Hiking the French Riviera 

Hiking the French Riviera a different way

When we go hiking in the French Riviera, we like to go off the beaten track, heading deep into the rural countryside. A beautiful Alpine landscape paints the backdrop to the first few days of your hiking tour as you walk though chestnut forests, olive groves, deep canyons and impressive gorges. Our French Riviera walking tours lead you through some of the most beautiful villages in France: Gourdon, Tourettes sur Loup and Sainte Agnès. Perched at an altitude of 800m, Sainte Agnès is listed as Europe’s highest coastal village and offers a wide sweeping view of the glistening Mediterranean, just 3km away as the crow flies (although much further on foot!). After 3 or 4 days in the heart of the backcountry, you make your way towards the coast, arriving either in the pretty and colourful town of Menton, famous for its citrus fruits or in Antibes where you enjoy a gentle hike around the Cap d’Antibes, a stunning walk along the jagged coastline admiring the view of the Alps in the distance and the exquisite mansions and private estates dotted along the path.

Why is the Côte d’Azur a haven for hikers?

It is a place of many contrasts. Hiking in the French Riviera will take you from an authentic, rural village to a bustling coastal town in just 1 day. You will alternate between simple, family run Auberges to modern-day hotels. The walks will lead you deep into the countryside, along the lesser trodden tracks dotted with old stone ruins and olive trees, to coastal hiking trails with the refreshing spray of the Mediterranean Sea to cool you down! Hiking in the French Riviera is to gain height, with many panoramic paths offering a plunging view down to the valley below, but also to find yourself on the coast, at no altitude at all.

How difficult are the walks?

Most of the walks are a moderate level, to be enjoyed by those who are used to regular exercise and can handle uphill walking at a regular pace. Some parts of the hiking trails are steep, but you can take your time, resting when necessary, and there is always a rewarding view for your efforts! On some of our tours we give you 3 walking options for your day ranging from easy to challenging. And all of our French Riviera walking tours end with an easier level walk to allow for a gentler rhythm to your day, with time for more relaxation and meandering than actual hiking.

When to enjoy a French Riviera walking tour?

Most of our hiking French Riviera tours can be enjoyed from March through to November. You are hiking between the mountains and the sea, with two very different climates that complement one another perfectly. In the early Spring, you can admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance and enjoy the first flowers blossoming in the surrounding fields and along the hiking trails. The evenings can get a little chilly, especially up in the mountain villages and the Mediterranean will most definitely be too cold for a dip, but the sun is almost always guaranteed to shine. Sunglasses and sunscreen are necessary, even in March! The summers can be hot, we make sure you get an early start to your day by booking the morning transfers to the start of the walks between 8 and 9am. That way, you can get a good bit of walking in before the hottest part of the day. The huge advantage to hiking in the French Riviera is that you benefit from the sea breeze, especially during the latter part of the trip as you head down to the Mediterranean and there is nothing quite like a refreshing swim and a few hours lazing on the beach after clocking up the kilometres over the past few days!
If you choose to book a French Riviera walking tour in early autumn, the colours of the alpine landscape are fantastic and you can probably still enjoy a paddle in the sea! In late autumn, despite the days being shorter and the evenings much colder, you will have the hiking path to yourself. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, somewhere to really disconnect for a while, well, it doesn’t get much better than the backcountry of the French Riviera.