Colline du Château
Views and parkland: allow for the climb and check access.
45–90 min · 400 mRead the guide →Nice Marina: Port Walk & Yacht Watching
Nice Port
Nice Marina is full of color and local character, where you can still see traditional "pointu" fishing boats from the Riviera.
Plan your visit
- Suggested time
- 30–60 min
- Port Lympia
- Public space · free access
A place to visit
Contrary to what one might expect for such a large city, the harbour of Nice is relatively small. That said, the place is very pretty and well worth a visit.
The facades of the houses surrounding it and their reflection in the water, combined with the blue of the sky, create very colourful and photogenic scenes. However, one might regret that the port of Nice is not more oriented towards fishing and that concrete is a little too present on the docks and the path to the lighthouse. Nothing too serious, rest assured.
One piece of advice: do not go there too late, not after 6 pm in summer, as the sun disappears quickly behind the surrounding mountains.
A walk around the port
The walk around the port can be done on two levels, one overlooking it, the other right at the water's edge. We recommend starting at the top, going around the port via Quai de Lunel, Quai Papacino, Place de l'Île de Beauté and then Quai des Docks, before returning to your starting point via the docks.
This way you can discover the impressive memorial leaning against the rock, the many restaurants lining the port, and the Notre-Dame du Port church with its exotic style. It is located on the Place de l'Île de Beauté, facing the steps leading to the docks, which is home to numerous café and tea room terraces.
On your way back, along the quays, you will discover the many boats of fishermen and pleasure boaters.
The boats of the port
The harbour of Nice is very much occupied by numerous boats, starting with the « pointus », the wooden boats of the fishermen from the early twentieth century and typical of the Mediterranean basin.
While fishing still exists, the number of professional fishermen can now be counted on one hand. You can also admire the sailboats of pleasure boaters and then the yachts of billionaires, always perfectly maintained and truly imposing.
The lighthouse of Nice
Facing the memorial, it is possible to walk along the path (paved, by the way) leading to the lighthouse of Nice, which is not particularly interesting. What is more interesting is the double view you will have of the city, with Nice and the Promenade des Anglais on one side and the port and its quays on the other. If time is pressing, you can easily skip this walk.
Nearby
