Activities, sports and leisure on the Côte d'Azur
Sports and leisure activities on the Côte d’Azur
Holidaying on the Côte d’Azur also means enjoying a wide range of sporting activities with family and friends. The list of leisure activities is endless.
Walks and hikes for all on the Côte d'Azur
From the seaside to the peaks of the Mercantour, via the hinterland, the Côte d’Azur offers many walks and hikes for the whole family.
There’s something for everyone, and you’ll discover landscapes as different as the seaside, the meadows of the Grasse pre-Alps and the larch forests of the Mercantour. And don’t forget the chance to discover wildlife along a path or in the heart of a meadow.
Préalpes d'Azur Regional Nature Park
The Préalpes d’Azur regional nature park was created on March 30, 2012. It is precisely located in the Grasse Pre-Alps, between the Siagne, Loup, Cagne, Estéron and Var valleys.
It stretches from 300 to 1,800 m above sea level, over 45 communes, covering a wide range of landscapes due to the dual influence of the Mediterranean and mountain climates: rocky outcrops and arid moors, valleys, gorges and clues, forested areas and cultivated or grazed plains.
Between the Côte d’Azur and the high mountains of the Mercantour, this mid-mountain territory of gorges, forests and agricultural valleys is one of France’s richest in biodiversity: the crossroads of Mediterranean and Alpine influences on a preserved territory makes it exceptional.
The Parc naturel régional des Préalpes d’Azur is home to exceptional biodiversity, as demonstrated by its wealth of flora and fauna, and the diversity of its natural habitats and ecological niches. It is home to many rare and even endemic species:
With over 2,000 plant species, the Préalpes d’Azur is home to a third of France’s flora, including 65 species protected at national or regional level;
40 plant species are endemic to the south-western Alps and to Provence;
The area is rich in caves and avens, refuge habitats for numerous fauna species of heritage interest (cave-dwelling bats, numerous beetles, some of which are endemic). The Préalpes d’Azur is home to species that are generally in sharp decline throughout their range due to habitat loss, but which find favorable conditions here: Orsini’s Viper, a rare species in France; the White-footed Crayfish, a species in constant decline nationwide; Strinatii’s Hydromancer, a small endemic amphibian; 23 species of bats out of the 30 species present in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region…
It’s also an environment to experience and discover on family outings.
Sports and leisure activities on the Côte d’Azur
