Isola 2000 came about when a British Army officer who obtained permission from the old town of Isola to develop a resort in the high mountains above. Isola 2000 opened to skiers in 1971 and nowadays its snowsure terrain has 120km of pistes, right on the Italian border and just 90km from Nice airport, on the coast. It’s one of France’s most southerly resorts, and northern French Alps regulars will find it significantly different in culture, with a mellow, laid-back Mediterranean atmosphere. This distance also means that Isola gets different weather systems than its northern neighbours – visitors often enjoy copious snow here when it’s lacking in other resorts.
The resort, as you might have guessed, is at 2000m, and so is a good ski-in, ski-out resort. Nursery slopes and beginner areas are easily accessible, and the wider terrain is great for intermediates. The altitude means that the snow holds well, even in the southerly sunshine.
The 1970s accommodation blocks look a bit tired today and off-slope facilities in resort are very limited. However, the old village of Isola is still charming and must be one of the few places where a morning ski followed by an afternoon of water skiing is a distinct possibility. Families will enjoy Isola 2000 but party animals will probably get a sense of cabin fever – it’s not a big place.
