Chalet Les Geckos - Vallée de la Manche - Morzine - French Alps

Chalet Les Geckos is on the famous GR5 walking route just above Morzine in the Vallee De La Manche. It is situated next to the river Dranse and just under the border with Switzerland. There are ancient gold mines on the border and you will follow signposts for Mines D'Or (gold mines) when you approach Chalet Les Geckos from Morzine. Throughout history, the valley in which Chalet Les Geckos resides has formed a smuggling route from France into Switzerland and the names of the buildings and farms around the chalet reflect this. A World War II German sentry post sits at the head of the valley on the Col De Coux - formerly used to prevent allied airmen returning to Switzerland via lthe valley, it is now a bird watching "hide" used most extensively in October when thousands of migratory birds make their way via the col from Europe to Africa.

Chalet Les Geckos is ideally located in the wild and beautiful Valley De La Manche - slightly away from the hustle and bustle of Morzine town centre and yet within a few minutes on the bus from the town centre. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the valley and its wildlife, you can feel a million miles from civilisation when staying at Chalet Les Geckos sharing as you do the environment with the local foxes, rabbits, chamoix deer, wild boar (if you are unlucky) and wolves (if you are lucky). And yet you can still mountain bike, ski or board from your door down to the nearest lift or catch the hourly bus into or back from town (in the winter). The local surrounds are awesome (all the pictures on our Picture Gallery page are taken in and around the chalet) and you will lose yourself in the beauty and tranquility of the mountains.

Get yourself to Morzine by exiting the Autoroute Blanche (the "white" motorway - A40, direction Chamonix, Turin, Milan) at junction 18 Scionzier. Once off the motorway at Scionzier, simply follow the signs to CHATILLON, TANINGES, LES GETS, AVORIAZ. You will pass by the outskirts of Cluses and head up the hill to the 600m col of Chatillon before decending into Taninges. A sharp right then left in Taninges town centre puts you on the road to Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz. Keep following the Les Gets then Morzine signs until you find youself in Morzine town centre. Once in the town, follow the signs to Avoriaz (the high altitude ski resort situated at 1800m above Morzine). You'll go under the only bridge on the route and then hit a roundabout where the left hand turn would take you back into Morzine and the right hand turn to Avoriaz. Follow the signs to Avoriaz but only for about 50m when you'll hit a sharp right hand bend. There's a turning off to the right on the bend itself and it will be signposted MINES D'OR, TELEPHERIQUE DE NYON, VALLEE DE LA MANCHE. Take this turn....

Chalet Les Geckos is just over 3km from the this turning in Morzine towm centre - a good half hour walk but only two or three minutes by car. Just drive up the road passing the Telepherique De Nyon (on the right) and through the hamlets of Le Boucherie then Le Cret (passing the Avalanche warning signs) before you get tothe hamlet of Le Chargeau. Fifty meters passed the Le Chargeau sign we are on the left. There's a new build chalet by the road and we are behing that - the drive snakes up behind the new build and there is a Les Geckos sign on the junction of the driveway with the road (although in winter it may be covered in snow). As you drive up the drive the lights will come on and the entrance door is on the left hand side of the building (as you look at it from the drive). Bonnes vacances....