Sport and outdoor pursuits for holidays in France and living in France.
For outdoor enthusiasts, living in France is an excellent choice. So are holidays in France for those who have not made the big move across the Channel but love to get their heart pumping. The country has so much space, and such a varied landscape, it can offer excellent facilities for all kinds of sport including cycling, horse riding, canoeing, kayaking, tennis and fishing. Skiing in France´s Alpine resorts and golf holidays on France´s lovingly tended greens are already popular activities but there are many more options. Holidays in France can be as active as you care to make them.
Living in France is perfect for watersports enthusiasts
With some 5,500km of coastline, France is perfect for most watersports. Summer holidays in France may mean enjoying swimming and water skiing at one of the seaside resorts but there are also many facilities inland. Sailors living in France are well catered for, whether they enjoy the challenges of the Atlantic or the more predictable Med. Rafting, canyoning and kayaking enthusiasts can head for the gorges and fast rushing rivers of the southern Alps while windsurfers can take their pick along the Atlantic coast all the way from Brittany to Biarritz. There are also some windsurfing centres on the Mediterranean coast and a collection of inland lakes in beautiful settings in Provence. Diving in the waters off the French Riviera is also popular with many of the wrecks dating back to before the Romans.
Snowboarding and skiing in France
The French Alps need no introduction as a destination for winter sports. Skiing in France´s Alpine resorts means extensive ski runs and excellent facilities. While they may not be as chocolate box pretty as those in Switzerland and Austria, they are some of the best; by European standards they are high, mostly between 2,000m and 3,000m, and have reliable snow. The ski season runs from late November to April but the busiest time for holidays in France´s Alpine resorts is during Christmas and Easter school vacations.
There is also good downhill and cross-country skiing in France´s second mountain range: the Pyrenees, especially for the beginner or low intermediate skier. While snow cover is less reliable than in the Alps and the season shorter, the pistes are not as crowded.
Living in France or on your holidays? Get walking
As anyone who has ever ventured off the beaten track while on holiday in France soon discovers, the country is a rambler´s paradise. There are high mountains and low mountains, dark pine forests and ancient woodlands, gorges and sea cliffs, pastoral footpaths and gentle valley trails.
There are also walking and hiking trails that take in marshes, wetlands and isolated dunes and beaches. Even sleepy canals cutting through some of the densest urban areas have well-tended towpaths running beside them. So no matter where you are living in France or spending your holidays, you should be able to find a great walk nearby.
On holiday or living in France, get on your bike!
You have probably noticed that France is a rather keen cycling nation! The annual Tour de France has fans as passionate as those of any French football team. But cycling in France is not all deadly serious and competitive. The good news is that France is big enough to accommodate all levels of cycling ability. In fact, France is a great place to cycle for the very same reason it is a great place to walk: varied terrain. Depending on where you are living in France or taking a well-earned holiday in France, you can find every type of riding experience from a tour of medieval hilltop villages in the central and southern regions, to the challenging terrain of the Alps, to the quiet country lanes of the north. Although road cycling is traditional to France, many trails have been created in recent years specifically for mountain bikes.
Golf holidays in France
Golf holidays in France are growing increasingly popular in direct response to the number of courses built in recent years. There are now several hundred and they are spread across the entire country. Courses in Provence, along the Cote d´Azur and in the Pyrenees are ideal for golfing holidays in France with some winter sun thrown in while those in Brittany, Normandy, Picardy and Pas de Calais are great for cooler summer days on the green.
the Between north and south are many more excellent courses, that, if you are a keen golfer living in France, will ensure you are always spoiled for choice. Many are in absolutely beautiful surroundings. One such is Les Bordes, which is just two hours from Paris on banks of the Loire. Considered by many golfers as Europe´s number one course, it offers the ultimate in golf holidays in France.
