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Find your perfect trip!
Find your perfect trip!
8-day Val Maira Walking Holiday
8-day Val Maira Walking Holiday
8-day Val Maira Walking Holiday
Self-guided Piedmont walking tour
- Quiet and secluded mountains
- Beautiful wild valleys
- Ancient, tranquil villages
- Roman and Gothic churches and chapels
- Large variety of flora and fauna
- Delicious local food (Occitane and Italian cuisine)
- Wonderful mountain trails and breathtaking views
- Friendly locals
View map
ROUTE
The walks are over mountain meadows, woodland trails, dirt tracks, stony paths and inevitable pieces of asphalt roads in the villages. Some of the walks are long and more demanding as the climbings can be quite steep. All the paths are well marked and regularly maintained.
Start: San Michele Prazzo Finish: Acceglio
Day 1: Arrive in San Michele Prazzo
Day 2: Lou Viol Dal Genesté San Michele round walk (10 km / 6 mi)
Day 3: Walk from San Michele to Ponte Maira (17 km / 10,5 mi)
Day 4: Chiappera round walk (10 km / 6 mi)
Day 5: Sentiero dei Frassati round walk (13 - 16 km / 8 - 10 mi)
Day 6: Walk from Ponte Maira to Viviere (9 km / 5,5 mi)
Day 7: Colle Oserot walk (13 km / 8 mi)
Day 8: Arrivederci Val Maira!
Day 1: Arrive in San Michele Prazzo
Arrive in the village of San Michele Prazzo at 1370m altitude and take some time to visit the beautifully painted Parish Church. You will be picked up from the bus stop and transferred to the first accommodation.
Day 2: Lou Viol Dal Genesté San Michele round walk (10 km / 6 mi)
Today's walk is on the southern slopes above San Michele and follows part of the "Lou Viol Dal Genestè". This circular route takes you into contach with nature, from forests of larch and spruce to grasslands and rocky crags, and Genestè (growing broom). Along the trail it's easy to spot a variety wildlife native to the area.
Challenge: 4 hours, 10 km / 6 mi, 564m ascent, 592m descent
Day 3: Walk from San Michele to Ponte Maira (17 km / 10,5 mi)
A challenging hike high above the valley with beautiful views. The walk goes through woods and meadows and you will encounter only a few tiny hamlets. Arrive at the accommodation in Acceglio and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of this place.
Challenge: 7 hours, 17 km / 10,5 mi, 1046m ascent, 986m descent
Day 4: Chiappera round walk (10 km / 6 mi)
A short morning transfer will lead you to Chiappera, the last restored village of Val Maira at 1620m altitude, where the day's walk starts. The village has a bar and a beautiful church with frescoes. The initial climb to the striking Rocca Provenzale is tough, but after Colle Greguri (2309m) it becomes leisurely walk back to Chiappera, where you will be picked up and taken back to the accommodation.
Challenge: 4 hours, 10 km / 6 mi, 906m ascent, 723m descent
Day 5: Sentiero dei Frassati round walk (13 - 16 km / 8 - 10 mi)
Another short transfer in the morning will lead you this time to Sorgente Maira where today's walk on the Sentiero Frassati starts. This itinerary goes past a few smaller and larger mountain lakes, such as the deep blue Lago Apzoi at 2300m altitude, as well as a series of bunkers that Mussolini had built on the border with France. At the end of the walk you will be picked up and taken back to the accommodation.
Challenge: 6 hours, 13 - 16km / 8 - 10 mi, 945m ascent, 932m descent
Day 6: Walk from Ponte Maira to Viviere (9 km / 5,5 mi)
Today you leave Ponte Maira for the tiny mountain village of Viviere, located in the cool and more forested northern slope of the Val Maira. A long climb brings you to the Colle Ciarbonet (2206m), then you start descending to Viviere where you will be staying in a cozy welcoming hut.
Challenge: 5 hours, 9 km / 5,5 mi, 603m ascent, 509m descent
Day 7: Colle Oserot walk (13 km / 8 mi)
This final stage takes you up to Colle Oserot. This is a very nice walk along steep limestone cliffs and green meadows with great panoramic views. You can also make a small trip to Rifugio Gardetta situatd on the Plateau Gardetta
Challenge: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 mi, 1007m ascent, 876m descent
Day 8: Arrivederci Val Maira!
The trip and our services end after breakfast, unless you have booked other nights of services with us. From Viviere you will be brought to the bus stop in Acceglio.
STANDARD HOTELS
7 Nights in double rooms in mountains huts with breakfast
If clients stay in Locanda di Chialvetta (as alternative for Rifugio Viviere) the walk changes slightly: 30 minutes more on day 6 (slight descent), 1 hour more on day 7 (30 minutes slight ascent and 30 minutes slight descent)
Locanda La Tano di Grich - Prazzo
In Occitan, “la tano di Grich” means “the crickets’ burrow” and it is located in the High Maira Valley, the most intact of all the valleys in the Province of Cuneo. The building is dating back to the XIX century and it offers rooms, lodges and apartment with kitchenette, fireplace, private bathroom. The inn proposes very good typical dishes. Owners are courteous and welcoming.
Locanda Mistral - Acceglio
The inn Mistral is situated at 1400 meters above sea level in the relaxing atmosphere of a cosy farmer's house of the 19th century. Rooms are well-furnished, welcoming and comfortable. The kitchen proposes specialties from the Maira Valleyand the staff is very courteous. Rooms have woody furniture with a private bathroom and balcony. Homemade breakfast is very good.
Rifugio di Viviere - Acceglio
This mountain hut offers accommodations with mountain style, all of wood, comfortable and welcoming with private bathroom. The structure also offers finnish sauna and two scandinavian hot tubs. The restaurant offers occitan and from Piedmonts typical dishes.
PRACTICAL INFO
You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability, between June and October 5th.
The best airpors to fly into are Turin (TRN) and Nizza (NCE).
From either Torino airport (TRN), reach the train station Torino Porta Nuova and take a train to Cuneo.
From Nice airport (NCE), reach the Nice-Ville train station and get on the Train des Merveille to Cuneo.
From Cuneo, there are only few direct connections to Prazzo: you need to reach Prazzo Inferiore by bus (with change in Dronero). In Prazzo Inferiore, you wil be picked up and taken to you accommodation.
Check train timetables on:
GPS tracks are available on request.
INCLUDED
Included
- 7 nights' accommodation in double rooms in mountains huts with breakfast
- 7 dinners
- 6 packet lunches (from day 2 to day 7)
- Luggage transfer as per the itinerary
- Transfer on DAY 1 from Prazzo bus stop to San Michele di Prazzo
- Transfer DAY 4: in the morning from Ponte Maira to Chiappera and in the afternoon at the end of the walk
- Transfer on DAY 5 from Ponte Maira to Sorgenti Maira
- Transfer on DAY 8 from Viviere/Chialvetta to Acceglio bus stop
- Digital detailed route notes and maps in English
- Access to the trip on our navigation app
- 24-hour telephone assistance
NOTE: If clients come by car, transfers on day 1 + day 8 are replaced as follows: Day 8: people and luggage transfer from Viviere/Chialvetta to San Michele di Prazzo to collect the car
(*) Luggage must be ready within 9.00 am and it will be delivered within 16.30; the weight should not exceed 15 kg
Please clearly mark all your belongings with your name and put a small note with the name of the next accommodation in order to indicate where the bags should go to next
Not included
- Travel insurance
- Travel to Prazzo and from Acceglio
- Trains, busses or boats wherever necessary
- Lunches & Dinners not specifically mentioned
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Tourist taxes
Optional services
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
- Single Room Supplement(s)
- Solo Traveller Supplement
- Transfer from airport to Prazzo
- Transfer from Acceglio to airport
- Map Chaminar en Val Maira (di Bruno Rosano), scale 1:20.000
- Shipment of trip docs to your home address
REVIEWS
19-10-2023
The accomodation owners were wonderful, the food fantastic and the hiking and views throughout were incredible. The Colle Oserot hike never let up in terms of beauty. I'll attach a photo.
For the most part, moderate was an accurate description. You do mention the climb in the Rocca Provenzale which was steep but safe. You do not mention that the western climb/descent in the Colle Oserot is not for the faint hearted. Specifically, it is a long series of switchbacks up/down a steep climb on narrow scree in which poles are essential. That would be helpful.
Rick
16-07-2021
All worked like clockwork except at Locanda Mistral, where we were told on arrival that they had made a mistake and only 1 room was available, with a not friendly owner proposing half hearted, half backed solutions that sounded like an invitation to look for another place. Thankfully, we called Marco at your Italian help line and he managed to turn around the situation and make our second room appear miraculously (we still not know how). The incident should never have happened (given we booked in March), but the resolution was very good, so kudos to Marco for that!
Think you have nailed the self-guided walking tour concept. We will come back for more!
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8-day Val Maira Walking Holiday
Contact
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Edificio Sovega bajo, Crta General s/n
33554 Arenas de Cabrales
Asturias , Spaininfo@s-capetravel.eu
+34 (0) 985 846 455
UK call free 0800 707 44 35 -
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)