Perched high in the Mercantour mountains of the southern French Alps, Auron is the largest ski area in the Alpes-Maritimes and a resort that remains unfairly overlooked as a holiday destination. The village sits at 1,600m at the gateway to the Mercantour National Park, with skiing reaching 2,450m across four distinct sectors: Las Donnas, Sauma Longue, Demandols, and Lieuson. It's a place with real character - part traditional mountain village, part sunny southern Alpine retreat - where the atmosphere is relaxed, the crowds are manageable, and the skiing is more varied than the location might suggest.

With 135km of pistes across 42 runs served by 21 lifts, Auron covers plenty of ground for a resort of its size. Terrain mixes a strong selection of reds and blacks through forests and open bowls,with wide blues and greens at lower altitude - making it a resort that works well across ability levels. Snowmaking covers 55% of the area, described locally as the most powerful system in Europe, and southern sunshine means you'll often be skiing in shirt-sleeve weather on the terraces. The season runs from early December through to mid-April.

Away from the slopes, Auron has a genuine village feel with a good selection of restaurants and a lively but unpretentious après-ski scene. The original mountain village of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée sits just below, connected by gondola, adding depth and authenticity to the setting. Nice is under 90 minutes away, making this one of the most accessible mountain resorts from the Côte d'Azur, and an option for combining a ski week with time on the coast.