THE CORNICHES
Where are The Corniches
"Great roads the Romans built that men might meet
And walls to keep strong men apart, secure.
New centuries are gone, and in defeat.
The walls are fallen but the roads endure" -Evelyn Hartwich.
As you depart Nice, travelling east, towards Italy, the landscape begins to change quite dramatically. The mountains infringe on the coast to a much greater degree, sweeping closer and creating a towering rocky skyline as the Alps tail off into the sea. The wide, flat coastal plains, like those that Nice and Cannes are built on, recede and all but disappear.
A ribbon of towns cling to this part of the French Riviera coastline, squeezed by the mountains and overlooked by the precarious perched villages that are indicative of this area. Sharing a common topography these towns have collectively come to be known as The Corniches and stretch from the rising outskirts of eastern Nice to skirt the edges of the Principality of Monaco.
The Corniches includes the seaside towns of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze Bord-de-Mer, St Jean-Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu and Cap d'Ail while also claiming the hill-topped villages of Eze and La Turbie. It is an area that is also sometimes known as the 'Corne d'Or (Golden Horn) or the 'Golden Triangle' and is facilitated by three famous Corniche roads.
Please use the interactive map of The Corniches to zoom in or out to see more of the coastline or more detail of The Corniches to help you choose a location for your holiday rental apartment or villa. You can also pan by dragging the map to your chosen location. This map displays all properties for rent in The Corniches and its environs.
There are 3 main roads that service the Corniches. The Grande Corniche, The Moyenne Corniche and the lowly Basse Corniche or 'Corniche Inferiéur'. Each road runs parallel to the next, linking the same destinations together along the coast.
Like three strings, tying this ribbon of towns to an invisible mainland. Each road was built in a different era and each one offers it's own unique drive, views and perspective on the Riviera.
Stretching over a distance of nearly 20km the Corniches take in the mountain top perched village, synonymous with this part of France, and also the seaside coastal villages that cling to their narrow fringes of beaches and were once fishing .
villages or Ports for their mountaintop counterparts. The perched villages provided the lookout and the security in times of raids while the coastal settlements fished and farmed wherever possible.
Renting vacation property in the Corniches
Along the Corniches you have many villages to choose from, browse the other areas under the Corniches section to find out more about them or if you'd like to start looking through our holiday apartments and vacation villas that are available in the Corniches then simply use the search facility below and it will take you to all our listings, from luxury apartments to vacation villas and five star holiday homes.
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Some of our vacation rentals in The Corniches |
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Beautiful large apartment located in the heart of the Rade De Villefranche on the French Riviera. This beautifully...
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Belle Epoque at it's very best at this beautifully restored jewel-like villa in Beaulieu Sur Mer. With views over Cap...
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With astounding views in the most sought after vista on the Riviera, Villa For Ever is a large 4 bedroom villa that is...
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Find your vacation rental in The Corniches |
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REVIEWS
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"Driving in the South of France is one of my favourite things to do. Actually anywhere in France, from the point of view of how easy it is to get around but the views along the Riviera! They are just stunning. It's almost dangerous because you can hardly keep your eyes on the road.
The Basse Corniche out of Nice, towards Italy is one of the most beautiful drives. It's right by the sea and follows the shape of the coast and slices right through the mountains, through tunnels hacked out of the sheer rock face. Wow!
You hit Villefranche first, out of Nice. It runs along the top of the town so it's worth taking a little detour and dropping down into the port/seafront/beach/Citadel area. Amazing. There are two other roads that follow the same route but they are higher up the mountains, equally stunning. Just bring a chauffeur or keep your eyes on the road."
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Bedrooms
4.25 / 5 (4 votes)