September 7, 2025 - September 13, 2025
Free
Join us for some Italian Riviera paradise! Thrilling rides, delicious cuisine, and Dolce Vita moments. Our first 2024 was a huge success and we can’t wait to return for 2025!
Tucked up along the Italian Riviera just down from Monaco is the spectacular coastal mountain region of Finale Ligure. The area is known for its white sandy beaches, delicious authentic cuisine, picturesque little towns overlooking the Mediterranean – and of course it’s massive network of trails. We’ve aptly named this trip Dolce Vita which means the sweet life, and we plan to deliver this every day of the trip! We are so excited for this annual adventure and our partnership with Big Mountain Bike Adventures.
Enjoy a buffet of the region’s best enduro rides, Italian cuisine, lodging steps from the beach, and an authentic cooking class to give our bodies a break from all the riding. Sweet Skills will be coaching alongside with Big Mountain’s local guide Louise who is originally from Sweden and the 2019 EWS World Master Champion, mother of two, and a fantastic host.
Improve your skills over the 6 days as we ride and explore an endless network of mindblowing trails. The riding is mostly enduro
style where we’ll be enjoying daily shuttles up the famously long trails in the area – there are over 250 trails to choose from! The terrain suits a strong intermediate to advanced level as there is a lot of challenging technical sections. Mixed in with the technical singletrack are natural berms and fun flowy sections in Europe’s biggest beech forest.
Each day brings the opportunity to enjoy post-ride swims in the Mediterranean, a wander through the old town’s cobblestone streets, endless gelato or simply kicking back in the Finale Ligure’s main piazza and watch the world go by.
INCLUDED:
THE RIDINGThere’s an incredible 250 trails in and around the Finale area! Expect rockier conditions on the coastal trails with fixed and loose rock, switchback corners, rock gardens and steep sections. Inland trails start at a higher elevation and offer more flow along with rocky and rooty sections and rolling drops. These are all fairly long downhhill trails.. so fun! Most trails are in forested areas on this trip and are downhill/ enduro style and accessed by shuttle vehicle with some short climbs. With exception of our first warm up ride on Day 1 which will have a 300m climb before the descent (no shuttle). We’ll be treated to 1 adventure day where we’ll explore another riding area outside of Finale. Mid-day lunches are worth the trip alone! Pasta and espresso will fuel the rest of your riding day!
SKILL & FITNESS LEVEL:Skill Level: IA-A Fitness Level 4+ This trip is open to strong intermediate to advanced technical riders, the terrain is quite rocky and technical, riders should be able to ride light black BC trails with loose rock and have 5+ years riding experience. This trip is a Level 3-6 for fitness. All but day 1 ride are accessed by shuttle, but the accumulation of multiple long days of riding will add up, as it is on all of our trips the fitter you are and the more downhill experience you have, the more fun you’ll have. Unsure if you’re fitness level and ability match this camp? Call Sylvie to discuss: 604-966-8330. See ‘more details’ and ‘itinerary’ link below for details.
$3295 USD (land costs) Payments (including 25% deposit) go to Big Mountain Bike Adventures (our partner for this trip)
Fill in the registration form below by clicking +1 on the ticket, then we will contact you to finish the registration and deposit process with Big Mountain.
Maximum 12 riders (with 2 local guides and 1 Sweet Skills coach)
This is a suggested itinerary. Days and plans might change due to changes in weather and other unexpected circumstances.
7 days (6 days of riding), 6 nights accommodation in Finale
DAY 1: MORNING ARRIVAL IN NICE, FRANCE, TRANSFER TO FINALE LIGURE, ITALY.
This morning you’ll be picked up by your Big Mountain guide in Nice, France at 9:30AM at the Nice Airport. If you arrive a day (or two early) we’ll pick you up at a central location in Nice (you will have to get yourself to this designated spot). Then we’ll drive 1.5 hours (traffic dependant) along the beautiful Mediterranean coast, through spectacular Monaco and into Italy. After building our bikes or getting rental bikes, we’ll go for a warm-up ride to loosen up the legs and get a feel for the area, catch up with new friends, and enjoy some views.
DISTANCE: 20 KM+. 300M. 300M
DAY 2 & 3: RIDE FINALE LIGURE.
Our first full day we’ll take time to set up our bikes, do some on -trail skills building, then get some afternoon rides in. We’ll make sure we show you Finale’s best trails and dial in your skills so you can get the most out of this awesome week of riding. The choices for trails in Finale is so vast we will be exploring new trails everyday… there will be many as this is mountain bike paradise!
DISTANCE: 20-30 KM. 0-100M+ climb, 2-3000M descent
DAY 4: COOKING CLASS & ORGANIC FARM TOUR
We’ll be driven about 15 minutes away to a family’s home where they’ll show how to make some delicious and authentic Italian meals. Enjoy the views of the ocean from their hillside organic produce farm. There will be free time in the afternoon, aprox 2pm onwards, where you can have a self-walking tour of the old town of Finalborgo and it’s fortress, or take advantage of this time to lounge at the beach or do some shopping. This is a day off the bikes – trust us, this will keep you fresh for the next 2 full days of riding, the terrain here demands a rest day.
Day 5: ADVENTURE DAY
We’re going to whisk you away to another riding destination about an hours drive from Finale to experience a small town and some more wonderful trails!
20 KM, 0-100M climb, 2-3000M descent
DAY 6: RIDE FINALE LIGURE
Enjoy our last full day of shuttling exploring more trails and perhaps repeating some favourites! Oh and don’t forget about those incredible mid-day lunches and killer apres to celebrate an amazing week!
DISTANCE: 20-30 KM. 0-100M+ climb, 2-3000M descent
DAY 7: TRANSFER TO NICE, FRANCE. AU REVOIR!
This morning we will pack our bikes (or better yet have them packed the night before) and drive 1.5hrs to Nice, France for you flight home. Shuttle departure time depends on the majority of Nice departure times **Please make sure that your flight does not depart before 1PM.** Bon voyage!
Within 1 week of registering, you’ll be emailed a ton of information including details on pack list, bike prep, directions, and FAQ sheet.
GETTING THERE
All guests must arrive to Nice, France and ready for pick up the morning of the first day. Flights are not included. Any accommodations prior to Day 1 and after Day 7 are not included.
LODGING AND CUISINE
We’ll be staying in a lovely seaside hotel for the duration of the trip. There’s easy access to explore the town’s shops and cafes post ride and test out all the gelato and espressos you can handle. You’ll be treated to some delicious Italian cuisine, to say the food is amazing is an understatement. 4 group dinners are included, 2 on your own, all breakfasts are included, lunch is on your own.
CLIMATE
Generally the weather is hot and sunny on the Liguria Coast in the spring and fall. Expect cool nights and warm to hot days. Come prepared for anything, and never leave home without your rain gear!
GEAR
High-performance rental bikes mountain bikes are available on this trip. As it is on most of our trips it is recommended that riders bring their own bikes. A current full-suspension enduro bike with 150-160mm travel that’s capable up & down with a penchant for descending through rough terrain is suggested on this trip. Tires should be tubeless, 2.30” or above, aggressive tread designed for rocky terrain, two-ply casing for durability, puncture resistance. Knee pads are mandatory. Eyewear, elbow pads and full face helmet are highly recommended. Anything form a fanny pack to a 16L backpack is recommended. Some of the trails are long but you can keep extra gear and water in the shuttle van.
NOT INCLUDED
TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE
Our guest cancellation policy is firm and we recommend you purchase a trip interruption/cancellation insurance policy to avoid disappointment should you need to cancel your trip last minute. Travel insurance can be purchased through World Nomads, or your travel agent. Ensure your travel insurance covers you and your equipment and that your current health insurance covers the unforeseen like medical flights and back-country emergency rescue.
WAIVERS
Each guest will be required to sign a Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks and Indemnity Agreement at time of registration, prior to start of trip. Click here to view and fill in the online waiver at time of booking. Participants are required to inform Sweet Skills of any allergies, medical conditions or injuries that might affect their riding or health and any medications taken.
AGE
Minimum required age is 18 for our camps and clinics. Requests can be made on a case-by-case basis. It’s recommended for youth between the ages of 14 and 18 to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
This trip is run in partnership with Big Mountain Bike Adventures. As they are taking payment, cancellation policy will be with Big Mountain. Please read their Cancellation Policy HERE
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