Riding the Riveria
Updated: 1 day ago
Day 30-32. October 13-15, 2026.
October 13. Hyères to Saint-Raphaël, France
To be honest, I never saw myself ever visiting the French Riviera. Isn't that the place reserved for movie stars driving fancy race cars along twisty turning roads overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean? I certainly am not close to that. But here I am, only my speedy roadster is my trusty Niner bicycle.
I did not know what to expect. Certainly gorgeous mansions and villages clinging to the rocks and scenes of azure waters sparkling to make you drool. What surprised me though, was there was also times of quiet solitude in nature interspersed with the bustle of the humanity.
We rode fifty-four miles the first day northeast along the coastline, much of it on a section of France's fantastic rail-to-trail system. We even rode through a few old train tunnels! I did have a funny moment when I tried to take a selfie with Andy riding up behind me, only to be photo-bombed by another rider! I think we both had a good laugh.
We rode into the sister cities of Frejus and Saint-Raphaël across a little bay from Saint Tropez, just before sunset.
October 14. Saint-Raphaël to Cannes, France
My favorite section of this three-day ride along the Mediterranean was actually not even on the coast. We rode today from Saint-Raphaël to Cannes via an old dirt road that cuts over a mountain pass that separates the two cities. We could have ridden along the coast, but that would mean we would've been riding along a fairly busy road, elbowing with traffic.
Riding along up the steep path reminded us of some of the hills we climbed in Wales or even along the Carretera Austral in Chile. We climbed fast among the pines and oaks, rising up to some truly gorgeous views! The ride down was equally fun.
And then, there we were: in Cannes! City to the world's movie stars. It is a very pretty town around a port jam-packed with a fleet of yachts that may very well, together, equal the GDP of a small nation! The aromas wafting from the outdoor cafes enticed us and we had a nice time enjoying a beautiful sunset and eating at a very old landmark restaurant overlooking the port.
October 13. Cannes to Nice, France
While we enjoyed Cannes, it was clear to both Andy and I that we felt a bit out of place in a city turbo-charged with so much wealth and privilege. We were happy to move on to our final destination of continental France: Nice.
The last short stretch along the coastline took us directly along the boardwalks and beachside roads. The ride was uneventful, but riding into Nice, we could see the hazy outlines of the Alps above the city. We past the downtown airport and rode along Nice's famous waterfront, past the old town and the iconic landmarks, to the port where we were dropping off our bikes at a bike shop for a full safety check, new chains, and a new tire for Andy. It was a great little shop: "Eat, Sleep, Cycle." We left our bikes there and went off on foot to explore the city.
Nice is a city we both really liked. It is very multicultural, safe and has magnificent architecture, buildings all painted in pastel hues with red tiled roofs. Nice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is easy to see why. We only had one extra day in Nice, but it is so nice we have put it on our list of cities to come back to.
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