The Côte d'Azur — France's Mediterranean Riviera

The is the most famous stretch of coastline in the world — a 115 km ribbon of turquoise water, limestone headlands, and sun-drenched towns from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border at Menton. The name was coined in 1887 by the poet Stéphen Liégeard, and it stuck — the colour of the sea here is genuinely, consistently, almost unreasonably blue.

Cap Ferrat

A wooded peninsula between Nice and Monaco — one of the most expensive pieces of real estate on Earth, but also a remarkable coastal walk (the ) through Aleppo pine, Mediterranean scrub, and hidden coves.

The Îles de Lérins

Two islands visible from Cannes' Croisette: Sainte-Marguerite (forest, fort, the Man in the Iron Mask's cell) and Saint-Honorat (a working monastery since the 5th century, producing wine and liqueur). A 15-minute ferry removes you from Riviera crowds into silence and pine shade.

The Maritime Alps

The Côte d'Azur is unique in that genuine Alpine mountains — snow-capped in winter — are visible from the beaches. The backcountry rises steeply through perched villages (Èze, Sainte-Agnès) to the Mercantour National Park.

Ecology

The coast's ecology is under pressure from urbanisation but retains pockets of richness:

Posidonia meadows: Critically important seagrass beds offshore (declining but protected)
Pelagos Sanctuary: The offshore waters are part of an 87,500 km² cetacean reserve shared with Italy and Monaco
Aleppo pine forests: The dominant coastal tree — fire-adapted, resinous, essential to the Riviera silhouette
Marine caves and rocky reefs: Support grouper (recovering), moray eels, octopus, and red coral

The Three Corniches

The coast road between Nice and Monaco runs on three levels:

Grande Corniche (top): The highest, most dramatic — built by Napoleon on the Roman Via Julia Augusta. Views to Corsica on clear days.
Moyenne Corniche (middle): Through Èze village — the classic perched village viewpoint.
Basse Corniche (coast level): Through Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu — closest to the water.

Nice City Guide — Nice — capital of the Riviera — city guide and practical information on La Porte.