Sainte Foy Ski Resort Guide
Sainte Foy is a charming, informal village located in the Tarentaise valley. Often overlooked for its more glamorous neighbours of Val d’Isere, Tignes & Les Arcs; Sainte Foy makes an interesting and relatively inexpensive base for a ski holiday.
Nestled amongst the trees and surrounded by the Vanoise National Park, Sainte Foy has worked to harness the natural environment it sits in rather than fight against it like so many French resorts. Since being developed in 1990 the resort has grown quickly and now boasts some lovely accommodation which is rarely more than 100m from a local piste. Chalet-style buildings dominate here, and it’s great to see traditional Savoyard wood and stone used heavily in their construction.
To this day Sainte Foy remains a friendly resort for families with young children as well as adult skiers. The village resort maintains a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere. There are a couple of bars with a more laid back attitude as well as some excellent French restaurants and a few shops. For the largest part though Sainte Foy has remained an unspoilt village with an emphasis on the fantastic off-piste skiing which surrounds it. If you’re looking for a quiet holiday in a small resort – but where you can experience large areas of uncrowded ski terrain as well – then Sainte Foy could be a great resort choice for you.
Skiing in Sainte Foy
As with the village itself, Sainte Foy’s ski area seems small at first glance. Four chair lifts and a few drag lifts serve a skiable area of approximately 32km. The best thing about skiing and snowboarding in Sainte Foy though is that the whole mountain is accessible in the right conditions. The ski lifts provide access to some amazing off-piste right next to the groomed sections, and further afield there are huge freeride areas to be discovered.
Sainte Foy is somewhat of a hidden gem where the snow quality is renowned for being excellent, the slopes are largely uncrowded, and the prices are considerably cheaper than many other resorts. This combination brings passionate skiers and snowboarders from the surrounding areas to Sainte Foy, particularly after a large snowfall, but it still never feels crowded.
If you prefer to stay on-piste then there are a number of sheltered tree-lined slopes to practise on as well as a small nursery slope for those learning. Discounted lift passes for Tignes and Val d’Isere are available, although you will need a car to reach them. Sainte Foy is undeniably on the small side, but it truly comes alive after a fresh snowfall. If you are keen to explore untracked fresh snow away from any type of crowds this is an excellent place to do it.
