HelloMonaco continues its series on Monaco’s most marvellous walks, taking you on a journey through the coastal as well as hilltop walks of the region, revealing the best ways to get there, beautiful things to see and telling interesting curiosities about the area. One of the best spring and summertime walks to go on is the Promenade le Corbusier.
Promenade le Corbusier begins in Roquebrune Cap Martin, running along the costal walk of Cap Martin, to the edge of Menton. It is a beautiful seaside walk that gives you views of wondrous beaches, crystal clear waters and the entire profile of the Principality of Monaco. The walk will usually take 3 hours in total to complete depending on your speed and how many times you stop, and is suitable for all ages, although a few stairs are unavoidable – the youngest ones shouldn’t feel the need to complain too much!
We recommend driving towards Golfe Bleu where you’ll be able to park the car above the first beach on your walk, Plage Buse, just by the Roquebrune Cap Martin train station. Or to avoid searching for a place to park in the popular spot, you could always take the train directly there! From here, Le Corbusier walk has two alternative routes; you can either chose to walk towards Monaco or Menton. We recommend choosing the route that heads towards Menton as the views are more spectacular and the passageway is more enjoyable overall, but both are definitely worth doing at some point.
Promenade Le Corbusier was named after the famous and highly acclaimed Swiss-French architect Charles Edouard Jeanneret (1887-1965), who was given the nickname ‘Le Corbusier’. He is known as one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture and was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. Jeanneret was very influential when it came to urban planning, so much so that in 2016, seventeen of his projects were inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their “Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement”. You may visit one of Le Corbusier’s villas that sits on a cliff right at the beginning of the promenade, overlooking Plage Buse, and admire its architecture.
As you walk along the pathway, you will have a wonderful birds eye view of your surroundings, seeing Plage Buse laid out in front of you as well as the zigzag-y Cap Martin coastline. Colourful paragliders will swoop over your head as they descend towards their beach landing spot. Your senses will be overwhelmed by the magnificent views of the diverse coast and ocean stretched out as far as the eye can see, as well as the wonderful perfumes that drift from the surrounding vegetation and adorn your walk, such as freesia and lavender. There are some interesting tree formations along the walkway as well, and you might have to duck a couple of times to avoid the cool leaning trees. The walk has plenty of places to sit and rest while taking in the view and making the most of the sunshine.
Wander off the trail to the rocks down below; look out for stairs or small openings in the bushes that allow you to make your way down right by the sea to explore more of the interesting rock formations and enjoy a more isolated view of the area. From here you can also get a clearer perspective on the glorious hidden villas built right along the Promenade le Corbusier. Just don’t get to close to sea or you might get splashed by salty waves on a windy day!
Once you’ve reached the end of the paved walk, to avoid going back the way you came, turn left up the road and walk through the peaceful villa laden streets to reach your car. Some of the most beautiful luxury villas of the Riviera can be found here and lovely lemon and pine trees adorn the walkway.
If you prefer a slightly shorter walk, you can park in Cap Martin near Avenue Virginie Heriot where you’ll find a little side street that merges onto the Promenade Le Corbusier. Either way, the walk is a must and will quickly become part of your all year round routine!
