Mercantour walking holiday in France
| country: | France |
| location: | Mercantour |
| trip type: | Self guided, summer walking holidays |
| departures: | This trip departs from mid-May to end-September; best time to go is springtime for the flora |
| price: | From €634 (7 days) per adult and €533 per child excluding flights. Price includes accommodation in hotels & 1 night yurt, and luggage transport (by donkey or car) |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Mercantour National park sits at the heart of the Alpes Maritimes – little known, and close to the Mediterranean coast, which belies the fact that it sits in true Alpine country, steeped in history, and natural wonders. At the Western end of the Park, the Hih Var valley runs in a North. Rich and varied, and equally as stunning as anywhere else in the whole of the Alpine chain, the area boasts a unique combination, that of rugged soaring peaks and ridges rising to over 3000m.
It is here that we propose an excursion into our roots, through the discovery of the tiny forgotten villages of Mercantour. An exceptionally unique mountain in Europe! Summits between the sun and the azure sky!
It is here that we propose an excursion into our roots, through the discovery of the tiny forgotten villages of Mercantour. An exceptionally unique mountain in Europe! Summits between the sun and the azure sky!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | From Villeplane de Guillaumes to Sauze. Across the beautiful plateau "de la Lare" which offers a remarkable sight of the valley. |
| Day 2: | Sauze to Bouchnaières. The path will alternate between long passages in the pine forest and some grassy meadows. The Barlate mill which was a working mill from 1672 and still functions to this day! |
| Day 3: | The abandoned village of Barels with its three hamlets. You will be in the core of the national park. Wolves live here! |
| Day 4: | Bouchanières to Peone. The village of Péone clings to a group of picturesque rocky outcrops called the "Demoiselles". It is a typical example of a medieval mountain village. Its narrow streets are charming with their vaulted passageways, worn stepped streets, half-timbered houses and a variety of trompe l'oeil façades from numerous era. Tête de méric (2048m). |
| Day 5: | From Peone to Valberg. The route leads you towards alpine pastures, where you will find the rare edelweiss. Don’t pick them! Le Mont Mounier (2817m). |
| Day 6: | You will return to the hamlet of Villeplane with beautiful views over the red gorges of Daluis! You will spend the night in a Mongolian Yurt. (Showers available, electricity and dry toilets.) |
| Day 7: | Mt St Honorat (2520m). The view is unforgettable. On a clear day you can see Corsica and the Mediterannean. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
 We are a membership organisation who promotes independent walking tours in the Southern French Alps that are run in a way that increases the positive impacts on our montainous and remote valley and on our environment. Our walks are a sample of sustainable development project for remote rural areas; we are supporting small accommodations and helping them to generate the bookings that they need to live in our area. We are all guides working in partnership with the National Park. We have been awarded this label for the high quality service we provide. The yurts are run in a way which minimizes their environment impact: composting toilets, solar electricity and providing clients with organic fruit and vegetables from the garden. To carry lunches we use biodegradable Materbi BioBags made of the material Mater-Bi, the main component of which is cornstarch. The BioBag is 100% biodegradable and compostable. As a company we aim be involved in pastoralism, the roots of our culture, by meeting shepherds and supporting thei way of life. All our donkeys are bred here in the Mercantour on 250 hectares that they help to keep clear from the scrub. We feel that this low impact lefstyle is essential to ensure the sustainable development 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. |