Balzi Rossi Beach in Ventimiglia, a Jurassic corner between the Ligurian Riviera and the French Riviera

There is a corner of Liguria that looks at France with the same rarefied elegance of the French Riviera. It is the small beach of Balzi Rossi, nestled in the Grimaldi area of ​​Ventimiglia , overlooking the Gulf of Menton like a terrace, where the Maritime Alps seem to descend to touch the sea. Embraced by an imposing rocky cliff overlooking the sea, it is embellished with caves inhabited in prehistoric times. The colorful contrast given by the white pebbles, the turquoise sea and the red rocks is stunning.

Where is Balzi Rossi and how to get there

It is located right on the French border, between the province of Ventimiglia and the territory of Mentone, the first town on the French Riviera . For those arriving from the Aurelia or Strada Statale 1, it is just after the tunnel (also called Grotta dei Fanciulli), for those in France, instead, just before, immediately after the border marked by the gendarmes' booths that control who goes and who comes to and from France. There is a large parking lot where you can leave your car, motorbike or bicycle near the newsstand, very famous among Italians on holiday in France because it is the closest point to the border where you can still buy newspapers and cigarettes at "Italian prices" (the same things, in France, cost more than double). If you want, you can get there by French regional train (TER) that leaves from Ventimiglia, getting off at the Mentone-Garavan stop and then walking for 1.7 kilometres towards Italy.

Balzi Rossi, not just a beach

Once you take the pedestrian road that leads to the beach you will encounter several points of interest: first of all there is a very famous starred restaurant, Balzi Rossi, where lunch or dinner with a 5-course menu costs around 120 euros, excluding wines. It is one of the most famous places on the coast not only for its haute Ligurian cuisine dishes but also for the wonderful view that its panoramic terrace offers. Continuing on, there is the Prehistoric Museum of “Balzi Rossi” , created to tell the ancient history of this place. Behind the famous beach, in fact, at the foot of an imposing rock face of Jurassic dolomitic limestone, there are caves divided in two by the railway line. From West to East, the Balzi Rossi include the cave of Conte Costantini, the cave of the Fanciulli, the cave of Florestano, the cave of Caviglione to the north of the railway; the Barma Grande and the Barma du Bausu da Ture (destroyed by quarry work) to the South, and finally the Prince's cave to the North.

Discovered in the 19th century by an Italian-French team, it was Sir Thomas Hanbury who financed, in 1898, the construction of a museum building, the current Old Museum, where the famous "triple burial" was exhibited, a Paleolithic burial dated 25,000 years ago , which includes the skeletons of an adult Homo sapiens and two young people buried at the same time and with a rich grave goods. The two museum buildings can be reached via an equipped path that allows you to visit some caves. They are open from Tuesday to Sunday 8.30-19.30 and the first Sunday of the month admission is free, otherwise the full ticket costs 4 euros, the reduced ticket (18-25 years) 2 while children under 18 enter for free. It is also perfect for a cultural break during a day at the beach.

But let's get to the Balzi Rossi Beach . There is the free area and the private one with the bathing establishment. The first is mostly rocky and with a little white stone shoreline. Between one ravine and another, everyone finds their own little corner where they can relax and sunbathe. The most practical part is instead the one that has been privatized, very scenic , with white umbrellas and loungers, but which has removed the wild side of this cove known until a few years ago only to a few. The water, however, is the same: crystal clear and very blue due to the white stone seabed. A little corner of paradise unknown to most until a few years ago but which has recently become increasingly popular. From this point, among other things, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the town of Menton with its pastel-colored houses and sailing boats docked in the port. A priceless postcard of the French Riviera.

The characteristics of the beach

Very small, almost suspended between sky and water, it fascinates with the contrast between its simplicity and the exclusive atmosphere that you breathe there. On one side, a refined, albeit very small, beach resort opened in recent years, with a restaurant overlooking the sea, wellness treatments, a floating cinema on summer evenings and even a private shuttle for those who arrive at Balzi Rossi by boat . On the other, a stretch of rocky beach, free and wild, where time seems to have stopped. Finding a place on beautiful summer days is a real challenge, given the popularity of the place both among the inhabitants of nearby Menton and among the holidaymakers who arrive from the other side of the tunnel that divides the French coast from the Italian one. Behind the beach opens the archaeological site of world value, composed of caves and caverns where, starting from the second half of the nineteenth century, finds dating back to the Paleolithic have been found. A journey through time that can be explored further by visiting the small but suggestive Museo dei Balzi Rossi, immersed in the greenery, a few steps from the shoreline.

Why are Balzi Rossi famous?

There are many reasons why the Spiaggia dei Balzi Rossi has become famous, especially in recent years. First of all because it is a hidden cove at the end of a promontory far from the crowds and the road. Then because the water is beautiful and transparent because of the white pebbles that cover, in part, the shoreline, while the rest is made of rocks. The small bathing establishment that has been open in the summer for a few years is famous and attracts vacationers looking for comfort and not just those who love pleasant and wild beaches without services. Its location is its strong point, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the pastel-colored houses of Menton. It is also nice to come here at sunset when the sky turns pink and is reflected in the water making the whole atmosphere muffled. A truly magical place. But don't tell anyone if you want it to stay that way for as long as possible.