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Overview
The Promenade des Anglais is famous for a reason — six kilometres of seafront, the pebble beach, the azure Mediterranean — but the real Nice coastline hides to the east and west of the promenade, in the coves and staircases and rocky outcrops that most tourists never find. This is a walk along the coast from the old port to Villefranche-sur-Mer, slipping down stone staircases to hidden beaches, swimming in water that is more turquoise than anywhere on the riviera, and ending with a sunset at a cove that belongs entirely to whoever arrives first.
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20 pinned placesFeatured Places
Discover the best spots in this carefully curated guide. Each location has been personally visited and vetted to ensure an authentic and memorable experience.
Plage Publique de la Reserve
The Plage de la Reserve is a public beach at the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais, accessible down a steep staircase from the cliff path. The beach is composed of large pebbles rather than sand — typical of the Nice coastline — and the water is deep immediately off the shore, meaning it doesn't warm in the shallows. The beach is popular with locals who value its relative quiet compared to the central Promenade, and the water visibility is exceptional for swimming.
Cove of Mont Alban
The cove at Mont Alban is one of the most secluded swimming spots on the Nice coastline — a small rocky inlet accessible down a rough path from the Mont Alban residential neighbourhood. The cove faces east, so it gets the morning sun and is sheltered from the prevailing west wind. Locals sunbathe on the flat rocks around the inlet, and the water is deep enough for diving from the lower rocks. Come before 10am in summer to have it to yourself.
Parc Naturel Forestier du Mont Alban
The Parc Naturel Forestier du Mont Alban is a small park on the clifftop above the Mont Alban cove, covering twelve hectares of Mediterranean scrub and pine forest. The park has a network of walking paths, most of which lead to viewpoints over the coast. The view from the highest point — looking west across the Baie des Anges to the Alps behind Nice — is one of the finest in the city. The park is free and usually empty, even in high summer.
Port de Nice
The old port of Nice — Port Lympia — is a working harbour set into a natural cove on the eastern side of the city. The harbour entrance is framed by two curved breakwaters painted in the distinctive ochre and cream colours of Nice's Art Deco architecture, and the boats inside range from fishing vessels to superyachts. Come at dawn when the fishing boats unload, or at sunset when the light turns the water gold and the promenade around the harbour fills with locals.
Passerelle desAnges
The Passerelle des Anges is a pedestrian bridge over the railway line connecting the old town to the Port Lympia area, built in 2017 as part of the Nice waterfront regeneration. The bridge rises 26 metres above the railway and offers a remarkable viewpoint over the Baie des Anges — the curve of the Promenade des Anglais, the sweep of the beach, the city climbing the hills behind. At night, lit with LEDs, it is one of the most photographed structures in Nice.
Plage des Ponchettes
The Plage des Ponchettes is the longest stretch of beach on the Promenade des Anglais, running from the old town to the Port Lympia. It is a public beach — the private beaches to the west are reserved for hotel guests — and fills with locals in the mornings and early evenings. The beach has the best view of the Baie des Anges from water level: looking east toward the Port Lympia and the Alps beyond, with Mont Alban rising on the right.
Colline du Château
The Colline du Château — Castle Hill — rises above the old town and is Nice's best viewpoint, overlooking the city, the Promenade, and the sea from a height of 93 metres. The hill is reached by a staircase of 300 steps (or a lift in the lift, for those who prefer), and the view from the top is extraordinary: on a clear day you can see as far as Corsica. The park at the top is planted with centuries-old olive trees and pine, and there is a small waterfall at the northern edge.
Calanque de la Revère
The Calanque de la Revère is a narrow inlet on the eastern side of Mont Alban, accessible via a rough path that drops sharply from the clifftop road. The cove has a small pebble beach and crystal-clear water that is spectacular for snorkelling — the underwater visibility is excellent and the rocks are covered in Mediterranean marine life. The path down is steep and rocky in places; trainers are adequate, flip-flops are not.
Vue Panoramique du Cap de Nice
The panoramic viewpoint at Cap de Nice is on the eastern tip of the city, where the coast turns toward Villefranche-sur-Mer. The view from the cliff-edge here is 270 degrees: to the west, the whole of Nice spreads below you, the Promenade a grey ribbon along the coast; to the east, the coast continues toward Cap-Ferrat and the mountains of the arrière-pays rise directly from the sea. At sunset, the light comes from the west and turns the buildings of Nice gold.
Plage de Villefranche-sur-Mer
The beach at Villefranche-sur-Mer — just outside Nice, ten minutes by bus or twenty on foot along the coast path — is one of the finest urban beaches on the Riviera. The bay is sheltered from the prevailing west wind by the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, and the water is calm, clear, and turquoise. The old town of Villefranche rises directly from the beach, its ochre and pink buildings reflected in the morning water. The beach is public and free, and the old fishing quarter behind it has excellent local restaurants.
Sentier du Mont Leu
The Sentier du Mont Leu is a coastal walking path that runs from the Port Lympia along the eastern cliffs of Nice, connecting the city to Villefranche-sur-Mer by a spectacular clifftop route. The path is part of the Sentier littoral — the coastal path that runs along much of the French Riviera coast — and offers views over the sea that are unmatched by any road. The full walk takes three hours at a reasonable pace; the first hour from Nice has the most dramatic coastal views.
Plage de la CPI
The Plage de la CPI — named for the Institut de Physique where the beach is located — is a small public beach at the foot of the university campus on the eastern side of Nice. The beach is technically for university members but is unenforced and open to all. It is quieter than the city beaches and has a small bar open in the summer months. The water is deep immediately off the shore and the seabed drops quickly to rocky bottom, making it good for snorkelling.
Phare de Nice
The Phare de Nice — the lighthouse at the eastern tip of the city — is an active lighthouse that has been guiding ships since 1837. The current tower dates from 1913 and stands 15 metres high, painted white with a red stripe. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but the path around it leads to one of the most dramatic coastal viewpoints on the Nice promenade. The light rotates every five seconds and can be seen for 25 nautical miles.
Plage du Boulevard Frank
The Plage du Boulevard Frank is one of the few public beaches on the western side of Nice, accessible from the Promenade by a staircase at the end of the Boulevard Frank. This stretch of coast is rockier than the Promenade beaches — more cliff than beach — but the water is clearer and there are flat rocks for sunbathing. The beach is almost always empty in the mornings, even in August, and the sound of the waves here is louder and more dramatic than on the city beaches.
Parc de la Vignola
The Parc de la Vignola is a small park in the Port Lympia area, built on a former military fortification above the harbour entrance. The park is notable for its underground magazine — a former ammunition store that is now open to visitors as a small museum of the fort's history. The park's main feature is its view: the whole of Nice harbour spreads below, with the Colline du Château behind and the sea beyond. The park is free and has a children's play area.
Cove of Larvotto
The cove at Larvotto — the easternmost beach of Monaco, accessible from Nice by a ten-minute walk along the beach — is a rocky inlet with clear water and a small stretch of fine sand. The cove faces east, so it gets morning sun, and is sheltered from the west wind by the Monaco headland. The water is excellent for swimming and the rocks are covered in sea urchins and small fish. Come on a weekday morning to avoid the Monaco weekend crowds.
Promenade du Pinnel
The Promenade du Pinnel is a clifftop path on the eastern side of Mont Alban, connecting the Mont Alban park to the panoramic viewpoint at Cap de Nice. The path runs along the cliff edge with drops directly to the sea below, and the views east toward Villefranche and Cap-Ferrat are remarkable. In spring, the cliff is covered in wildflowers — lavender, rosemary, and the yellow of the immortelle — and the smell mixes with the salt air.
Plage du Bateau
The Plage du Bateau is a tiny beach on the western side of the Port Lympia harbour entrance, accessible down a metal staircase from the seafront promenade. The beach is barely fifty metres long and is framed by the harbour walls on one side and a rocky cliff on the other. It is popular with the harbour's boat crews during their lunch breaks, and with locals who know it. The beach has no facilities but the water is cleaner than the city beaches since it is swept by the harbour's tidal flow.
Fort du Mont Alban
The Fort du Mont Alban is a 19th-century military fort built on the clifftop above the Mont Alban cove, now partially converted into a cultural venue. The fort's main interest is its location: the panoramic view from the fort's ramparts takes in the whole of the Baie des Anges, from Nice to Antibes, with the Alps as a backdrop. The fort is open on weekend afternoons and hosts occasional cultural events in summer. The approach road to the fort also has several informal viewpoints worth stopping for.
Baie des Anges at Sunset
The Baie des Anges at sunset is one of the great Mediterranean experiences. The sun sets over the Alps to the west, and the last hour of light turns the pebble beach and the sea to gold, then orange, then a deep red that reflects in the water for twenty minutes before the city lights come on. The best viewpoint for sunset is from the Plage des Ponchettes at water level, looking back at the Promenade and the old town — or from Castle Hill above. Either way, bring wine.
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