Walking trail Cap d’Ail to Monaco (about 1.5 hours)
A beautiful walk from Cap d’Ail (Plage Mala) to Monaco via a footpath (Sentier du Littoral) right on the coast
Starting point Plage Mala Cap d’Ail
By car via the A8 to Cap d’Ail (avoid Nice, with the new layout of the boulevard you can no longer drive from the Cannes side around the point and you have to drive throughout Nice with many traffic lights). Exit Monaco Cap d’Ail and then drive to the coast. Plage Mala is not accessible by car so park (difficult) as far as possible and then walk down the steep stairs towards Plage Mala. This exclusive beach has no less than 2 top Beach Clubs on a beautiful secluded beach between the rocks. If you would like to have lunch or dinner during the walk you can start at Mala Plage with lunch and then go for a walk, or start early with walking to Monaco and then walk back for lunch. We planned to have lunch at Le Cabana on the way, but unfortunately this restaurant was already closed (but seemed to us the nicest of the three).
Eden Plage Mala
The site states that the private beach and restaruant is open from April through September. However, we were there on September 29 and then both Eden Plage and La Reserve were already taken down. So check the website if they are still open in spring or in the fall. The restaurant’s French cuisine is not cheap. Salads range from € 24 to € 34, a Vitello Tonato € 34 and Poké Bowls range from € 31 to € 35. But when you consider that absolutely everything has to be delivered by boat – and you are on one of the most romantic beaches that is not surprising. You can easily rent sun loungers, umbrellas and towels here, so you don’t have to take them with you during the walk to Plage Mala. There is free WIFI, a boutique and fitness. For guests who want to have lunch or dinner by boat at this beach restaurant, they will be picked up by boat from their yacht. On Saturday and Sunday evenings there is often live music (from reggae to jazz, from pop to rock). For more information, visit the Eden Plage Mala website – https://edenplagemala.com/
La Réserve de la Mala
La Réserve de la Mala is without a doubt an exclusive location where you can enjoy the Cote d’Azur without the nuisance of mass tourism. The French cuisine under the direction of chef Jean-Marc Troussard is surprising and innovative. There is also a wellness area, showers, you can rent sun loungers / umbrellas and towels, free wifi and this restaurant also has a shuttle to pick up guests who arrive in the bay by yacht. This restaurant is also not cheap (partly due to its unique location). “Vintage” tomato salad costs € 20, spring rolls for € 22, a hamburger € 26 and an entrecote € 39 More information can be found on the website of La Reserve de la Mala – https://www.lareservedelamala.com/
Hike Cap d’Ail – Monaco
The walk starts immediately after you have walked down the stairs to Mala Plage. At the end of the stairs you can turn right to Mala Plage and left to start the walk. Please note, with a lot of wind the walking path is closed because you are walking too close to the sea and it is irresponsible to walk here with rough sea. It is a beautiful route along the sea of about 5 km to Monaco. In the beginning a number of stairs, but later on the route continues on a nice paved footpath. The walking trail can be done by everyone – you don’t need to be in excellent shape…. The walk ends in Cap d’Ail at the harbor. If you walk a little further along the boulevard you will arrive in the small harbor of Monaco followed by the Palace of Monaco. When you really walk to Monte Carlo (with the casino and Café de Paris) the walking trail will take approx 1.5 hours. It is more than an hour’s walk to the small harbor in Monaco (if you occasionally enjoy the beautiful views along the way). Halfway through there is a cute restaurant Le Cabanon. Sadly closed when we walked, but this is a must do lunch location. So we definitely have to go back!
Le Cabanon Cap d’Ail restaurant by the sea
Le Cabanon is located on the most beautiful coast of the Cote d’Azur. On foot, from Monaco or Cap d´Ail, via the Chemin des Douaniers, a beautiful coastal path bordered by the most beautiful villas of the Cote d´Azur. The restaurant is open daily from 9am to midnight. In the fall it is closed Sunday evenings and Mondays and closed annually from November to February. Le Cabonon is a great place to have lunch or dinner. Run by mainly Italians and you can taste it! Pure, honest food. Fresh fish of the day every day.
Port of Cap d’Ail
The coastal walking route ends in the Port of Cap d’Ail. Because most restaurants were already closed at the end of September, we had lunch here at Le Lamparo Plage in the port of Cap d’Ail. Here you can have a nice lunch with your feet in the sand. Service not great, but food really fine.
The “other” Monaco
If you walk further from the port of Cap d’Ail you will arrive in a very nice part of Monaco (without the madness of Monte Carlo). They call this the old harbor of Monaco and there are also some very good Italian restaurants.
