Coco Beach

The furthest section of Coco Beach in Nice is supposed to be a gay beach, the thing is, the popularity of it seems to change every year.

There will either be a number of gay people clustered together on the rocks sunning themselves (clothing optional) or you will just have more space to yourself.

I still think this gay beach is worth a mention because of the breathtaking location, even if there aren’t other people around at the time.  I do consistently hear though that for the most part, the journey is worth it.

The whole of Coco Beach is absolutely stunning and many tourists don’t seem to know about it since it is away from the center of the city.  It appears to be where those in the neighborhood go as anytime I have been down to the main beach area, it seems everyone knows each other but new people are certainly welcome.

Here, I will explain how to get to the main Coco Beach area and then continue further if you want to the gay section of the beach.  It’s all a gorgeous trip.

Make your way around the port towards Mont Boron, going east and walk along boulevard Franck Pilate past the longstanding La Reserve Restaurant situated on the edge of the sea.

Boulevard Franck Pilate will eventually turn into avenue Jean Lorrain.  You’ll know you are headed in the right direction when you see the exquisite villas on Mont Boron looking out over the sea.

Now you are at the main Coco Beach area, you will see all types of people of various ages swimming at their favorite spots along the beach.  Keep in mind there are very few places that are even remotely sandy, most of this area is rocky with some areas flattened out along the paths for you to relax and sunbathe.

To get to the gay section though, you are going to want to keep walking along avenue Jean Lorrain until you see the Coco Beach Restaurant.  You won’t be able to miss it because of how it too is built over the sea edge and also by the signage.

Step into the entrance of the walkway to the Coco Beach Restaurant and proceed towards it.

It feels a bit odd at first, like you are intruding, but there are paths and stairs that lead you down and around the restaurant so that you can keep making your way to the gay section of Coco Beach.

Just keep following the path, even when you approach other buildings along the way.

It is a bit of a hike, but a beautiful one, past some amazing estates.  I walk fast, so for me it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the gay beach.

If this is your first time there, it may to difficult to recognize if you have arrived to the actual beach, but usually when you start seeing other men around, you know you are in the right area.

You’ll also know you have arrived when you are facing the peninsula of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat to the east in the direction of Villefranche sur Mer.

Another option to get to the gay beach is to take the paths leading from the streets above near Palais Maeterlinck.  I haven’t taken those paths yet myself though so I can’t give clear directions yet.  I’m also a bit hesitant coming from that direction with so many luxury estates next to each other that might not be fenced off in such a way that one may actually be trespassing.

With the route I have currently given, it’s such a nice walk with the sun shining, the sea lapping up on to the rocks and the light breeze gently cooling you off.

Explore and enjoy!