Activity Reviews in Nice

One of the most varied of the Sentier Littoral routes, this starts at Plage Marquet right on the Monaco border and heads west to finish at Plage Mala going via volcanic rocks, blooming Mediterranean flowers, Belle Epoque villas and three fantastic beaches.

This half day scenic hike circles around the north side of Mont Vial, traversing a deep bowl in the Var Valley.

This intense little loop packs quite a lot into a short ride, taking you up to the serenity of the high mountains and back down to the hustle of the seafront in just 30km.

This easily accessible promenade starts at the Port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and finishes at Plage de Passable, taking you right around the peninsula of this beautiful coastline.

Nice’s flagship urban park covers 12 hectares in the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk from Promenade des Anglais. Promenade du Paillon used to be a very congested and rather ugly thoroughfare where the old bus station and multi storey car park were situated. It was demolished in 2011 and a 3 year development project took place to turn it into the oasis of green open space, safe play areas and impressive water features that we enjoy today.

A challenging ride up a steep mountain pass to a summit of 963m, the Col de Vence is a classic cycling route of the Cote d’Azur. Starting from Nice along the Promenade des Anglais, follow the cycle path past the airport to Cagnes-Sur-Mer; you’ll know you’ve reached Cagnes-Sur-Mer when you come to a long stretch of seafront and a dangling rhinoceros (you’ll understand when you see it), turn right up Avenue General Leclerc - it’s the second road after the church.

This rugged coastal footpath runs from Villefranche-Sur-Mer all the way to Nice, providing excellent views of the harbour and lots of opportunities for secluded swimming and sunbathing along the way.

This circuit starts from Aspremont, one of the famous “perched villages” of the Cote d’Azur, and climbs up to Mont Chauve at 853m to give spectacular views of the Baie des Anges and the “collines”, or hills, surrounding Nice.

Each year under clear blue winter skies, a carpet of gold creeps across the rolling hills and quiet stone villages of the French Riviera. As spring approaches, the mimosa trees come into spectacular bloom in the South of France, the sprays of soft yellow flowers vivid against the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

The Train des Pignes runs on the Chemins de Fer de Provence railway line and connects the Riviera town of Nice with the historic city of Digne Les-Bains, taking you from seaside to snowy mountains in just three hours and 30 minutes.

This half-day ride takes you on a panoramic tour via four of the region’s famous sixteen “perched villages” - ancient towns built high amongst the mountains of the Alpes-Maritime. There is a fair bit of climbing involved in this ride, 1500m over just under 60km, but there are also plenty of long flowing descents where you can drink in the magnificent views of mountains in one direction and sea in the other. The biggest climb is the first one up to Aspremont, so once you’ve nailed that you can relax and take the rest nice and easy.

I’ve done a few strange things in the name of exercise but riding a bike whilst up to my chin in seawater definitely comes quite high up the list. Aqua Bike is the latest fitness craze  to hit the Cote d’Azur, with various gyms and personal trainers offering group or private sessions. It was time to try it out for myself with a group session from the appropriately-named Fl’eau at Aquabike 06.

Easy to fit into a quiet afternoon when you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Nice town.