Surf Camp Sion: Alpine Wave Riding at Alaïa Bay

The whole point of this camp is the location. Alaïa Bay opened as continental Europe's first surf pool, and TCS Camping Sion set up its Surf Camp to open alongside it on 1 May 2021. You walk five minutes from your tent to the pool. The waves are generated mechanically and run constantly — the site states they come between 300 and 1,000 times per hour — so you get more repetitions in a day than you'd typically get in a week of ocean surfing.

The accommodation is tents rather than rooms. There are two-person tents styled in surfer decor, a Sparkle safari tent, and group tents that fit up to eight people with a patio attached. Beds are made up with fitted sheets only; you bring a sleeping bag or arrange bed linen for CHF 20 per person per stay. This is a camping setup — comfortable and social, not a hotel.

The camp's shared spaces are what make it work as a base. There's a communal tent with a chill-out lounge for when the weather turns, an outdoor fireplace for evenings, a volleyball court, and a lake you can swim in. It's the kind of place where you end up eating and hanging out with the other surfers rather than retreating to your own space.

Because the waves are in a pool, this suits a wide range of ability. Beginners can learn in controlled, consistent conditions without dealing with currents, tides or crowded line-ups. More experienced surfers get a high volume of waves per session and can work on specific manoeuvres over and over. The pool accommodates up to 40 surfers at once.

Sion itself sits in the Valais region of Switzerland, in the Alps. You're surfing in a mountain valley rather than on a coast — which is the unusual part of the whole proposition. The camp runs from the start of May, and the setup is seasonal camping accommodation.

What's included

- Tent accommodation at TCS Camping Sion Surf Camp - Fitted sheets on all beds - Communal tent with chill-out lounge - Outdoor fireplace - Volleyball court - Access to the lake for swimming - Five-minute walk to Alaïa Bay surf pool

What's not included

- Sleeping bag (required — bring your own) - Bed linen (available on request for CHF 20 per person/stay) - Surf sessions at Alaïa Bay (booked separately) - Meals - Travel to Sion - Surf equipment hire - Travel insurance