This hikes begins in the town of Beaulieu, which is just east of Nice, past Villefranche and in front of Cap Ferrat. Beaulieu is one of our favorites coastal towns along Cote d’Azur, lacking the tourists of Nice and Villefranche, sort of a more sophisticated sister-ville, that is still close enough to make it into Nice within a few minutes.

Looking back towards Villefranche

The hike heads up through town and onto back bench, and then just continues up the mountainside until you reach one of the area’s most popular viewpoints, Saint-Michel. There’s a lot of stairs and not too many breaks-it is pretty much a vertical hike for the first half but with plenty of viewpoints to stop and enjoy and allow for breaks. There isn’t a lot of shade along the way as you are walking up and along the hillside, at least for the first part of the walk. But once you reach the top and begin the descent down to Eze-Sur-Mer, there is plenty of shade as you walk along forest trails. 

Getting to Beaulieu from Nice is easy, just take the #83 or #100 bus and get off at any stop in Beaulieu. To find the trail, walk up Blvd. Eugene Gauthier from the port (big port on the east side of town). When it ends, you’ll see signs for the start of the trail on the other side of the road. Continue to follow the yellow markers. Once done and you’ve arrived into Eze-Sur-Mer, you may want to take a swim to cool off, and this is a great place to do so. It’s a lovely beach with a few beachside restaurants to enjoy lunch and a well-deserved drink. So pack your bathing suits. Getting back involves taking the #100 bus into Nice.