French Riviera Top Ten Beaches

August means Summer holidays have officially started, and here in Nice we are all heading for the beach (I know, we should be working but ...). The city's daily newspaper, Nice Matin, recently ran a list of best beaches with the title, 'Dix coups de coeur'. So if you are flying to the Cote d'Azur this August, September, October (and even sometimes as late as November when we can be still swimming), here is the paper's list plus a couple of our own favourite picks.


Bonnes vacances!


TOP TEN BEACHES AROUND NICE


BEST HIDDEN BEACH
Villefranche sur mer, La plage de la Darse
Most people know and love the golden sandy beach of Villefranche sur mer, but not many know about plage de la Darse next door. Behind the 'darse de Villefranche', it is frequented mainly by locals. Quiet, only a snack bar or two and not as accessible as its main rival (you need to park and then walk a while to get to it), it manages to keep itself secret.


BEST FAMILY BEACH
Villeneuve-Loubet, Espace Loisirs Famille 
Between St Laurent du Var and Villeneuve Loubet is where you will find this sandy beach (a rare thing on this coastline) dedicated to families and children. There is a range of entertainment for the children and a large number of restaurants. And if the weather doesn't seem promising, Cap 3000 - an enormous shopping mall close by - is at hand. But that wouldn't happen on the Riviera!

COTE ABODE'S PICK: If organised beach games is not your thing, Villefranche sur mer is a good choice for the family. A beautiful fishing village with a generous sandy(ish) beach. It's relaxed and unpretentious, but it also gets very busy in the season. 

MOST INTERESTING SURROUNDINGS BEACH
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, La plage du Buse

Only the locals know about this stony beach according to Nice Matin newspaper. While that is not entirely true, it is tucked away between Monaco and Menton and access is again by foot only. The beach is renown for a small but important piece of architecture - Villa E1027, a summer-beach house designed  by the modernist architect Eileen Gray in 1929, which boasts murals by her friend and frequent house-guest, the even more famous modernist architect, Le Corbusier.

MOST ISLAND-LIKE BEACH
Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, La Paloma
The crescent geography of this small bay gives the feeling of being on an island and offers protection from the wind. Rubbing shoulders with the exclusive Saint Jean Cap Ferrat crowd is a public part of the beach, which is well maintained. The sun is best in the morning/early afternoon.

MOST DISCREET BEACH

Cap d'Ail, plage de la Mala

Nestled in a little cove, hidden by trees, the Mala beach is a natural haven. Access is by foot, down  stone steps. The little beach huts dotted along the shore give the bay an authentic old-fashioned charm. There are two restaurants, L'Eden and La Réserve. A rocky path along the coast, favoured by fishermen, is a great place to take a stroll.

COTE ABODE'S PICK: Coco Beach, Nice. Not really a beach, but a series of rocks that tumble down to the sea (making it unsuitable for small children), this 'sunbathing and diving post' is one of Nice's best-kept secrets. With only room for a a couple of dozen bodies, the locals take priority. You are really 'in the know' if you know this beach! 

WILDEST BEACH
Théoule-sur-mer, La Pointe de l'Aiguille

A tiny stretch of sand and stones, this beach remains untouched by the glitz of the Riviera. There are no shower facilities, no snack-bars, restaurants or other distractions. Just the sea, beach and beauty of the surroundings. Access is down a 400m track. 

BEST VALUE BEACH

Cap d'Antibes, plage de la Garoupe

In a region  renown for its eye-watering prices, including the private beaches and all their accoutrement, it is refreshing that Antibes has maintained a public beach in one of the best spots. For only 8 euros a day (5 euros for a half day) you can have access to an umbrella and beach bed. The down-side: the queue starts early in the day (9am) as there is room for 75 places only, and only two beach beds are allowed per  person.

TRENDIEST BEACH

Cannes, le Pool Beach

'The place to be' according to Nice Matin. If you like your beaches to have that Ibiza or Santa Monica vibe, then this is the one. DJs, jetsetters and wannabes crowd the beach (and pool) in what is described as a nightclub under the skies.

COTE ABODE'S PICK: The Nice alternative is Hi Beach, brought to you by the people behind the uber-trendy Hi Hotel in the centre of the city. Expect Euro-kids and mojitos on-tap. 

BEST NUDIST BEACH

Cap d'Ail, Pissarelles

Reserved for nudist sunbathing, this tiny rocky beach is difficult to find (There is a little path from the Basse-Corniche, between Saint-Laurent d'Eze and Cap' d'Ail.) A peaceful spot and no need for a bikini.

MOST ACCESSIBLE BEACH

Nice, 'Carras' and 'Centenaire'
These two beaches are especially equipped for the handicapped, including parking, a lifeguard and special helpers on duty, adapted showers/changing facilities, access ramp to the sea, special bathing chairs, etc. And all entirely free.

Spring property investment in Nice and on the Riviera

Spring and early summer is traditionally the time for visitors and buyers to arrive on the Cote d'Azur. The property market is picking up considerably from my persepctive as a buyer's agent. My property-savvy clients realise there is investment buying, and then there is smart investment buying, and that means using someone with local knowledge and contacts who is not an estate agent. I live here and know the market. This means I have a handle on the areas that are prime location (and up and coming) and which properties will reap the best returns. In addition, I know which agents will take the initiative and work hard to seal a deal with their clients (and their client is the seller, not the buyer, remember) rather than lose a deal by sticking to an unrealistic price thinking they can squeeze more from a foreign buyer.


Writing in The Telegraph in February this year, Zoe Dare Hall reports that the Côte d'Azur, and Nice in particular, is one of France's 'Hot Spots', with buyers returning to the market again. Dare Hall writes that: "Property prices on the coast fell by about 15 per cent last year, but St Tropez remains the most robust of resorts, with planning laws banning building within 300 metres of the sea constraining supply. The investment-minded head to Nice, where sales to English buyers so far this year have included a £450,000 studio flat on the Promenade des Anglais, purely for high-end corporate lets and a small holiday flat in the Musicians Quarter for £225,000, reports Kirkor Ajderhanyan from Agency 107 Promenade."


The Côte d'Azur is not a bargain region, so making a mistake when investing in property here is an expensive one people can't afford. The current flurry of interest will mean buyers being shown a range of properties from bad to good opportunities by agents who traditionally don't try very hard. An essential part of my job is to remove this random element and guide clients to the best options, saving them costly mistakes.


Nice and the Côte d'Azur is always a sound investment area, but taking away the gamble should be a buyer's prime objective in an unfamiliar market. And that is what a buyer's agent does.

Daily bread

Spring. It's been a hectic few weeks with clients arriving, viewing, and needing everything to be sorted for them now or yesterday (which is never easy in the south when everybody else thinks it can be done 'demain'). But that is what I'm here for and my clients rely on me to work through the bureaucracy and all too frequent 'it can wait' attitude of agents, notaires, utility companies, and such.
My Nice clients always ask the same question. 'Where should I buy?' So, I have decided to start an occasional series, handing over a guest-spot to people who live here which will give a flavour of Nice and the different quartiers and life. Nice is small but it has distinct neighbourhoods. My step-father and mother live in a downtown area of Nice called Les Baumettes. It's a bit of a secret hideaway and only 5 minutes from the Promenade des Anglais. It's worth visiting the Musee des Beaux Arts there which is housed in a grand mansion built originally for Russian royalty. The area has beautiful Belle Epoque villas which are now mainly apartments. Prices are dear, but the advantage is having the city (and beach) on your doorstep and also a bit of peace and quiet around you.

But over to George and his dilemma ...

The Problems of Living in Nice

We live in les Baumettes – about a kilometre from the centre of Nice on the Western side. My problem – too much choice …. of bread.

Within 400 metres there are four boulangeries, each one with its own specialities and between the two of us we can’t eat it all [but you try - Ed!]. My favourite for the last year or so has been Gosset at the beginning of Rue de France. Their baguette “tradition” is unbeatable – made with a sour dough, crisp and addictively tasty. They also do a mean line in pain au chocolat – no not the petit pain (pastry with a piece of chocolate baked inside) but a bread that is more like chocolate cake.

Round the corner in Rue St Philippe is Au Bon Pain. Their bread is not much to my taste but on Wednesdays and Saturdays they produce their gougères – choux pastry flavoured with cheese. I’m there without fail Wednesday and Saturday.

Then on Saturday when Gosset has their weekly day off I go to Fragole on Rue Dante. Their Pain Pio comes in a huge loaf of which I buy a tranche. Sough dough wholemeal, light and moist and dangerously delicious.

But now I have a real problem. A boulangerie in Rue de France which has been shut for a year has reopened. On the 16 May it was the fete de St Honoré – the patron saint of boulangers - and to celebrate they threw open their kitchen to the public from 5.30 am onwards and offered free samples of their wares. I went with my 8 year old grand-daughter. She declared the petit pain au chocolat the best she has ever tasted. I vote their croissants as good as any I have eaten in Paris. And their boulanger (who gave up his profession as avocat (lawyer) to follow his true love) produces 15 different varieties of bread. On the way home we discussed whether I can betray my other favourites.

Before we got home we dropped into the market at Rue Buffa to buy a pomegranate. There we stopped for a coffee and fruit juice in the market’s café. Though I am a non-smoker I was delighted once again to smell the smoke of cigarettes. The sign on the wall says “Il est interdit de fumer” and someone has added “du mauvais tabac.” (Smoking is forbidden (of bad tobacco)). So the French revolutionary spirit is reasserting itself.

St Tropez for lunch - why not?

I was recently contacted by someone wanting help to sell their house on the Gulf of St Tropez and this made me start dreaming of a visit as it has been several months since I was last there. St Tropez is a name that conjures up 50s glamour, jet-setters, and Brigitte Bardot, and it doesn't disappoint.
We hopped in the car early morning and arrived in time for the market and lunch. From Nice the drive is very straightforward down the motorway. Once you turn off the motorway, however, the road is a bit of a nightmare at the moment as they are widening it to accommodate the huge numbers who visit the area. You see why arriving by helicopter or boat is the preference of the rich and famous.
Home to the super-wealthy, property prices are high in this area and look likely to stay that way. But equally it is an area that will never lose its value or, surprisingly, its charm. Although this once sleepy fishing village has been transformed into a glitzy shopper's paradise, it still manages to keep a feel of authenticity, particularly when you go inland. The hill-top villages of Gassin and Ramatuelle are particularly beautiful.
So after a delicious seafood lunch, we headed for one of the vineyards near Gassin that my brother who was visiting from the UK had spied as being nearly 'bio' (organic) and very good. The beautiful vineyard Minuty is situated in the lush countryside of St Tropez and produces excellent wines. We had time to walk around the vineyard, sample and buy some wines (the prestige rose is particularly good), and be back in time for dinner in Nice.
And if anyone would like to buy a very nice small house in the area, please just contact me ... home@coteabode.com

Var wandering

I pride myself on going the extra mile for clients when looking for properties, but my most recent clients managed to make me go the extra miles and then some. And I'm very glad they did as I have now discovered the Var and have left my heart there. In the cold snap of March, we initially looked around the Nice area together, but with no luck. Nothing seemed right, the sun didn't shine, houses weren't 'the one'. My clients wanted a 'coup de coeur', and this is not something you can find easily or in a hurry. Oh well, sometimes this happens and you have to concede defeat.

However, my clients announced their plans to start a search in Sanary sur mer as they knew and loved this area (Bandol, famous for its wine, is next door). A small fishing port in the Var, Sanary is an idyllic spot near to Toulon. Thinking it was too far from my range and not knowing the area, I turned down their request at first to take on the search. But little by little I kept thinking about it and how I had such a good idea about what they were looking for. And thanks to a lucky meeting with a wonderful agent called Damian Tudor (Carlton International) who did know the area, I was convinced by all that we could work on this together. Three overnight trips later and many many pre-viewings of villas Iater, we had a short-list for my clients who flew out for two days last week.

First day was promising, and the second day we had booked a second visit for two houses. The next day we also had a visit to house in a sea-side location not well-known to those outside of the area. Called Tamaris, we had come across it by chance on our search and agreed it was Cap d'Antibes before Cap d'Antibes became unaffordable to most. The villa was new to us and not viewed before hand. We walked in and it was everything my clients had dreamed of. A beautiful turn of the century villa, still retaining all its grand charm, with sea views, only one street back from the sea. We knew we had to move quickly, so the offer was placed that day and agreed by the early evening. A boat was thrown in to the deal thanks to Damian's charm at negotiating.

So as well as feeling over the moon that we found the perfect place for our clients, it was for me a discovery of a new and wonderful part of the South of France. Prices are more reasonable, the area is more wild and rugged. I imagine it is a bit like St Tropez before the glitz took over.

So if anyone would like me to go that extra mile for a house, I'm ready to go back anytime...

La Turbie and Roman ruins

If you want to see an iconic French Riviera film, then To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, is the one. In the film Grace Kelly takes Grant for a ride in her convertible at wild speed on the Grande Corniche (rather unnerving to watch considering her tragic crash near this area many years later). The Grande Corniche is the most breath-taking, winding coastal road on the Riviera. As you drive along it and reach the village of La Turbie, an extrordinary sight comes into view: the remains of a Roman ruin rise up behind the medieval hilltop town.

The Trophy of Augustus was built about 2,000 years ago to celebrate the victory of Augustus over the people of the Alps. It was partially restored during the early part of the 20th century and the steep climb is worth it to see the beautiful views over the sea and down to Monaco. There is a a tiny, rather shabby, but none the less interesting museum attached to the site. But the pleasure is seeing the architecture of the monument and walking through its wild hill-top setting.

If you want to eat at a really good restaurant with the locals, try Café de la Fontaine on La Turbie's main road. It's a blackboard menu and one of the better meals I have had on the Riviera recently. Honest steak and chips and other simple rustic dishes in a great atmosphere.

Snow storms and mimosa

Nobody really talks about the weather on the Côte d'Azur because, well, the weather is usually blue skies and sunshine and that's just not really interesting enough to spend time talking about. But the Nicoise have all suddenly taken to greeting one another with ... 'isn't it incredible!' or 'did you see the snow, how deep it was?!' They say it happens every 20 years in Nice (but being the French, some contrary types say every 15 years). We awoke from our sleep to see the palm trees covered in snow. Cars stopped, work stopped, people ran into the street and threw snowballs. It lasted only a couple of days, but we will never forget the snow.
Then, as if to laugh at this crazy snow-covered world, the mimosa tree - the first early sign of spring in this region - fluffed out its can-can skirt of bright yellow flowers to celebrate Nice's annual gaudy, confetti-strewn carnival. And we all sigh happily as we know Spring, thankfully, is around that corner.