A purpose-built resort, Avoriaz is perched above a 350 metre vertical rock wall. To say the scene is dramatic would be an understatement. Stay in any Avoriaz hotels and you're situated at 1,800 metres altitude and you are the highest of thirteen interconnected resorts that make up the Les Portes du Soleil ski region. Located along the French Swiss border between Lake Geneva in Switzerland and Mont Blanc in France, Avoriaz is one of the most popular resorts in the region of Portes du Soleil for holiday accommodation and getaways.
Elevation :
1800 m (5,900 ft)
Population :
c.2000
Time Zone :
GMT+1
Dialling code :
+33
Currency :
Euro
Located about fifty miles from Geneva Airport, the village of Avoriaz has approxiately 2,000 permanent inhabitants and despite its popularity with tourists, it still manages to retain some charm. Avoriaz is a village with no cars; the only means of transport is by foot, ski, snowboard, or horse-drawn sleigh.
In the winter this ski resort attracts a variety of visitors, the majority of which are family orientated ski and snowboard enthusiasts. However, the summer months are equally as popular due to its vast choice of hiking and mountain biking trails and its stunning scenery. For the more adventurous there are activities such as climbing, paragliding, donkey trekking and white water rafting. For the less adventurous there's also a golf course and many natural lakes in which to relax.
With its dramatic cliff-top setting and pistes, it's no wonder that this resort attracts ski and snowboarders again and again. Snow is pretty much guaranteed between the months of December to April and with access to 650 kilometres of slopes, it caters for beginners, intermediates and the more advanced of skiers and snowboarders. It has 3 beginner runs, 24 intermediate runs, 17 expert runs and 5 black runs. The village is ideal for families as children are fantastically catered for, with a specialist crèche and a snowboard school for children.
It's not just sporting activities that are in vast supply. Leisure activities are also in abundance including a large health and fitness centre, squash courts, bowling, cinemas and an ice rink. For those hoping to experience the true outdoors there is under-ice diving available, dog sledding, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and helicopter tours.
One of the best things about this resort in the winter is that it's possible to ski directly from your hotel door. With many ski resorts often requiring a bus transfer to the slope, it's a refreshing change to find the village where every apartment block and hotel has immediate access directly onto a piste.
