• Introduction
• Reports (9)
• Useful information

  Know before you go

  Sport and leisure activities

• History and culture

  The Region Today

  History

  Art and Culture

  Nature

• Beaches
• Bicycling
• Climbing
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse trekking
• Nautical sports and boating
• Thalassotherapy

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Beaches

The cleanliness of beaches can be consulted online:baignades.sante.gouv.fr (in English)

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Bicycling

“Azur-Maures-Estérel-Fréjus” mountain bike centre – t 04 94 51 55 39 - www.amslfrejus.com.

Provence verte mountain bike centre – t 04 94 72 04 21 - www.la-provence-verte.net (in English).

www.randoxygene.org – Download the Rando VTT mountain bike guide.

French Federation of Cyclotourism – t 01 56 20 88 88 - www.ffct.org.

French Federation of Cycling – t 01 49 35 69 24 - www.ffc.fr.

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Climbing

French Federation of Mountains and Climbing – t 01 40 18 75 50 - www.ffme.fr.

Via ferrata

Halfway between hiking and mountaineering, via ferrata ascensions make it possible for novices to discover the world of climbing.

www.randoxygene.org – Download the Rando Via Ferrata guide.

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Fishing

Fresh water

National Federation of Fishing and Protection of the Aquatic Environment – t 01 48 24 96 00 - www.unpf.fr. Local maps and information can be provided by the départemental federations.

Sea fishing

Deep-sea fishing excursions are organised on board professional fishing craft and by tourist companies specialised in deep-sea fishing at: Sanary, marine de Cogolin, Ste-Maxime. Enquire at tourist offices.

French Federation of Sea Fishing – t 05 59 31 00 73 - www.ffpm-national.com.

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Hiking

Coastal paths

Several sections of the famous smugglers’ path that ran along the entire Riviera coast, prior to the real estate boom, have been saved from the developers.

Hiking in the Hinterland

Hiking trails are only passable from late June to early October.

GR 5 – The oldest and the finest. It ends at Nice after crossing through the Europe. The last section stretches from Nice to St-Dalmas-Valdeblore.

GR 52 – From St-Dalmas-Valdeblore to Menton via the Boréon, vallée des Merveilles, forest of Turini, Sospel.

GR 52A – Skirts the peaks of the Mercantour National Park to the east from the Tende pass.

GR 4 – Departs from Grasse and heads up to the Verdon gorges by Gréolières.

GR 51 – Dubbed the “balcony of the Mediterranean”, it dominates the coast from the first line of ridges.

GR 510 – Entirely in the Alpes-Maritimes, an interesting 10-day transversal variation from valley to valley, starting from Breil-sur-Roya as far as St-Cézaire-sur-Siagne.

GR 9 – Cuts through the Maures range from Signes to St-Pons-les-Mûres.

GR 99 – Links Toulon to the Verdon gorges, passing through the Brignoles.

GR 90 – The smallest national trail! It goes through the Maures from Le Lavandou to Notre-Dame-des-Anges.

French Federation of Hiking – t 01 44 89 93 93 - www.ffrp.asso.fr.

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Horse trekking

Franco-Italian Equestrian Itinerary (Itinerario Equestre degli Spazi Naturali Franco-Italiani) – An unusual introduction to the Mercantour. Enquire at the Mercantour National Park (see Know before you go).

Pays d’Azur Board of Equestrian Tourism – cheval.d.azur.crte.free.fr.

Départemental forests

Parc de la pointe de l’Aiguille, parc de la Grande Corniche à Èze, parc de Vaugrenier, parc de la vallée de la Brague, parc du San Peyre: consult practical information about these forests on www.cg06.fr.

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Nautical sports and boating

Canoe-kayaking

Sections of the Roya (class 2 to 4) and the Tinée (class 3) are equipped with structures designed to introduce beginners to this sport.

PACA Regional Board of Canoe-Kayaking – t 04 93 34 08 65 - www.canoe-paca.fr.

Canyoning

www.randoxygene.org – Download the Clues et Canyons Guide, which lists 37 sites and provides wise advice.

Scuba diving

The main centres are located on the island of Bendor (the largest international scuba diving centre in Europe) - t 04 94 29 55 12 - www.cipbendor.com ), at Pradet (Garonne beach), at Giens (Tour Fondue), Sanary, Cavalaire, Ramatuelle (l’Escalet), St-Tropez, Ste-Maxime, St-Raphaël, La Napoule, Cannes and Villefranche.

The Rayol-Canadel Centre (t 04 94 05 65 69 - www.lerayolcanadel.fr ) and the Port-Cros National Park (t 04 94 01 40 70 - www.portcrosparcnational.fr ) organise beginner sessions to discover the Mediterranean fauna and flora.

Côte d’Azur Regional Board of Underwater Sports – t 04 94 00 40 71 - www.ffessmcotedazur.com.

French Federation of Underwater Studies and Sports – t 04 91 33 99 31 - www.ffessm.fr. Provides details of sites close to wrecks for more “archaeological” dives.

Sailing and funboard

Most seaside resorts are home to an accredited French School of Sailing that organises courses.

On the Giens headland on the west coat, Almanarre Beach has become a mecca of funboarding and hosts the French trials of the world championship of funboarding.

French Federation of Sailing – t 01 40 60 37 00 - www.ffvoile.org.

French Nautical Resorts – t 01 44 05 96 55 - www.station-nautique.com (in English).

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Thalassotherapy

Among the many towns that cater to this activity are: Antibes (health farms), Bandol (thalassotherapy), Hyères (health farms), St-Raphaël (“thalasports”), Fréjus (thalassotherapy), Island of Embiez (balneotherapy).

National Syndicate of Thalassotherapy – t 02 40 11 72 35 - www.thalassofederation.com (in English).