Suggested activities for your stay (surroundings)
Categories : Around Nice, published on : 1/4/24
- Nice-Villefranche coastal path 2h (seaside path except 270 steps then 400m roadside at the cape) then return by bus or train - in the port of the Darse of Villefranche, take the time to walk among the old boats, have a coffee or lunch at the Baleine Joyeuse It is possible to do only the final part, taking bus 81 or 100 from the beginning to "Hôpital des Anglais".
- By car, drive to Villefranche (good little restaurants and cafés with a view)
- Coastal path Beaulieu - Saint Jean 30mn, flat path (bus 1OO or 81)
- Coastal path from Sainte Hospice to Saint Jean 40mn, almost flat path (car or bus 81)
- Coastal path Cap d'Antibes, very beautiful, but uneven, good shoes required, 3h from beach Keller de la Garoupe (car access)
- Coastal path Cap Martin/Roquebrune, access by train from Carnoules station, return from Monaco, 3h of very nice walk with some steps
- Rent (1e/day for 30mn sessions) a blue bike and ride the Promenade des Anglais, then Saint Laurent and Cagnes (last station to change bike at the end of the racecourse before Marina Baie des Anges)
- Rent a bike with electric assistance (about 40e/day) and go to the perched village of Eze by the cornices, superb panoramas without effort! Pass by the Cape of Nice, then Mont Boron, Fort Mont Alban, Moyenne Corniche, Eze, then go back down to Cap d'ail (lunch of a pizza on the rocks? or good expensive restaurants on the seaside, the Pinède in particular) and come back by the seaside... with nice stops everywhere...
- Menton, Cocteau museums, old town
- Monaco, the Rock (with the palace, the oceanographic museum) and the Monte Carlo area (beautiful shops, beautiful facades and garden, Casino, Hotel de Paris where I recommend to have a tea or a drink)
- Eze (access by bus 82 or Uber 25e or by car), a cute little perched village, nice exotic garden for a fee but it's worth it because it's the most beautiful view of the village on the sea - maybe have a drink at the Relais et Châteaux la Chèvre d'Or
- Villa Ephrussi de Rotschild, a superbly located villa in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, 15 minutes from the centre of Nice, the best way to understand what life was like in the Belle Epoque here - lovely interiors, 7 gardens for lovely walks, water fountains with music every 30 minutes. Small, convenient snack restaurant at a fair price.
- Italy, many charming villages on the coast or inland, see Ajoupa blog. Circuit of the villages of the Nervia valley, small villages on the side, Bordighera (40mn from Nice), Imperia, San Remo, Arma di Taggia, or Alassio (1h15).
- Peillle- Peillon : a nice loop of small hike to do in 3-4h between two small charming villages, pause at the restaurant Les Plaisirs very nice for lunch in Peillon.
- Tende, and other small villages - pretty traditional villages of the Roya valley - access from Italy. Recommended stop at Notre Dame des Fontaines next to La Brigue, with very famous 16th century frescoes as lively as comic strips.
- Train des Merveilles : a nice ride through the villages of the Peillon valley, with a commentary by a guide on the way - you can stop in a village (the last one, Tende, for example) and come back in the afternoon (without the guide!)
- Train des Pignes: famous tourist train in the valleys north of Nice. I have never done it but it is very famous.
- Antibes (rampart, port with the biggest yachts in the world, Picasso museum - some good bistros)
- Cros de Cagnes with the Grimaldi castle, a charming little village (access by car)
- Saint Paul de Vence and the Maeght Foundation, one of the biggest Modern Art foundations in France. Very nice exhibitions twice a year. Small charming traditional village, with many galleries very touristy
- Vence, traditional village, nice church, Matisse chapel at 20 mn walk, good restaurants
- Tourettes sur Loup, nice traditional village above the Loup gorges
- Gourdon, pretty traditional village above the gorges du Loup with a castle. Start of nice 45mn walks.
- Grasse, interesting historical town centre with perfume museum, Fragonard museum... but in a very popular town today. A bit far from Nice (45mn by car)
- Cannes, the Croisette, shopping in rue d'Antibes, the old Suquet district, departure for the ballads to the Lerins islands (17euros the round trip, about 10mn crossing - Sainte Marguerite island with nice ballads, a castle and some expensive and not good restaurants but with nice views - Saint Honorat island my favourite, nice ballads, - 2 monasteries of which an old one is disused, on the water with free access - a restaurant with a nice view, expensive but nice.)
- Cruise to see Nice and the Bay of Villefranche, and our beautiful coastline, from the sea... departure from the Port of Nice in front of the flea market - April to October Every day (except Mondays).
- Book a tour with a Greeter (an organisation of volunteers who are passionate about their town and offer guided tours on what they like - under the control of the tourist office... very nice!) www.nice-greeters.com
- Hire a boat via a website such as "click and boat" for a sea trip, the best being the tour of the Lerins Islands, the Cap d'Antibes and the Bay of Cannes (prefer a departure from Cannes or Antibes)
- Take an organised tour in small groups with the VTC to discover the surroundings with an optimised organisation (ask us at the reception, the quality of the agencies varies according to the years, we will be able to advise you the best plans with the best agencies)
- Spend a day at Marineland, for those who like to see dolphins, orcas, sea lions... (good plan, take the 72h Riviera Pass, it is included!)
- A walk in the beautiful red mountains of the Esterel, especially in January-February when the mimosa is in bloom, the contrast with the sea and the blue sky, the yellow of the mimosa and the red of the earth are exceptional! By train, go to Treyas and take a path to Théoule where you take the train back.
