The French Riviera boasts a huge number of activities that your kids will love.
In and around Nice, here are a few of the great times you can share with your family!
The beaches of the French Riviera:
First and foremost, numerous beaches are just waiting to offer parents and kids a good time (the beach is best enjoyed by little ones in the morning before noon or in the late afternoon).
On the vast beach of Nice, sun cream is of course essential, but so are plastic beach shoes so the children can be fully at ease on the pebble beach.
Antibes and Villefranche sur Mer have lovely sandy beaches that are ideal for families: la Sallis and the beach of the Fishermen in Antibes, and the immense crescent-shaped beach of Villefranche. The sea is gentle and calm there like a giant swimming pool, ideal for the little ones.
Also to be discovered: the family beach of the Marinières, at the end of the harbour: parents and kids dine there every evening in summer and admire the beautiful sunsets over Mount Boron. What a joy for the little ones to be able to stay on the beach until 10 pm, in complete safety!
(beach of the Marinières in Villefranche sur Mer)
The parks of Nice and its surroundings:
Every city on the French Rivierahas a park for young and old where you can play, discover new things, or just generally have fun. Here are a few examples: the Park des Arènes in Nice, where families can picnic under the olive trees and enjoy a Guignol puppet show, all in an idyllic setting. Still within Nice, the lovely park of Estienne d’Orves, which boasts 15 hectares of natural splendour.
But you might just prefer the Promenade du Paillon in Nice: at the height of summer, kids go literally wild for the little fountains and the vast wooden playground equipment all around the Place Masséna.
Don’t hesitate to go as far as Villeneuve Loubet to discover the Bois des Lutins (Forest of the Elves), a wonderful adventure park: you can climb trees there with your children and visit myriad tree houses while searching for the mythic elves…Also in Villeneuve Loubet, discover the Village des Fous: the parc with fun activities where kids are king!
(Games and fountains at the Promenade du Paillon)
Discovering animals: an abundance of opportunities.
What a wonderful time you’ll have with the children! If they love animals, they’ll be thoroughly delighted: inAntibes with Marineland, dolphins and orcas frolic before a gobsmacked public. At the Phoenix Park, in Nice, unexpected tropical wildlife awaits them facing the ocean. In Monaco, the Aquarium of the Oceanographic Museum explores all of the beauty of marine animals.
(Dance of the orcas at Marineland)
The most astonishing visit for your children will undoubtedly be the one to admire the wolves at the Alpha Park in Saint Martin de la Vésubie: they are free to range widely within their domain, but it’s possible to see them quite up close ().
Two moments they will never forget:
A sea outing in search of dolphins and cetaceans of the Mediterranean: from the port of Nice, take the AMV boat. Off the coast, the latter is guided by a helicopter which scouts from the sky the groups of dolphins and marine mammals on the open sea. A veritable photo safari that will bring joy to young and old alike (excursions AMV)!
The Park of Haut Thorenc, an hour from Nice, near Gréolières: a wildlife preserve created by an idealistic veterinarian. European bison, Mongolian wild horses – these animals, all but extinct, that our ancestors painted on the walls of Lascaux now are born and grow in total freedom amongst the local deer and wild boar. If you reserve the day before, you may explore the domain with your children in a horse-drawn carriage: a truly unforgettable experience!
To discover all these family activities on the French Riviera, and come home with some magnificent memories, the best solution is to rent a villa or apartment in the area for your holidays in Nice and its environs.
Small or large family? You’ll find a plethora of options at http://www.riviera-holiday-homes.com