Eze is a fascinating medieval town in France located halfway between Nice and Monte Carlo. Eze is a great place to spend a few hours while your ship is docked along the French Riviera in Cannes or Nice or in the port of Monaco.
Get there
Shore excursions to Eze cruises are generally scheduled for half a day. Once you get to Eze, however; is not easy. The climb from the parking area up the narrow winding trails to the top of the rock is steep. Although Eze is a fascinating town, those who have trouble walking will not be able to navigate the narrow streets as they are up and down and have numerous steps.
The view of the Mediterranean from the hillside town of Eze is wonderful. The town sits like an eagle’s nest on a large rock a quarter of a mile above the sea. There is a path that goes down to Eze-sur-Mer, but it will take you more than an hour to walk from the village on top to the sea, and you don’t know how long to go back up! Many visitors take the public bus from Monte Carlo to Eze and then go down the hill to the bus stop at the bottom of the mountain for the return trip by public bus to Monte Carlo.
It is a very easy (and inexpensive) trip.
Excursions to the beach
When visiting Eze from a cruise ship, some shore excursion buses arrive early in the morning. This early arrival means you can miss the crowds that ravage the small town every day. The road from the parking area to the village is quite strenuous, and those who cannot walk uphill for about 15 minutes should consider another tour or spend their time browsing the shops near where the tour bus drops its passengers. The guides first walk slowly down the narrow stone paths to the garden (Jardin Exotique) at the top of the rock and more than 1,200 feet above the sea.
Even if you don’t have a guide, you will be able to find the garden easily. All the paths that go uphill will eventually lead you to the top where the panoramic garden is located. Some who cannot walk that fast can take their time and wander the small streets, finding their own way to the garden. It is impossible to get lost in the small town of Eze.
What to see and do
The view from the garden is well worth the arduous climb. The garden was full of different varieties of cacti and other exotic plants. If you visit in the spring, many will bloom. It is interesting to stroll through the garden, marveling at the unusual variety of flora and resting from the climb up the hill. One word of caution: if you are not on a tour that includes entry to the garden, you will have to pay a small fee to enter the garden. This is not much, but if you have climbed all that way with no money, it would be disappointing to miss the panoramic view from the garden at the top.
As you walk the trails of Eze, you can easily see that it was once surrounded by a 12th century fortified castle. The castle was demolished in 1706, but the village remains and forms a circular pattern around the base of the castle. The villagers did an excellent job restoring the old buildings. The current church of Eze was built on the foundations of a 12th century church.
Many of the residents are now artisans, and shoppers can spend a lot of time in and out of the cave-like shops. There are also some perfumeries, a wonderful aromatic selection of spices, and watercolors or paintings made by local artists for sale. If you are lucky, the artist may be at the store (or nearby) and will sign your new artwork, which is a great keepsake to take home from Eze.
If you’ve been to Eze or your layover doesn’t include a day trip to Eze, you may want to visit the medieval French village of St.-Paul-de-Vence, which lies inland from the French Riviera. San Pablo sits high on a hill like Eze, but it doesn’t have the incredible views of the sea.
