Activities

Page Activités Sportives en français

Hiking, Walking, Trail Running

Villa Rocamar overlooks a wooded valley and you can walk or run out of the house, through this forest and along quiet country roads, to get to neighbouring Saint Paul de Vence (4 kms) or Tourrettes-sur-Loup (8kms), both stunning hilltop villages.

The four limestone plateaux overlooking Vence and its neighbouring villages – Les Baous – offer super walking, running and climbing, which you can access on foot directly from Villa Rocamar, or from the village of St Jeannet, which local buses connect with Vence.

As well as all the walks which start right here in Vence, there are a number of lovely trails starting in nearby villages Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Pont-du Loup and Bar-sur-Loup, all accessible via the public bus from Vence to Grasse. If you have a car, the mountains are your oyster, with stunning areas up in the Mercantour national park to go for day hikes. We can suggest lots of super walks ranging from 2 to 6 hours. Read more about some of the nearest hill-walking and hiking trails here. If you’d like help planning a hill-walking trip, just ask!

Cycling

The area surrounding the villa is a mecca for cyclists, with loads of epic climbs offering amazing views. There are routes suitable for all levels, from leisure to competitive cyclists. Many of the routes nearby are used by professional cycling teams for their off-season training.

Col de Vence, Col de La Madone, Col de Braus and Col de Turini are some of the big names around here, but there are loads of fantastic lesser-known climbs and routes. Many have have been included in the Tour de France, Paris to Nice or Ironman France races.

Check out our Cycling page for tips and information on road rides nearby Vence, including loops taking in the most famous cols.

We will be happy to suggest routes and itineraries for day rides ranging from 20km to 160km and can recommend good places to stop for coffee and lunch, or provide packed lunches on request.

Yoga

Lorna is a qualified yoga instructor and personalised classes can be arranged on-site for groups of a minimum of 2 people, when booking your stay. Please indicate your level and any specific objectives when booking (yoga for strength and flexibility to support your sports training programme, vinyasa flow for fitness and mobility, gentle yoga and meditation for relaxation, pre or post-natal yoga, etc.)

Training trips and sports events

While 2020 was an exception, there are lots of great events near us each year, including the Prom’Classic 10k in January, the Nice half marathon in April, Ironman France in June, Ironman 70.3 Nice in September and the Nice-Cannes marathon in November. There are also loads of really great trail races, including some snow races. Please contact us to help you plan a trip around one of those!

We can offer event packages for groups, including accommodation and transfers to and from each of these races.

We also offer Ironman and triathlon training trips. Contact us for dates in 2021. To get an idea of what these packages include you can Download information on content of Villa Rocamar 2018 Ironman France and tri training weekends (273KB).

Drop us an e-mail or a whatsapp with any questions or to enquire about availability.

Climbing

There is year-round climbing in the mountains surrounding Villa Rocamar. There are over 100 climb sites with over 6000 routes – ranging from 10 to 300m – in the Alpes-Maritimes area, where we are located. One of the best-loved climb sites in the whole region, Baou de St. Jeannet, with its vast limestone face, is right above our town. It alone could occupy a short trip, with over 350 climb routes in three sectors, catering for all levels. We’re also only a 45 minute drive from world-famous climb site La Turbie (overlooking Monaco and the sparkling Mediterranean). Further information for planning a climbing trip in the French Riviera.

Golf

There are three eighteen-hole golf courses within 45 mins drive of us, with green fees ranging from about €40-€80, depending on time of day and time of year. These are Opio/ Valbonne, Claux -Amic (Grasse) and Biot.

There is also a recently renovated nine-hole course 15 mins away : La Vanade; and two others within 25 mins drive: Le Provencal and Nice Country Club. All have green fees of about €30-€45.

Skiing

We have three ski stations within 90 minutes’ drive of Villa Rocamar: Isola 2000, Auron and La Colmiane. While you might not come here specifically for a skiing trip, you might come for a winter walking and sightseeing trip and add a day or two of skiing, to mix things up!