Sunbathing on the Côte d’Azur (France) and Monaco

This year, I didn’t particularly want to go abroad because of all the restrictions due to the Coronavirus epidemic (quarantine, health pass, PCR test, etc. ), so I decided to stay in France and go to the South that I don’t know at all except Toulouse and Perpignan.

In order to fill me up with vitamin D, I chose the PACA region, and more particularly Cannes, Saint-Raphaël, Menton and Nice, as the main cities where I will stay for about 2 days each.

To fully enjoy the PACA region, I also decided to visit 1 or 2 additional cities between each main city. Cities in the Southeast can be easily connected with each other thanks to the inexpensive TER. In addition, the view from the TER along each route is magnificent. It overlooks the sea, it is a real pleasure for the eyes.

I took the train at Gare de Lyon on September 4th 2021 at 10:07 am to get to Cannes and the journey took 5h28.

Day 1

After dropping my stuff off at the hotel across from Gare de Cannes, I walked around the city.

Hotera hotel

I passed by the Palais des Festivals, which is not as impressive as you might think.

The red carpet was laid out and there were cardboard replicas of Hollywood stars in front of the palace.

I then headed to the Croisette Beach, the long beach of the Croisette.

I then turned back to the other side of the avenue on the Promenade de la Croisette where there are many luxury shops and hotels.

I passed again in front of the Palais des Festivals after which we can see the Chemin des Etoiles, less beautiful than the one in Los Angeles however..

I took a walk in the quartier Le Suquet which led me to the Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Espérance and to the point de vue de Cannes.

Day 2

The next morning, I took the boat at the Quai Laubeuf to go to the Marguerite Island located at 15 min by boat from Cannes.

The island is beautiful and is covered by a forest bordered by creeks and beaches. There is also a pond, the Etang du Bateguier.

Back in Cannes, I took the TER to spend the afternoon in Antibes, 11 minutes from Cannes.

I saw the Chapelle Saint-Bernardin, the town hall, the marché Provençal and the Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Immaculée.

I also went to the Port Vauban where the statue Le Nomade is located.

Day 3

Departure for Saint-Raphaël located at 23 min from Cannes via the TER.

As my hotel was located on the border of Fréjus, I was able to visit both Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus in the afternoon.

I took a walk in the ieux port de Saint-Raphaël, near which is the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Victoire.

At at the end of the Promenade René Coty is the Archange Saint-Raphaël.

Further on, in the city centre, I came across the Eglise San Rafeu.

In Fréjus, I first strolled along the plage de Fréjus and then on the Port Fréjus. I ended up at the Cathédrale Sainte-Léonce.

I went back to Saint-Raphaël where I took a walk in the evening on the Vieux Port and the plage du Veillat.

Day 4

In the morning, I walked to the port Santa Lucia and the Calanques de Santa Lucia.

In the afternoon, I took the boat at the Vieux port de Saint-Raphaël to go to Saint-Tropez located at 1 hour by boat.

I walked around Saint-Tropez passing by the port, the Chapelle de la Miséricorde, the Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, la Tour du Portalet and the sentier du littoral.

In the evening, I took a walk near the Vieux Port de Saint-Raphaël.

Day 5

My train to Menton leaving early in the afternoon, I went to visit the Musée Louis de Funès in Saint-Raphaël.

The journey from Saint-Raphaël to Menton took 1h59 (54 min to the Gare de Nice-Ville, 27 min connection then 38 min journey from Nice-Ville to Menton).

I walked along the sea and in the city center of Menton which is a very cute city with the air of the Cinque Terre in Italy with its colorful houses.

The various squares and alleys such as the Place Honoré II, the Place de la Conception with its Chapelle de l'Immaculée-Conception and the Basilique Saint-Michel, the rue du Vieux Château and the Traverse Mattoni are all very pretty.

I took a look at the Cimetière du Vieux Château located on boulevard Garavan.

Day 6

That day, we headed for the principauté de Monaco, located 12 minutes by train from Menton.

Here, everything is luxurious! Casino Monte-Carlo, the hotels, including the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo and Hôtel de Paris as well as its Café de Paris or the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

I was able to visit the Jardins Saint-Martin which are beautiful with the various plants, moreover they are free!

After my little visit of Monaco, I took the TER again to visit Beaulieu-sur-mer located at 13 min from Monaco.

The Villa Kérylos is the place to visit in Beaulieu-sur-mer. It allows to enjoy a beautiful view on the sea from the villa and its garden.

The furniture of the villa, built on the model of the villas of Ancient Greece, is a real pleasure for the eyes.

I took the TER back to Menton where I wandered around a bit in the evening.

Day 7

Departure in the morning for the gare de Nice-Ville located at 40 min of TER of Menton.

I walked around the city all afternoon.

I passed by the Place Masséna and then the Promenade du Paillon where I stopped for lunch.

I could see the Place du Voeu and its church not far from there.

I also strolled along the Plage des Ponchettes passing by the Place Pierre-Gauthier where photos of Jean-Paul Belmondo were on display to pay tribute to him.

Not far from there is the Cours Jacques Chirac which opened in 2020.

Still near the Plage des Ponchettes, there is the I Love Nice sign.

I then climbed up to the Tour Bellanda to enjoy the view of the Baie des Anges.

I continued my ascent to the Cascade du Château and the Colline du Château, and then descended through the magnificent Cimetière du Château.

I ended my day by the Promenade des Anglais that I could not properly photograph because a sporting event was taking place there; so there were lots of barriers all along the way.

Day 8

For this last full day in the South-East, I decided to go to Éze. I took the tram, then the bus which dropped me off right at the foot of the village d'Éze. The whole trip took 1 hour.