A Good Direction, France

South of France

The Destination

The Cote d’Azur is full of hidden gems. I was lucky enough to live there for about 6 months in the summer and seek out what it had to offer.

The List

Monaco

  • Money, fancy cars, fancy boats, money, fancy casino & a prince’s palace on the hill. Spend the afternoon wandering around the Principality of Monaco and get a look in at how the other half live. Make sure to check out the palace, the port and of course try your luck at the Monte Carlo Casino. Finish your day off with the yachties having a drink in either Brasserie or La Rascasse in the port.
  • You can train or bus from Nice, the train is obviously faster but is about 5euro each way where as the bus is 2 and drives along the spectacular coast.

Eze

  • An old beautiful village that sits high on the hill. You can do a 1 hour hike up to the village, wander around, have some lunch and head back down again.
  • Again you can train or bus but the track up to the top leaves from close to the train station.

La Tete de Chien

  • This is by far one of the coolest walks I have ever done that overlooks the whole of Monaco on one side and the Riviera on the other. 100% would recommend.
  • Look the directions up on your phone before leaving because it can be a bit complicated in the start. Train to Cap D’Ail and navigate your way through the town to find the yellow triangles that will lead you to the path. You can then walk down into Monaco from the top or come back the way you came. Its about 1 hour up.

Cannes

  • Known for Cannes Film Festival you can walk along the waterfront and have your photo taken in all of the movie cut outs, shop in some expensive designer stores and check out all the super yachts.

St Tropez

  • Another quaint town where money seems to grow on trees. The old village is a beaut to walk around. Grab yourself a gelato and stroll the streets, hunt for some celebrities and admire the million dollar pads then find yourself a sugar mumma or daddy to splurge on a few drinks at Nikki Beach.
  • It takes a while to get to so definitely dedicate a whole day. From Nice you can train to St. Raphael and then bus from there to St. Tropez.

Antibes

  • If you are a Kiwi, Ozzie, Saffa or Englishman feeling a bit homesick head to Antibes and hang out with all the yachties and all the big ballin’ Superyachts. You’ll find them all for drinks after work at Drinkers Club, Happy Face, The Blue Lady, The Hop Store or The Quays.
  • If you’re around on a Saturday in Summer then head to Mooreanui Beach in Juan Les Pins for a good day drinking session.

Canyon Forest

  • If you need a break from the old towns, fancy houses and beach life head to Canyon Forest in Villenueve-Loubet. For 20euro you set out on a high ropes course of your choosing for a couple hours climbing rocks, tree, zipling and weaving your way through the forest.

Rock Jumping

  • If you are a rock jumper you’ll find some good spots along the Cote d’Azur we found some good spots in  Cap D’Ail along the coastal walk and in Theoule sur Mer again along the coastal walk.

St. Jean Cap Ferrat

  • Apparently some of the most expensive homes that money can buy. The peninsula is home to a small old fishing village and a walk that winds around point.

Villefranche sur Mer

  • There aren’t too many sandy beaches you can find in the area but Villefranche is your spot.

THE STAY

  • Nice is a good place to base yourself from and work your way around from there. Otherwise you start getting caught in yachting crew houses which are expensive between Feb-Sept.
  • 5 Recommended Day Trips
    • La Tete De Chien & Monaco
    • Villefranche and Eze
    • St Tropez
    • Cannes, Antibes & Theoule Sur Mer
    • St Jean Cap Ferrat & Cap D’Ail
    • Bonus day: Canyon Forest