Apartment Buqa

Portes du soleil

Les Portes du Soleil

Les Portes du Soleil or PdS is one of Europe’s largest ski domains. With Mont Blanc as its backdrop, it comprises of 12 major winter ski resorts, between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland. That is a jaw-dropping 650km of piste, 288 runs - all covered by one ski lift pass! The most popular of these winter sport resorts are Avoriaz (due to its altitude and great snow conditions), Les Gets and Morzine. This region has much to offer in the summer season also. All accessible within a 30 minutes drive from Samoens.

Avoriaz

Avoriaz is 1800m at base, and considered trend-setting with its modern architectural wooden chalet angles along the snowy plains that somehow work in harmony with the mountains. In winter, Avoriaz is the self-proclaimed capital of snowboarding, with its ideal terrain, 3 snowparks, a Snowcross zone and prime jumping off point, as well as ample red & black runs to satisfy the thrill-seekers. This car free resort has numerous high capacity, high-speed lifts, and is the busiest of these group of resorts.

Avoriaz is also a great summer resort, with Nordic Walking as its most renowned holistic activity.

Morzine

Largest of the towns in PdS, Morzine is long established, and yet traditional. It is a typical ski town with 81 pisted ski runs, accommodating for all abilities. In addition, there is a snow park and half pipe for snowboarding. Morzine also has much to offer off the slopes, with a hub of good shops, bars and restaurants, discos and activities such as hiking, skating, sleighing and guided tours of the town.

Les Gets

The quieter of the 3 resorts and with a traditional village vibe, Les Gets offers good skiing for families and those on a beginners and intermediate level. The Chavannes Bowl sector of Les Gets is filled with blues, reds and some black runs, as well as tree lined runs, whereas the Mont-Cheri sector is a little more challenging. In the summer months, Les Gets is a mountain biker’s paradise, with 3 lifts open and colour-coded tracks for level of ability. In 2004, Les Gets hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Les Gets also proudly boasts a newly refurbished 18-hole golf course, partially facing Mont-Blanc. Walks, adventure parks and water activities also attract many ‘outdoor-ists’ to this resort.