1. Relax on the beach
Beaches in Nice aren’t sand, They are made of small stones, so the clearness of the water is top-level. This clear water, which is so beautiful that you can see it under your feet, reflects the blue sky of Nice and looks bluer as you look farther away.
Public and private beaches
The most common beaches in Europe are divided into two types: public beaches and private beaches.
In short, a private beach is a place where sunbeds are available, as shown in the photo above, and you pay a rental fee to rent a sunbed and parasol. It may be a beach owned by a hotel or the like and intended for hotel guests.
Public beaches, on the other hand, are beaches with no sunbeds and are free for anyone to use. I usually use public beaches.
I put a beach towel on the stones and lay down. I was a little worried about whether if it’s not comfortable to lay down on the stones, but once I got used to it, it was fine.
If you are interested, I recommend going to one of the private beaches and renting a sunbed. There are many private beaches on the coast of Nice.
Buy fruits and magazines at the nearby marché (market in French), you can spend the whole day relaxing at the beach.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is just 2 stops by train from the Nice Ville train station. Here, you can enjoy the sandy beach.
Since this beach is a little hidden jam, it’s a very calm place with few people. It is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy the sea quietly and slowly.
The beach is right in front of the station, about a 2-minute walk.
Plage Villefranche-sur-Mer
23 Prom. des Marinières, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer
2. While enjoying the ocean view …
Babel Babel
This bar was recommended by Vogue Paris and is right in front of the sea.
You can enjoy their original cocktails and tapas made with fresh ingredients.
I ordered spritz and octopus salad (Salade de poulpe).
Babel Babel
2 Cité du Parc, 06300 Nice
Topaze Bar
If you want to enjoy breakfast with a beautiful ocean view, Topaze Bar is the right place.
Topaze Bar
47 Quai des États-Unis, 06300 Nice
3. Stroll in the old town
The lovely old town (Vieille Ville) has charming and colorful buildings that have the Italian architectural style. Take a peek at the souvenir shop, enter the cafe, or see the marché that is open in the morning. You can enjoy it just by walking around without planning.
4. Taste Nice’s specialties
Bocca
This is also one of the recommended restaurants in French Vogue, called Bocca. This restaurant has a very cozy atmosphere.
The restaurant has a chic rooftop. Their indoor seats on the first floor have a good atmosphere, too.
If you want to dine on the rooftop, I recommend making a reservation.
Since it is a tapas bar, you can share and eat three to five dishes, depending on your appetite and how many people you are. Of course, solo travelers can dine too.
I ordered Farcis, which is one of the Nice’s specialties.
Farcis is stuffed vegetables baked in the oven. Usually, it’s filled with seasoned breadcrumbs, meat, and some vegetables. Here, what I had were zucchini, paprika, and eggplant.
It was very delicious.
Marché du Cours Saleya
At Marché du Cours Saleya, you’ll find fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as spices, soaps, and tableware.
One of Nice’s specialty dishes that you can try at the market is socca. Socca is like a salty crepe and is made with chickpea flour and olive oil. It really brings out the full flavor of the ingredients.
It’s also a good idea to check the market, buy socca, and eat it on the bench in front of the beach.
Marché du Cours Saleya
06300 Nice
5. Taste something Italian
What surprised me when I came to Nice was that even though Nice is in France, I felt as if I were in Italy.
The building looks exactly like the Ligurian region in Italy (especially like the city of Camogli !) And Italian restaurants and gelateria are everywhere.
There was Italian pop and reggaeton music that I used to hear in Italy. I was right about this feeling because Nice was an Italian territory until the 19th century. Nice is now a French city, but it seems that there are many Italian tourists because it is also near the Italian border.
I lived in Italy for two years, so just walking around the city made me feel nostalgic.
So, in Nice, you can enjoy authentic Italian food while you are in France.
Molo 26
Molo 26 is a restaurant run by Italians.
I ordered seafood calamarata pasta (calamarata ai frutti di mare). Calamarata is a type of pasta and was named because it looks like a slice of squid (Calamaro in Italian).
Molo 26
26 Cours Saleya, 06300 Nice
Arlequin Gelati
Also, gelato is one of the typical Italian desserts, which you can see here and there while walking around the city.
In particular, Arlequin Gelati has tasty gelato. Among the many gelato shops in Nice, it was just the same taste of Italian Gelati Artigianali (handmade gelato).
I really recommend their pistache (pistachio in French).
Arlequin Gelati
9 Avenue Malaussena, 06000 Nice
6. Watch the sunrise and sunset
The colors of the sky during sunrise and sunset are so beautiful beyond description. In Nice, You can see both sunrise and sunset at the
beaches.
When you look at the sunrise from the beach, you can see this kind of scenery about 20 minutes after the sunrise because of the mountains.
In summer, the sun goes up at around 7 a.m., so it is not as early as in Japan. (In Japan it’s around 5 a.m.)Actually, I saw this scenery around 7:30, so even if you are not a morning person, please try to see this beautiful sunrise.
Bellanda Tower
When the sun goes down, I recommend going to Bellanda Tower.
You can see the whole city of Nice, the beach and the sunset at the same time.
If you start climbing towards Bellanda Tower about 20 minutes before sunset, you can see the sunset at just the right time.
The nice sky before and after sunset turns pale pink like cotton candy! Please take a look by all means.
Bellanda Tower
06300 Nice