The Cote D’Azur or French Riviera on France’s south, east coast is an incredibly beautiful part of the world with a wealth of walking opportunities.
Home to famous towns, beautiful coastline, National Parks and huge hills surrounding the area you won’t be stuck for walking ideas with stunning views.
Whether you fancy mixing with the rich and stylish in Saint Tropez and Cannes or taking beach strolls along the equally beautiful but more understated parts of the coastline, you’ll find your style here in the Cote D’Azur.
Saint Tropez
Upon arrival in Saint Tropez you’ll immediately notice the high end shops, gorgeous cafes, restaurants and the marina with its array of huge yachts. Don’t be put off though, Saint Tropez attracts all manor of travellers these days with all budgets.
Get lost in the gorgeous narrow windy streets and people watch from a cafe with an ice cold beer, bliss right?
If you fancy taking the ten minute walk just out of town you’ll find the beautiful little beach ‘Plage de Graniers’ which is nestled in a small cove just around the bay from the hub of Saint Tropez. There is sand and shingle here and it is a public beach so bring your towel along and grab a spot. The water is shallow and calm and great for families although you will find big pebbles underfoot as you go out a little way into the sea.
There is a beautiful restaurant on the beach with a little beach bar too; take our advice though and call ahead since it gets booked up in advance, and don’t expect to find anything cheap on the menu!
Antibes
Antibes is a gorgeous coastal town in the Cote D’Azur, very close to Cannes with a beautiful old historic feel, bustling markets and many locals milling around. Not quite as expensive and fancy as Saint Tropez but equally beautiful and perhaps with more of a buzzy atmosphere, this place will steal your heart.
Wonder the maze of tiny, beautiful streets, marvel at the fresh fruit and veg stalls dotting the pavements and drop in for a divine coffee at one of the many friendly cafes.
The beach in Antibes is about two minutes out of the old town and boasts one of the only real sandy beaches in the area with beautiful calm waters for swimming.
The beach does get busy, particularly during weekends and holidays but is a great spot for the whole family.
For a beautiful coastal walk take the ‘Tour de Cap’ – a one to two hour walk around the coast, along winding tree lined tracks and alongside the beautiful clear blue waters of the Mediterranean.
Cannes
Beautiful Cannes is a pleasure to mooch around and is a vibrant, fun place to be.
Head for La Croix des Gardes via Avenue Jean de Noailles to see this beautiful nature reserves and forest. This 200 acre forest is for the most part now owned by the Coastal Conservatory and managed by the Town of Cannes and is the town’s lungs, offering incredible views over the Bay of Cannes, its islands, the Esterel Massif and the foothills of the Alpes d’Azur.
For a day trip jump on a ferry from Cannes to The Iles de Lerins which are a group of four islands off the coast of Cannes. Wander around the abbey in Saint-Honorat, where the monks have taken a vow of silence or take a long walk around Sainte-Marguerite along the coast.
You’ll find beautiful beaches and a haven of peace and quiet surrounded by nature at its finest.
Into The Hills – Alpes-Maritime
The mountains of the Cote D’Azur that overlook Cannes make for a stunning back drop to the Cote D’Azur and are riddled with walking trails. Most trails start off from pretty little villages set into the hills and wind the Alpes Maritime offering beautiful views out to the Mediterranean.
Gorbio and Asprement are easy to reach by public transport, others such as Gourdon take a little more effort but are well worth visiting before you embark upon your hike.
The GR5 is one of the classic French hiking routes which links Nice to Lake Geneva via the French and Swiss Alpes and the whole route can be done in its entirety over four to five weeks but of course you can pick up and leave where ever you please, depending on the length of the hike that you’d like to embark upon.
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