Leisure and Relaxation

Guided walks and rambles

The mountain in Sainte Foy is surrounded by beautiful marked paths interlinking the hamlets of the Commune.  In each hamlet, Plannay, Le Monal, L'Eschallon, the traditional cottages, farms and gardens are tended with pride, and provide a feast of flowers to delight you on your walk.  It doesn't have to be uphill - you can take the free resort transport up the mountain to ease the journey so you just have the flat and downhill stretches - but there are also a range of peaks between 1600m and 3000m if you'd like to stretch out a little!  For one of our Venture Sun representatives to guide you on the mountain, or to book a high mountain guide with all the local knowledge, just speak to our customer service team.

Tour de France - spectator options

The spectacle of the Tour de France is always one to enjoy.  Sit outside a roadside cafe or bar, enjoy a coffee, a beer, or a glass of the local wine, and watch the impressive Tour de France trail pass you.  It starts with the promotion vehicles throwing free merchandise and information to the spectators.  Then the pathfinder vehicles... and then keep your eyes open for the famous yellow jersey!  The excitement and storm of the riders may be gone in half an hour, but you can sit and enjoy the day and watch the amateurs cycling by on the route for hours to come.  If you are interested in specific cycling holiday options and more information on the Tour de France, look for our specific page under the "Holidays" menu.

Yoga & massage

Start, middle of end of the day wellness for the body and mind?  There is no better place to relax your muscles and find your karma.  Until you have drawn in your breathe and filled your lungs with the crystal clear mountain air and absolute silence on the mountains (maybe peppered with the clink clink of the occasional cowbell!), you really haven't experienced relaxation.  We can arrange for a massage therapist to treat you in our own Venture Sun luxury spa; they come to you!

Sunbathing

Venture Sun in Sainte Foy offers the perfect base to sit back, relax and enjoy the warm summer sun! Don't forget the suncream though, because at 1500m, the air is clear and you won't have the haze and polution of the beach resorts to block those rays.

Painting, photography, cookery

If you like to sit, enjoy and then capture the amazing local scenery, stunning views, flora, forna and unique light paterns that the clear mountain air creates, this is the place for you!  Similarly, cooking for the family takes on a new twist under the guidance of our resident chef.  We run specific course weeks in these subjects - just look at the site under the "Holidays" menu for more details... or just enjoy the opportunity to try things for yourself if you don't want to sign up for the more organised events we can run.

Golf (Les Arcs & Tignes)

The local courses at Les Arcs or Tignes provide a great game... but prepare for a marginally more hilly walk than you may get if your local club is in Norfolk!  Day members are welcome.

Fly Fishing

The streams and rivers in the Isere valley that run down off the glaciers aren't just there for the extreme canoeists and whitewater rafters.  Find a shaded corner on the lower stretches and the trout abound.  Day, week, or season licences are available as well as the local equivalent of the gillies and instructors if you want to hone your casting technique and be sure you are in the perfect spot.

Lake / river swimming / beaches

There is nothing to compare with kicking off your shoes and dangling your feet into the crystal clear mountain streams.  But there are also deep water lakes stretched from Tignes to Annecy, where the meadows run down to the shore providing beach areas without the annoying sand.  Ask our team about the locations available, or explore and find your own quiet spot to lay out your picnic and enjoy the day.

Explore Cheese Making

Bread, cheese, meat, potatoes... if you know the mountain cuisine, you know how good these staples can be after a day out walking or cycling.  Famous as the home of the fondue, pierrade, tartiflette and appetite-crunching salad savoyarde, the local farms provide a warm welcome to show you their methods and products.  To whet your appetite, get ready for these:

Reblochon: This soft, unpasteurized cow's-milk cheese has a velvety café au lait-colored rind, bone-colored paste, and a brie-like texture. Deliciously smelly, the taste is sweet, nutty, and beefy, reminiscent of a rare filet mignon that melts in the mouth with a pleasant, balsamy quality. Most brands are excellent, especially those from small producers in the villages of Thones, La Clusaz, and Le Grand-Bornand. Serve with fruity, white Savoie wines and fresh, young reds, such as Fleurie, Saint-Amour, or Julienas.

Beaufort: A name-controlled, raw cow's-milk cheese much like Swiss Gruyère but with a higher butterfat content and creamier texture, Beaufort has a mild, fruity, sweet flavor. Its extraordinary melting capacity makes it fabulous for fondue. All big red wines would pair appropriately with Beaufort. A bit more expensive and worth it.

Regional Wine Tasting

There are a number of local "caves" (wine cellars) who will be more than happy to welcome you with a glass or two of the region's wines to taste... and hopefully take a case or two back to your chalet to enjoy for the rest of your holiday or back at home.  The savoie region as you might expect produces a hardy grape giving a basic but reliable flavour to the region's wines.  Red, white and rose are all produced.  Further afield a day trip to one of the local vineyards is a great day out.