Nice is the unofficial capital of the The Côte d’Azur, which stretches from Cannes in the South to Monaco/Monte Carlo in the north. The ‘French Riviera’, is a spectacular setting, with azure waters, yachts, hilltop towns, beaches, and the mountains Alpes-Maritimes in the background. The area is a popular tourist destination, on account of its beauty, beaches, and great weather. Our guide to running in Nice features several wonderful coastal routes along the Côte d’Azur between Cannes and Ventimiglia.
Some of the running highlights in the Nice area are Promenade des Anglais in Nice, a ‘runseeing’ tour of Monaco/Monte-Carlo, and a tour of St.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. There’s a series of peninsulas, each of which has its own vibe, and great for running: Antibes, Cap de Nice (Coco Beach), Cap Ferrat, and Cap d’Ail. Our routes in these areas areas are a combination of road, seaside promenade, and in sections, ‘coastal trail’, known as the ‘sentier littoral’. There are many beaches in the Côte, but they are crowded in season, and the sand quality is generally not suitable for running. Also note that some of the roads in the area are very narrow, with no shoulder or sidewalk. We’ve paid careful attention to that in designing our routes.
One final aspect is that transportation is terrific in this area. It can be really fun to run one way and hop on a train or bus back.
