Cycling from Nice, via Cannes & Antibes to Le Trayas

The usual associations with cycling are less than chic - brightly coloured lycra, padded pants and geeky helmets don’t help the image for a start. But you don’t need all the kit for this bike ride (although a helmet is never a bad idea). Granted, it is long, but it is as flat as the proverbial crepe and follows a designated cycle path for the vast majority of the route. You could manage it on pretty much any bike, which you can hire from a number of shops in Nice, and the wearing of lycra is entirely up to you.

Starting out from the Promenade des Anglais we headed along the green cycle path in the direction of the airport, the path is entirely separate from the road so you don’t have to battle with the traffic. In no time at all you’ll be passing through the pretty villages of Cagnes-Sur-Mer and Villeneuve-Loubet in the Baie des Anges.

The cycle path continues all the way up to the port of Villeneuve-Loubet, where it mysteriously disappears. We continued through the port where the only options were cycling on the pedestrian path or going the wrong way along a one-way road - we opted for the cycle path and got told off. Afterwards we could see from the map that we could have avoided the whole debacle by turning right just before the port onto Avenue de la Batterie.

Anyhow, lesson learned, once we came out of the port we picked up the cycle path again and continued along the Route du Bord de Mer until the Fort Carré came into view, signalling that we were nearly at Antibes. Coming into Antibes can be a bit confusing as the cycle path disappears in a few places and there are a couple of junctions to navigate but keep left and head in the direction of Port Vauban and you’ll be fine. Once you get into the old town there is a sharp left up a little incline where it might be easier to get off and push because a car is bound to come to a halt right in front of you and then you lose your momentum to get up the slope. Then it’s just a case of following the promenade past the Picasso museum and along the seafront. Once the promenade comes to an end you’ll find yourself on Avenue Marechal Leclerc, which will lead you around the Cap d’Antibes past some of the grandest houses on the Riviera. To refer to them as villas almost seems a bit flippant, some are more like mansions.

Immediately after leaving Antibes you come to the very chic town of Juan Les Pins, which is where we stopped for lunch. We chose Londinium on Boulevard Edouard Baudoin for no other reason than it was shady, had a nice sea view and the terrace had plenty of space for our bikes. The owner welcomed us effusively and promised that no “voleurs” would get their mitts on our bikes while he was on duty. We settled in with a glass of ice cold rosé and enjoyed a very nice lunch of goats cheese salad followed by a Café Gourmand (espresso coffee with a selection of mini-desserts). This was definitely turning into my kind of bike ride.

After a very leisurely lunch we climbed back in the saddle and pushed onwards; another long straight stretch took us along the coast line until we hit Cannes and joined La Croisette, the famous promenade that has been strolled upon by all the big stars of the silver screen. We passed by the Palais des Festivals and stopped for a quick photo on the red carpet, as you do, before continuing on to Theoule-Sur-Mer.

The stretch of road in between Cannes and Theoule was the only part of the ride when I felt a bit at the mercy of the traffic. The cycle path didn’t exist along here and the road was quite narrow with no room for overtaking, which meant that everyone was driving very close and very impatiently. I can imagine it might be a bit hairy during the busiest periods of summer.

Theoule is a picturesque little beach resort with plenty of places to stop for something to eat or drink and lots of small beaches tucked in along the bay. There are a few nice hiking routes around here as well, if you want to stretch your legs.

We weren’t done yet though, our target was just a few more kilometres along the coastline and a few more metres above sea level. The climb from Theoule to Le Trayas isn’t steep by any means, but after 50-odd kilometres of flat it felt like a bit of a rude awakening. The views all along this bike ride are pretty special but this stretch really puts the cherry on the cake; the road climbs and twists around the mountainside, constantly giving different perspectives on the rugged landscape below. Red jagged cliffs and craggy coves make the scenery feel more like Spain than France, and the deep blue of the water stands out strikingly against the terracotta-coloured rocks.

There are any number of little beaches along the Route des Calanques and the Route des Escalles, you just have to look out for the little lay-bys beside the road. There is usually a wooden fence running alongside and wherever you see a gap in it there will be a little footpath or stairway leading down to the rocks, from which you can scramble down to the sea. We stopped just a few metres after a hotel called the Relais des Calanques, hoisted the bikes on to our shoulders and clambered down into a perfectly secluded little cove. The beaches in Le Trayas are not soft and sandy, but if you want warm rocks and crystal clear water then this is the place for you (swimming shoes with rubber soles are a good idea for protecting your feet from the rocks). The coastline is so irregular that the sea forms into lots of little lagoons, each one feeling like your own private beach.

“Our” beach was just a few minutes ride from the train station, so after an hour or so of bobbing about in the salty water and snoozing on the rocks we were able to head back to Nice on the train coming from Marseilles. Look out for the special “velo” carriages where you can suspend your bike from hooks on the ceiling. The journey back to Nice central took just under an hour and cost 8,60€.

All in all, our bike ride was a smidge over 60km and took us a very leisurely 5 hours, including about an hour for lunch. If you wanted to make it shorter then you could stop at any of the places named above along the way, they are all on the same train line and are all well worth an afternoon’s visit. Now then, I wonder if Chanel make cycling helmets…?