The large ski resort of Les Arcs is situated in the Alps, in the Savoie region. Made up of four separate towns, Les Arcs is also connected to the nearby resort of La Plagne by a high-speed cable car, and is close to the world-famous runs at Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens. In fact buying a weekly ski pass for Les Arcs entitles you to one day’s skiing with the rich and famous at one of these exclusive resorts. Well known for its speed skiing runs, the Les Arcs system is made up of over 100 runs, stretching for nearly 200 kilometres, served by over 50 lifts.
The runs in Les Arcs range from green to black, with plenty of off-piste areas too, though you are advised to only tackle these with a local guide. The best off-piste skiing is to be found around the Bellecote glacier or down the back of the Aiguille Rouge, the highest peak in Les Arcs. The Aigiulle Rouge is also home to an impressive 7-kilometre piste, which drops over 2,000 metres from start to finish. The runs here are also suited to snowboarders, who are a common sight on the slopes. The main resort, Arc 1800, has hosted several snowboarding events, including music concerts and competitions.
One of the more unusual runs at Les Arcs is a speed skiing course, which is located at Arc 2000. Just over 2 kilometres in length, with an additional few hundred metres to allow for stopping, the course saw both the men’s and women’s world records set in 2006, at 251 kph and 249 kph respectively. This specialist piste is sometimes open to the public, with safety restrictions in place to limit the speed!
Like many of the Alpine skiing resorts, Les Arcs has done its best to attract tourists all year round, not just during the winter months. Many of the ski lifts and cable cars run all year round, taking hikers and mountain bikers to the tops of the slopes in summer. Walking and cycling is a great way to explore the local scenery and many of the spectacular ski runs become spectacular mountain bike trails once the snow has melted. There are several golf courses in the area, and more extreme sports, such as white water rafting, kayaking and paragliding are becoming more popular. There is also a parcours in the resort, at Arc Aventures, a forest adventure park with courses suitable for everyone from young children to adults, featuring tree-top paths, zip wires and rope bridges.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Les Arcs? Then below is a selection of gites in Les Arcs and villas in Les Arcs that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
