The end of July is the perfect time for rambling in the Mercantour park as the snow has mainly melted so you can get up to high altitude, the landscape is particularly beautiful and the temperature is perfect.
The Mercantour National Park is in the Alps Maritimes area of France and borders the Italian Parco Naturale Delli Alpi Maritime. It an area of outstanding natural beauty with numerous peaks over 2000 metres as well as some over 3000 metres. Snow remains on some of the highest peaks throughout the year.
There is a wide variety of wildlife in the area including over 6,000 chamois, 1,000 mouflons and 300 bouquetines. Eagles can often be seen soaring in the thermals and there are over 2,000 species of plant of which 200 are rare and 40 are indigenous.
For ramblers there are numerous possibilities and the pathways are well indicated, you just need to be sensibly equipped and aware that the weather can change very quickly. There are also excellent mountain biking possibilities and families can enjoy access to the beautiful mountain lakes and woods from well appointed car parks.
Although this is a seriously mountainous region it is actually within 2 hours drive of the French Riviera coast at Nice. For a change from the coastal resorts and the beach you can head inland and enjoy perfect mountain scenary, greenery and fresh mountain air for the day, even eat in a tranquil village and drive home easily in the evening. The one tip we would suggest is that the weather tends to change in the afternoons so its advisable to make an early start to enjoy the best of the day.
The Alps-Maritimes conseil general issues an excellent guide book, it’s in French but easy to interpret onto a large scale map, with a superb selection of walks. It’s called Les Guide Ranoxygene, Haut Pays and can be obtained from tourist offices and town halls.
For first class French villa holiday accommodation see our collection of villas with pools in Nice then call us using our freephone number or send an email detailing your requirements and we will help you select a holiday base which is right for you from where you can enjoy the Mercantour. We know the area well, including the Mercantour, so please do get in touch and let us save you time and effort.