Childrens Activities

Last Updated on Saturday, 22 May 2010 12:19 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 28 April 2010 13:23

Children‘s Activities on the French Riviera

While the French Riviera has a well-known reputation for being the playground of the rich and famous, it is less well appreciated as a great place to take your children on holiday. However, as this short guide seeks to demonstrate, the Côte d‘Azur offers a host of activities that are extremely rewarding to all the family and to children in particular.

While the beaches of the Riviera are clearly one of its key attractions, all but the most docile of children will soon grow restless if they are confined to building sandcastles. Fortunately there are a huge range of water-sports available on the Riviera including, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling and diving, all of which may be enjoyed by the family as a whole or by your children alone as part of an organized group.

Should you venture inland you will find a host of other water sports as well as a range of land-based activities. If you have children over the age of six, the Verdon Valley is a great destination where you can enjoy climbing, abseiling, river swimming, white-water rafting and canoeing as well as a canyoning, an amazing new sport that combines abseiling, swimming, jumping and water-sliding in a stunning natural environment.

There are a huge number of national parks and forests adjacent to the Côte d‘Azur that can be enjoyed by bike, horse and by foot and it is also worth checking out some of the great art tours that are available in the region. The ‘Côte d‘Azur-Through The Eyes of the Masters’ is an organized walking tour that retraces the footsteps of some of the world‘s greatest artists including Monet, Duffy, Renoir, Chagall and Bonnard, and allows participants to view reproductions of their paintings alongside the landscapes that they depict.

There are also a large number of more mainstream activities for families to enjoy. Marineland, located in Antibes, is Europe‘s largest marine park and hosts an array of shows involving Dolphins and Killer Whales as well as the chance to sea a host of creatures from the deep including various types of shark and a 1.5m wide giant mantra ray. The park at Aoubre, meanwhile, offers walking trails and mini-adventure trails that are perfect for small children. Challenging enough to give them a sense of achievement, but safe enough to keep your nerves at ease.

If you are thinking of taking your children on vacation to the French Riviera, why not consider renting an apartment or villa for the duration. Many rental villas come with their own private swimming pools and offer both more space and intimacy than most hotel rooms. Living in accommodation of this sort will also give children a more genuine experience of what it is like to live in France.