la Bonette, highest French pass
A stroll on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, after a day in the mountains, and why not a Segway tour!
Le Fragonard Museum and the perfume museum in Grasse.
A day of private visit of the French Riviera

The best webcams of the Alpes Maritimes mountains

(click on the name of the village)

Insulated 2000 : several webcams on this page which show the resort, the ski area and the surrounding mountains.
Auron: a series of webcams aimed at the resort and its mountains.
Valberg: a webcam to monitor the snow cover in Valberg
Snow Gréolières: Live from the station!