Alaia Bay Switzerland

Alaïa Bay opened on 1 May 2021 in Sion, in the canton of Valais, as the first surfing wave pool built in continental Europe. It runs on Wavegarden Cove technology in a pool of more than 8,300 square meters beside the lake at Les Îles, and the site also has a surf school, surf shop, restaurant and bar, with a hostel run by the same group in Sion.

The pool is driven by 46 motors and produces between 300 and 1,000 waves an hour depending on the session type, with only one level scheduled per hour. Levels run from Rookie, Rookie Rider, Cruiser and Intermediate Cruiser, taught in coached sessions for beginners to intermediates, up through Advanced Cruiser, Advanced Turn, Expert Turn, Mega Turn, Expert Barrel and Mega Barrel for surfers who already surf the ocean independently. In August 2026 the park added an Expert Turn to Barrel wave that mixes a turn section with a softer barrel.

Intermediate and progressing surfers get the most repeatable value, with levels from cruisers to barrels and a high number of waves per hour. Beginners are catered for in coached sessions with two instructors, a board and wetsuit included. Anyone already in the Alps for skiing at Verbier or Crans-Montana can realistically add a surf session to the trip. Kids' sessions start at 8 years old.

There are three kinds of session, each with an hour in the water. Coached sessions, for beginners to intermediates, cost from CHF 149 and include 30 minutes of theory on land, 55 minutes of surfing, a 10-minute debrief, a softboard, wetsuit and winter kit, with two instructors for up to 16 people. Guided sessions, for advanced to expert surfers who are independent in the ocean, cost from CHF 129 and include a 15-minute safety briefing and 55 minutes of surfing with guides helping with positioning. Free Surf sessions, unsupervised and only for surfers the park has validated, cost from CHF 89. A 5-session pack is from CHF 599 and a 10-session pack from CHF 1,149, both usable for any session type, equipment included and valid in high season. Kids' sessions (8 to 12) are CHF 129 coached and CHF 109 guided (booking site, 23 October 2026). The Alaïa Bay Card includes free, unlimited parking. Read from alaia.ch and the booking site on 26 September 2026.

Check your level with the park's level selector before booking, and book online as early as possible, especially for weekends. Opening hours vary by day of the week, from mornings only on Mondays to 7:15am to 9pm on Saturdays. Packs make more sense for residents or a multi-day trip than for a one-off visit. Surf Eye, the park's AI camera system, records every wave, and private coaching with video analysis is available. Crans-Montana is about 35 minutes by car and Verbier about 45, which makes a combined ski and surf day possible in the right season.