Activities & Events in the Tarentaise Valley

Aside from the activities immediately accessible from Sainte Foy there is plenty more going on in the Tarentaise valley, and this doesn't include the available fun with day trips even further afield.

From calm and relaxing walks, bird or wildlife watching & fishing to the plethora of challenging activities to try your hand at, there is a world of choice. Sainte Foy is conveniently located between the bustling resorts of Val d’Isere, Tignes, La Rosiere and Les Arcs so you can benefit from all they have to offer, while still maintaining the calmness and beauty of a smaller village:

• Road Biking: A holy grail of diverse routes for keen road cyclists, many of which are included in the world famous stages of the Tour de France: Col de l’Iseran, Col du Petit St Bernard, Cormet de Roselend, Col du Pre, Colle San Carlo, Col de la Madeleine. There are also plenty of smaller, less known road cycling routes that are based around the Tarentaise with beautiful views, easy to challenging climbs and rewarding finishes. See our dedicted road biking website premiere-velo.com
• Summer Ski Camps on the Tignes Glacier. Visit our Partners Snoworks for more information.
• Cycle Path: Bourg St Maurice to Aime: For those that would prefer a much more leisurely ride there is the relatively flat cycle path from Bourg Saint Maurice to Aime. Starting from Bourg St Maurice, it is a very pretty 22km round trip that follows the river. There are no cars and there are several cafes/restaurants along the way, so it's perfect for the family. You can also hire bikes in Bourg St Maurice. There is also a natural lake near Aime, so take some swimming clothes and dive in to cool off before cycling back.
• Mountain Biking. If the riding in and around Sainte Foy leaves you thirsty for more then the surrounding areas of Les Arcs, Tignes/Val d'Isere, La Thuile offer much more. With a variety of trails from simple easy downhill to tight cornered steep and gnarly, you'll not be short of choice..
• Hiking If the vast amount of trails local to Sainte Foy are not enough you can go much further afield and plan longer multiday hikes in the Parc de Vanoise and even further afield. There is also an abundance of amazing flora and fauna to be seen. (There's even a protected alpine flower park on the Petit St Bernard where you can find rare species of flowers).
• Bird & Wildlife Watching. Sainte Foy offers much natural Alpine fauna and flora but you can also travel to the nearby nature reserves or the Vanoise National Park for bird and wildlife watching or to hunt for rare and protected Alpine plants. See if you can see marmots, ibexes, chamois, the Golden eagle, black grouse, the eagle owl, the three toed woodpecker, the blue thistle, linneus borealis (twinflower) or the Piedmont primrose.
• White Water Rafting, Canoeing, Hydrospeed & Canyoning: Head down to Bourg St Maurice and the Isère river offers all sorts of water based fun. There is a white water rafting centre, complete with learning area, prepared courses and more. You can join a white water raft for a fast and exhilarating ride down to Aime, or get in the water with a small personal float and hydrospeed down the white water.
• Swimming: There are lots of pools in the area to choose from including Bourg St Maurice with an Olympic sized outdoor pool as well as a smaller indoor pool and a children's pool. Additionally both Val d'Isere and Tignes have pool complexes that have slides and whirlpools. There is also a natural pool near Aime (as mentioned above) that is beside the river and cycle path.
• Fishing: Fishing is available in Tignes, Lac de Roselend and Annecy amongst others.
• Horse Riding. The equestrian centre in Bourg St Maurice offers everything from gymkhana jumps courses, to leisurely rides through wooded areas.
• Parapenting / Paragliding. If the idea of soaring high above the stunning pastures of the Tarentaise valley enveloped by towering mountain peaks inspires the adrenaline junkie in you, then paragliding could be just what you are looking for!
• 'Parcours aventure' High Ropes Courses - Tree climbing with a difference. Obstacles, rope bridges, abseiling amongst the tree tops.
• Rock Climbing. The mountains of Sainte Foy and its surrounding area offer endless climbing routes for beginners and experts alike.
• Summer Skiing. The Grande Motte glacier at Tignes enables summer skiing up to the height of almost 3500m. Open between June/July and September (depending on conditions), the funicular at Tignes Val Claret whisks you up to the glacier in just 7 minutes.
• Via Ferrata. Developed in the First World War to aid the movement of infantry across the Alps, Via Ferrata (Italian for 'iron road') is a variation on rock climbing. Using a series of fixed iron ladders and cables, marked routes lead you up rockfaces and offer a great introduction to rock climbing. Graded from easy to extremely difficult, Via Ferrata is suitable for any age and ability.
• 4x4 & Quads. Test your driving skills on the internationally renowned, specially designed 4x4 tracks in Tignes which are the highest in Europe or jump on a quad and explore the hundreds of hectares of 4x4 tracks.