France activity holiday, Mercantour to Mediterranean
| country: | France |
| location: | Mercantour, Cote d Azur |
| departures: | 2010: 26 Jun, 28 Aug |
| price: | From £855 (8 days) excluding flights. Price include accommodation (mix of full board and B&B) |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We’ve wanted to offer a real Med to Mercantour trip for some time - offering guests the chance to go from 3000m to -30m in the course of the week.
No need to hum and haw about what to do for kicks in 2009 – this package offers you the lot! Mountaineering, horse riding, canyoning, abseiling, pool jumping and scuba diving – it is a week of wet and wild adventurous activity.
Guests arrive in Nice for an action packed week, staying at the excellent Grand Chalet – its only downside being a need to burn off the calories from Christine’s 5 course dinners and ample breakfasts!
The first day of activity takes you to the heart of the Mercantour, on the Italian border, to summit the imposing Cime Guilié at a tad below 3000m – 2999m in fact. From the top, weather permitting, there is a magnificent view down to Cuneo in the Piedmont plain, and down to the French Riviera. On the following day master one of the finest Via Ferrata (VF) in the area at Baus de la Frema. Erected by mountain guides for sport climbing, the VF gives you all the challenge of free climbing but with a fraction of the fear!
And so it goes on to four legged transport rather than two. With Denis Longfellow’s fine horses watching their own feet there is the chance of enjoying the scenery to the max, as well as enjoying the thrill of a bit of speed.
The next and sadly last day in the Mercantour, consider yourself baptised – the idea of water sports, with a mountain twist. A little bit of water, with a little bit of rock is on the agenda. Canyoning, following river courses downstream, is great fun and involves getting pretty wet – abseiling, jumping into pools; as wild as you like.
Guests are then “delivered” to the charming Belle Epoque Hotel Alexandra in the glamorous Juan-les-Pins. Accommodation here is on a bed and breakfast basis. The hotel does have a very good restaurant offering local specialities, and also there is no shortage of restaurants within walking distance.
As the next day dawns, guests are in the competent hands of Alex Diamond, to enjoy two dives in the crystal clear (and warm) waters of Golfe Juan and Cap D'Antibes. It is a pleasure to discover that marine life is alive and kicking in the Med. Visibility is often more than twenty metres and a wealth of marine life including barracuda, anemones, octopi, cuttle fish, moray and conger eels, colourful sponges and gorgonian fans, schooling sea bream and pelagic snapper can be seen. Much more of the same is on the cards for le lendemain – there’s a huge amount of choice of dives, depending on experience.
On the final day - rest at last!! A calm day site seeing, shopping and lunching in Nice is proposed. There’s always plenty happening in the town. Please note, other activity combinations are also possible, including speciality diving courses. Paragliding may be taken as an option on the morning of Day 5.
No need to hum and haw about what to do for kicks in 2009 – this package offers you the lot! Mountaineering, horse riding, canyoning, abseiling, pool jumping and scuba diving – it is a week of wet and wild adventurous activity.
Guests arrive in Nice for an action packed week, staying at the excellent Grand Chalet – its only downside being a need to burn off the calories from Christine’s 5 course dinners and ample breakfasts!
The first day of activity takes you to the heart of the Mercantour, on the Italian border, to summit the imposing Cime Guilié at a tad below 3000m – 2999m in fact. From the top, weather permitting, there is a magnificent view down to Cuneo in the Piedmont plain, and down to the French Riviera. On the following day master one of the finest Via Ferrata (VF) in the area at Baus de la Frema. Erected by mountain guides for sport climbing, the VF gives you all the challenge of free climbing but with a fraction of the fear!
And so it goes on to four legged transport rather than two. With Denis Longfellow’s fine horses watching their own feet there is the chance of enjoying the scenery to the max, as well as enjoying the thrill of a bit of speed.
The next and sadly last day in the Mercantour, consider yourself baptised – the idea of water sports, with a mountain twist. A little bit of water, with a little bit of rock is on the agenda. Canyoning, following river courses downstream, is great fun and involves getting pretty wet – abseiling, jumping into pools; as wild as you like.
Guests are then “delivered” to the charming Belle Epoque Hotel Alexandra in the glamorous Juan-les-Pins. Accommodation here is on a bed and breakfast basis. The hotel does have a very good restaurant offering local specialities, and also there is no shortage of restaurants within walking distance.
As the next day dawns, guests are in the competent hands of Alex Diamond, to enjoy two dives in the crystal clear (and warm) waters of Golfe Juan and Cap D'Antibes. It is a pleasure to discover that marine life is alive and kicking in the Med. Visibility is often more than twenty metres and a wealth of marine life including barracuda, anemones, octopi, cuttle fish, moray and conger eels, colourful sponges and gorgonian fans, schooling sea bream and pelagic snapper can be seen. Much more of the same is on the cards for le lendemain – there’s a huge amount of choice of dives, depending on experience.
On the final day - rest at last!! A calm day site seeing, shopping and lunching in Nice is proposed. There’s always plenty happening in the town. Please note, other activity combinations are also possible, including speciality diving courses. Paragliding may be taken as an option on the morning of Day 5.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Nice - transfer to Grand Chalet - Valdeblore |
| Day 2: | Summit Cime Guilié – 2999m! |
| Day 3: | Via Ferrata |
| Day 4: | Horse riding |
| Day 5: | Canyoning – morning – with option of paragliding at extra cost. Transfer to Alexandra Hotel in Juan-les-Pins. |
| Day 6: | Diving* - two dives |
| Day 7: | Diving* - two dives |
| Day 8: | Day at leisure in Nice etc - fly out in evening (24 hours after diving). |
*Suitable for qualified divers or trainee divers wishing to complete their PADI Open Water course (further to theory and confined water completion in UK.)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
In line with the published code of the National Park, our clients are encouraged to treat the region with respect and thus uphold the standards of conservation required in such a fragile area. Alex and Noémie Diamond are based in the area for most of the year, and completely professional in both their qualifications, attitude to their clients and respect for marine life. In line with the published code of the National Park, our clients are encouraged to treat the region with respect and thus uphold the standards of conservation required in such a fragile area. Community As permanent residents in the Mercantour, our business is fully integrated into the community in the Vésubie valley – using local qualified guides paid a living wage, and individually run hotels which ensures that all revenue generated is beneficial to the life of the area. Accommodation in the Mercantour is provided at the Grand Chalet – run by Luc & Christine – passionate locals who create fabulous meals from local and organic produce – vegetarians are welcome. The hotel Alexandra is locally owned – a rare find in the glitz of JLP! We only work with qualified guides for all activities. These passionate locals in the Mercantour create a genuine and rich experience for our visitors. They are paid the appropriate rate for professional guides. A project for three bases in the Alpes-Maritimes is underway. This would provide an inspiring holiday venue for young and old alike. Access for the handicapped would be included. We are planning to use pack animals so our guests can share their adventures with a faithful companion, and leave directly from Berthemont. As permanent residents in the Mercantour, our business is fully integrated into the community in the Vésubie valley – using local qualified guides paid a living wage, and individually run hotels which ensures that all revenue generated is beneficial to the life of the area. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |