From the peaks towering over 3,000 metres above sea level to the plains of the Pre-Alps, enthusiasts of alpine and cross-country skiing can take advantage of more than 700 kilometres of trails in sunny landscapes offer an incomparable diversity of settings: mountain pasture and forest, majesty of the highest summits and picturesque perched villages, such is the privilege of the Alpes-Maritimes... The Alpes-Maritimes boasts 3 international resorts (Valberg, Auron and Isola 2000) and 12 "small family resorts" all over the Massif. Their assets in terms of snow and sunshine are guaranteed just a 1½-hour drive from the coast! After skiing? There is no lack of choice... Practice of certain thrilling sports: ice climbing, dog sleigh, igloo building in the Mercantour or more simply, snowshoeing, ice driving, outings in a horse-drawn carriage or a few fitness sessions... But also discovering local arts and crafts, culinary specialities and historic villages brimming with secret treasures (painted chapels, museums...). Why not play on the contrast between sea and mountains and, in the late afternoon, sit on a terrace on La Croisette or Promenade des Anglais, followed by an exceptional soiree like those proposed during the Cannes Shopping Festival, the Carnival of Nice or the Citrus Festival of Menton!
Location: an hour's drive from the sea
- 15 ski resorts including 3 international resorts
- 1 National Park: Mercantour National Park
- Valberg: "Family + Mountain" Resort
- 700km of pistes
- 150 ski lifts
- 250 instructors
- 200 snow cannons
- 4 snow parks
Tourist data
- 500,000 tourists in the hinterland
Accommodation capacity in resorts
- 7,504 beds in 207 establishments
Spring, summer, autumn...The mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes: a fabulous playground
Once the snow is melted, the Alpes-Maritimes become
a wonderful playground for thrill seekers,
trekkers and sportspersons of all levels.
The resorts of the Alpes-Maritimes offer 2 high-altitude
golf courses, via ferratas and some of Europe's finest
canyons... Water, land and air are available from
April to October.
New structures enhance the preservation of sites,
fauna and flora. Especially in the Vésubie Valley and
in the Pre-Alps of Grasse with the creation of a Scénoparc® at Saint-Martin-Vésubie and a private 800-hectare natural
reserve at Thorenc.
We should also recall that the Mercantour National Park
is in the heart of the department and represents a major
asset for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage.
Active leisure activities
- Climbing & alpinism/ bungee jumping
- Adventure trails
- Via ferrata/Via souterrata
- Hiking & trekking
- Horseback riding
- Biking
- Free flying
- High-altitude golf
- Canyoning
- White-water sports
- Caving
- Fishing
Location: an hour's drive from the sea
- 4,000 km of trails and hiking itineraries
- 65 mountain bike trails
- 1 National Park: Mercantour National Park
- 30 climbing sites
- 200 caving sites
- 325km of rivers
- 70 canyons
