Hello. Has anyone ever found anywhere that offers a mountainous base (chalet or apartment) that has access to a real beach within an hours drive?
I’m trying to plan this years Summer holiday and having been to Nice airport and seen the Mediterranean on one side and the mountains in the distance, I thought it might be a good place to aim my hunt. Have any of you been somewhere similar sounding and found a good balance.
Mountain lakes just don’t hold the same appeal to a 4 year old.
Thanks in advance.

Skye?

Cyprus
Sierra Espuna

Mountain lakes just don’t hold the same appeal to a 4 year old.

I remember the Verdon being at least as appealing to be at that sort of age.

Oregon, California, Washington State?

Granada?
Or not quite what you’re after, but the Verdon Gorge would be a similar idea – mountains and water.

Costa del Wales?

Verdon is amazing. River beaches better than coastal ones and you can throw your four year old off rocks into the river, take him kayaking etc. Water is warm enough to swim in. Brilliant area for a holiday.

Skye +1.
TBH most of Scotland and Wales, and the Lake District too, have sea less than an hour away.

http://apricale.info/holiday_rentals/

Fly to nice, rent a car, and an hours drive. 25 mins drive to beach. Very secluded location up a twisty road or they have a rental in the centre of Apricale too.

Stick these co ordinates into google maps

43.891661, 7.651607

Riviera bike do exactly that. Highly recommended.

Finale Ligure

Canaries? Norway?

Also lots of the bigger mountain lakes have beaches.

Depends what kind of mountains though – there are tons of moderately high mountains near the sea, places like Picos de Europa.

If you just want biking then there’s more mountainous biking near the sea than you could ever do in a lifetime, all over Europe.

San Sebastien?

Basque Country.

basque country, pyrenees, maritime alps (nice, molini etc)

Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Wicklow

I think Girona ticks that box…well it does if you train on the roads.

Sierra de Grazalema, Cadiz province, Spain.

If you are on the western side its about an hour to some of the best beaches in Europe. Miles of unbroken sand with little development outside of the villages. The stretch Between Chiclana and Tarifa is the nicest part.

You could stay in Tarifa and have beach and mountains right on your doorstep.

Punta Paloma Tarifa

Tarifa and Morroco

Grazalema

Most places in Greece.

Another vote for cyprus !!

Montenegro

Easily done on Corsica.

Northern Spain (anywhere West of Santander)

or Northern / Central Portugal

Cheap too…

Marin County? Vancouver? Snowdonia?

Granada?

Wrong side of the mountains, Malaga (or along a bit) might be a better bet.

Sierra de Grazalema, Cadiz province, Spain.

Had my honeymoon here, looked very promising for riding and the beaches are fab (if a bit windy). Los Canos de Meca (sp?) was my favourite spot.

Great replies, thanks, that’ll keep me busy for a while.

Sardinia would also be a good bet.

Arran?

Les Angles is about 1.30 from the Med.

Verdon is indeed ace, nice rivers/lakes and dependant where the base is, about 1.30 from lift assisted riding at Allos. Some brilliant riding around the gorge as well.

Finale?

Chakaping

It is good, most of my rides are in the Grazalema area.

Picos D’Europa, Norhen Spain generally. Good surfing too.

San Sebastian is fantastic as well, but not sure for kids?

South Africa would tick all the boxes – as would southern Turkey…

Tenerife hasn’t been mentioned..

Tenerife hasn’t been mentioned..

The Canaries have.
Ronda, beautiful if you stay away from the ugly bits. 😉

tramuntana region of malorca. soller or puera soller. mountain biking , mountain guides – hiking and climbing, and great beach for children

Sardinia would also be a good bet.

My thinking. Look up http://www.peteranne.it as the Lemon House will sort you out for MTB, walking.climbing and road riding as well. Beaches are mint..and empty.

There´s plenty of mountains and beaches around here. This is just one photo I had handy.

Larrun from Hendaye Beach by basqueMTB – mountain biking holidays, on Flickr

Pretty much any of the Canary Islands, Med coast of Mainland Spain – my fave is the Benasque area.

BC