Activities – VILLENEUVE LOUBET (Rives du Loup river walk)

It is great to find a nature walk that is accessible if you have a baby stroller/buggy, or you are wheelchair bound. Even better if it is uncrowded and has little noise from traffic. Keep reading for details on a lovely riverside walk that is only 10 minutes from the coast on the French Riviera.

The river Loup runs beside the village of Villeneuve Loubet to La Colle sur Loup, and has numerous spots for quiet walking, picnics, cycling and fishing. This walk departs from near to Villeneuve Loubet:

– From the A8 highway, take exit 47 and get onto the D2D road, avenue des Plan. Follow this road for 5 minutes in the direction of ‘Villeneuve Loubet village’ and you will come to a rond point (roundabout) intersection where an arched bridge on the right goes over the river (D2085 road, avenue de la Libération) to Villeneuve Loubet village.

bridge over River Loup to Villeneuve Loubet

– Cross the bridge and take the first road on the left (avenue de la Liberté) and you will see a large carpark on the left beside the river that you can park your car at.

– Cross the river at the small pedestrian bridge at the end of the carpark.

– As you cross the bridge, you will notice the riverside path goes both left and right directions. To the left, just out of sight by the roundabout is the entrance to adventure park Pitchoun Forest (admission payable). There are free public picnic tables in a small grassed area under the bridge, and also accessible public eco-toilets here for walkers along the riverside. To the right, is a flat pathway that follows beside the River Loup for many kilometres.

– The walking path is wide enough for strollers, wheelchairs, cycles, dog-walkers, runners to share. It is occasionally used as a vehicle track so be aware. You may see groups of cyclists from the nearby Pitchoun Forest park cycling to the start of their rope-climbing adventure.

Rives du Loup river walk

– It is shaded along the pathway, there are also numerous spots to access the river and we saw many families with dogs splashing in the water, and toddlers sitting in shallow pools. There were lots of fish to look at (I’m not sure what type of fish? it looks like trout but I’m not an expert!).

Rives du Loup river walk

– Because the pathway is so long, you have flexibility on the distance of your walk – it was certainly manageable for us to keep our 2-year old son entertained with walking and looking at the trees, insects, river.  And afterwards, you could picnic beside the river or visit Villeneuve Loubet for an ice-cream or pizza.

– I would recommend this nature walk for a family-friendly free activity.