Destination Mercantour
Spacebetween is the only British adventure holiday company working in the Mercantour, the most recently created National Park in France. Just an hour north of Nice, yet worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of the Riviera, the company offers accommodation only breaks. Spacebetween also offers year round walking and adventure holidays. Mel and Liz pride themselves on being flexible and offering guests exactly what they are looking for in their precious leisure time. Although the majority of Spacebetween’s holidays are centred in the Mercantour, other gems„ in Provence, Corsica and, just across the border in Italy, will soon be available.
Bookings are currently being taken for the winter season from January to March 2009, as well as for summertime.
The Mercantour
National Park
The Mercantour is noted for the variety of vegetation types found within the Park boundaries - from Mediterranean olive trees and fields of lavender to rare mountain species. The rocky deserts and peaks reach over 3000m. A haven for wildlife, it is almost uninhabited by humans. The Park contains the largest high altitude lake in Europe and the aptly-named Vallée des Merveilles.
Official website: www.mercantour.eu
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Returning from the Italian border.
No Cannes do?
Liz thought she had the better deal. In the autumn of 2001, Liz Lord and Mel Jones drove down to the south of France to exhibit a new fitness product at the prestigious Tax Free World Exhibition in Cannes. Evenings in the Cointreau bar on the beach sounded very glamorous, but just an hour inland north of Nice lies something much more exciting: the Mercantour.
France’s largest and most recently created National Park, is a 685 km² outdoor playground. During a four-day stay in the quaint village of Saint Martin Vésubie, Mel wandered in the surrounding mountains. Liz and Mel told us: “We immediately saw an opportunity to create an adventure holiday business in the Mercantour, and decided there and then to change our lifestyle. The area is very little known by British tourists who flock to the Riviera, but it has the dual virtues of being easy and inexpensive to get to, with real Alpine scenery. The name Spacebetween was created as a reflection of a ‘space between’ the Côte d’Azur and Savoie to the North — and also personal space and time out in busy lives”.
Spacebetween offers winter action holidays, including walking and snowshoeing in the glorious Mercantour National Park. Images ©Space Between.
Liz and Mel were lucky enough to find a beautiful farmhouse in Berthemont-les-Bains. At present there is both a gîte and a B&B room in the house, while longer-term plans include adding a further gîte and developing the land.
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Mel continued: “It’s been rewarding to find that our own aspirations mirror the increasing demand by visitors for a genuine holiday experience, offering great scenery, exercise in abundance, good (mainly organic) food, plus a warm welcome, all with minimum impact on the environment. The region is remarkably under-exploited and tourist revenue provides a useful boost to the local economy”.
Broaden your horizons and test your abilities on any number of activities offered all year round.
After four years of hard work the business is growing steadily. We asked Liz whether she had any advice for others dreaming of creating a business overseas: “Never underestimate the time it will take to become established — or, even as a French speaker, the many frustrations of dealing with bureaucracy. But there are upsides. Looking out at the view every morning is a huge plus, and our crusade to increase awareness of the area seems to be paying off...”.
La Zourcière provides the base for Spacebetween and accommodation for visitors.
Accommodation is available all year round, either at La Zourcière itself or with local partners in the Vésubie and Tinée valleys. There is also a wide range of walking and activity holidays, all using correctly paid and qualified local guides.
“People look for the best possible break for their precious leisure time.
We can usually find the solution... even if the request is for a survival course topped and tailed with a night in the Negresco in Nice!”.
Contact Details:
Mel Jones or Liz Lord,
Spacebetween,
La Zourcière,
Berthemont les Bains,
06450 Roquebillière,
France
0033 (0)4 93 03 48 57
0033 (0)6 78 30 49 29 (mobile)
E-mail : contact@space-between.co.uk
Visit website : www.space-between.co.uk
Pleasure or pain? The choice is yours - and all it involves is being well prepared before you set off. Wherever you're heading and whatever you're planning...
