Day Eight – Eden Plage Mala & Montecarlo
A Day we’ve been waiting for… time to relax. Our morning drive over to Cap d’Ail lands us at Eden Plage Mala, set in the cove at Baie de Saint-Laurent. To get there, we park at La Pinede, and take the scenic coastal walk for about 20-30 minutes to find our paradise.
Espresso on the beach, lunch on the terrace, drinks by the water, snorkeling the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea, laying in lounge chairs staring at limestone cliffs… we couldn’t be happier with everything about Eden Plage Mala, and the time we were lucky to enjoy there for our day at a beach club on the French Riviera!
We think their website describes this slice of paradise well:
‘The beaches of the mythical French Riviera are unique, only becoming more secluded through the passage of time. To go to Eden, one must walk a while. The journey is very much a part of Eden’s charm and beauty: a path leads guests to our special space, and for those not travelling by boat, there are two routes that lead to the beach. For those guests that access the beach from the top of the hill, can descend stairs that seem to dance the salsa as they lead guests to the desired beach.’
I think we met our goal for the day!
After a day of relaxing, we drive into Monaco. Monaco is a bit fascinating, by the mere fact that it is a country set in the French Riviera, bordered by France on all sides. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, (only the Vatican City is smaller) and Monaco is only 10 miles west of Italy.
Monaco is divided into 4 districts, and we decided to spend our time in the most famous one, Montecarlo. We were pretty much in awe as we walked the streets of the wealthiest country in the world (at least by GDP standards).
After walking a few blocks around the famous casino, thanks 007, we literally stood mesmerized, as wealth was on full display. Everyone dressed in their formal best, and we stood in front of the casino watching Bentleys, Aston Martins, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Lamborghini, literally, you name it, it came through. We’ve never been so awestruck by cars!
Eventually, we got hungry. We wandered down to the port, grabbed some pizza, and ate dinner overlooking the F1 track where the famous Monaco Grand Prix takes place and the numerous, jaw dropping yachts filling the bay.
Day Nine – Saint Tropez, Esterel, & Cannes
One full day left in the French Riviera and we would not miss the opportunity to experience the world famous Saint Tropez. A little bit of a longer drive, a little traffic, but none of that matters once you arrive in this iconic town. It was quickly easy to see why the rich and famous frequent here, often backing their rather large yachts right into the harbour.
Luxurious shops and cafes line the interior, cobblestone streets, with beautiful flowers and architecture at every turn. One down side, it’s still really hot. We mean really hot. It doesn’t help that the town is situated on a hill, making walking around a bit taxing. But when you’re traveling, not time to waste over weather, so we grab some ice cream and carry on 🤣.
Another one of the reasons people love Saint Tropez is the famous beach clubs. After opting for a beach day yesterday, we pass on what these boujee clubs have to offer, but we did head down to Club 55 to see what the scene was like.
As we head out of town, we find a pleasant surprise. Saint Tropez is surrounded by wineries. As we are driving, they are popping up everywhere. We stop to capture the beauty of these vineyards…
But when we try to stop and enjoy some of the wine at this roadside tasting, we are sadly too late in the day.
Saint Tropez sits in the heart of Cotes de Provence, it’s the perfect base for exploring the surrounding land of rosé, with vineyards as close as 20 minutes from the Old Town.
After a hot, sweaty day in Saint Tropez, we decide to take the scenic route up the coast. Well, it may have taken more time than we hoped, but the views when we finally got to the red rock cliffs of Esterel were well worth the extra time.
Just south of Cannes, these cliffs were formed by volcanoes, and are composed of rhyolite, which gives it the red color. There are several beaches tucked into the coves, and hiking/biking trails throughout this unique mountain range.
At this point, we are starving! Just a few kilometers south of Cannes, we decide to pop in for one more meal and stroll on the promenade. Despite the days being scorchers, temperatures nightly find their way to much cooler and comfortable. Tonight was no different. Perfect temps to stroll around Cannes and grab a crepe to enjoy on the beach, to cap off our last full day in the French Riviera.
Day Ten – Menton & Drive to Italy
Happy Bastille Day!
The 14th of July is the day of the national French celebration. Established in 1880, this date commemorates both the storming of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789, which ended absolute rule, and the Festival of the Federation of the 14th July 1790.
Sadly, we are leaving France today, so we won’t get to enjoy celebrating this special day. However, we planned one last quaint town to enjoy before we cross the border to Italy, the seaside town of Menton.
Quick shoutout to Scott’s superior parallel parking skills on display all week. Extremely useful in an area where parking is hard to come by at times.
We start our time in Menton with a fun drone session along the coast:
Menton, nicknamed the Pearl of France, is known for … lemons! Growing lemons is a big part of the culture here. It isn’t quite as apparent as lavendar was in Provence. However, spend a little time in the shops, and you will see lemon decor throughout. Situated just a few miles north of Monaco, and just south of the Italy border, this gem of a town sports an inviting coastline, clear Mediterranean water, and shops & restaurants to enjoy throughout this city founded in the 13 century.
So, Katie had one last mission on the French Riviera, get to a pharmacia. Skin care is a premium in France, and they sell some of the best care in the world. We even received some special orders from friends back home. Mission accomplished $$.
And we’re off…
Au revoir France, ciao Italia!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 