Why Avoriaz is great in summer

During the summer, the pistes of the PDS transform into bike trails and hiking paths. For the 16th year, the PDS is hosting the Pass Portes du Soleil, an event in which you can discover the entire area, either by bike, or on foot. From June 28th to 30th, you can explore the 80km circuit and ride various different trails, some taking you from 1000m above sea level up to 2250m. The ride or trek takes an entire day, and you can choose whether you’d like to enter for the Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

In order to get signed up on your preferred day, register online now. Outside of this event, the scenery and trails all remain at your disposal for the entire summer. The MTB lifts are open from the end of June until the beginning of September, but if you’re relying on your feet and wheels rather than up-lifts, you can start roaming as soon as the snow melts away.

If motorised bikes are of more interest to you, make sure you’re in the area mid July when Harley Days returns to Morzine, every other summer. Ten minutes down the valley from Avoriaz, Morzine hosts thousands of Harley-Davidson fans and their bikes for four days of motorbikes and music in the mountains. The event has been a huge success in previous years, with headliners such as Toto and Status Quo performing for the motor-heads of Morzine.

Although the nearest coastline is five hours away in Italy, Avoriaz is just a two hour drive from Annecy, a stunning medieval alpine town with a beautiful lake in which you can swim. The lake is surrounded by mountains, and riddled with small boats and pedalos that you can hire for the day. Lac Leman, (a.k.a. Lake Geneva) is also less than a two hour drive from resort. Perfect if you want to explore further down the valley and check out the surrounding towns such as Thonon or Evian. During the summer months the lake can reach a mild 18 degrees, making it perfectly pleasant for a dip. Closer to Avoriaz, Lac Montriond is the local hangout for those partial to a picnic, leisurely stroll and sunbathe. During the peak months activities such as pony rides and paddle boarding are available, and there is a small kids lake as well as the main one.

If freshwater swimming isn’t really your thing, perhaps you could dip your toes in slightly warmer water in one of Avoriaz’s main attractions, Aquariaz. Aquariaz is a huge swimming complex in the centre of the resort, with features such as a climbing wall situated above the main pool, a lazy river, spa pool and infant play pool. The water features are surrounded by tropical plants and statues inside, whilst outside the mountains trail down the valley. Entry to Aquariaz ranges from €3 to €11, and kids under the age of three swim for free.