The Mala Cave: By Boat from Nice or on Foot?
The short answer. Take the boat if you want to swim and snorkel at the cave itself: a French Riviera boat tour from Nice to the Mala cave takes two hours and costs from $74 a person, with the gear. Walk if you want the beach and the cliff path at your own pace and for no fare. The walk ends on the beach; the boat ends in the water beside the cave.
Where the Mala cave is
The Mala cave is in the cliffs at Cap-d'Ail, between Èze and Monaco. Beside it lies Plage Mala, a small beach of fine sand and small round pebbles set in the rocks. The town calls the setting majestic, and the beach was awarded a Blue Flag in 2017. Some trip descriptions place the cave in Èze; the beach and the cliffs are Cap-d'Ail's.
Boat or walk, side by side
| By boat from Nice | On foot | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | $74 a person and up | No fare |
| Time | 2 to 3 hours from the port and back | Your own pace; 3.6 km of path end to end |
| Where you end up | In the water by the cave | On the beach beside the cave |
| Snorkel gear | Included on the Nissa RIBs | Bring your own |
| Who can go | 5 and over, under 75 | Anyone happy on stairs or a cliff path |
| Bad weather | The swim moves or the trip is refunded | The path's barriers close |
By boat: the Mala cave RIB
Nissa Croisières runs the trip most people mean. The RIB takes up to 12 and leaves from the Port Lympia tram stop. It runs east for about 25 minutes, then stops at the cave for about 45 minutes while you swim and snorkel. On the way back you pass Èze, the cape and Villefranche bay with the guide talking. Masks, snorkels and a life jacket are in the fare.
The rules are strict. Nobody under 5 or over 75 can come, and the swim is unsupervised: non-swimmers stay on board. There is no shade and no toilet. The full detail is on the swim at the Mala cave.
By boat: the other two ways
The same operator runs a 3-hour version for $87. It stops briefly at the Mala beach, swims for 45 minutes off Paloma beach, and gives you 45 minutes ashore in Villefranche-sur-Mer. If you want a town as well as the sea, this is the one.
The Monaco speedboat, $85, passes the Mala cave and stops in a cove to swim on its way to Monaco's harbour. It never lands, and snorkel gear is not included. All three are compared with the other shared boats on French Riviera boat tour from Nice.
On foot: the stairs and the coastal path
You can reach Plage Mala on foot three ways: the Mala stairs, the Solitude stairs, or the coastal path. The path runs 3.6 km from Plage Mala to Plage Marquet, past panels on the plants, old millstone quarries and Belle Époque villas.
The town gives no walking time, so allow for the stairs at the Mala end. There are 13 barriers along the path that close in strong wind or a rough sea. Bicycles and scooters are banned, dogs must be on a lead, and the beach is non-smoking. If you drive, the town lists parking on Avenue Pierre Weck and Avenue François de May.
What you see each way
From the path you see the coast from above, with the villas and the old quarries the panels describe. From the boat you see the cliffs from the sea and reach the cave at water level, which is the one view the walk cannot give you.
The boat also shows you the rest of the coast. On the run out and back you pass Cap de Nice, the mouth of Villefranche bay and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. That stretch, bay by bay, is in the post on the coast from Nice to Monaco.
What each way costs a family
The boat fares are per person, so multiply them by your party. For a family of four, the Mala cave RIB comes to about $296, the 3-hour version with Villefranche to about $348, and the Monaco speedboat to about $341. Towels are extra to bring, not to buy, and tips are up to you.
The walk has no fare. What it costs you is the trip to Cap-d'Ail and, if you drive, the parking. If your children are under 4, the walk is the only way they can join, since none of the boats to the cave takes them.
Timing it
The boats run to a timetable you see when you pick a date, and each wants you at the tram stop 15 minutes before. If the sea is up on the day, the crew may move the swim to a calmer spot, or the operator offers you a new date or a refund. The walk has no timetable, but the path's barriers close in strong wind or a rough sea, so the same weather stops both.
For the swim, summer is the easy season: July and August bring the most sun and the least rain in Nice. One swimmer on a September morning found the water warmer than expected.
Which one to choose
- Choose the boat if the swim at the cave is the point, you want the gear provided, and you would like the coast explained on the way.
- Choose the walk if you have a car or a day in Cap-d'Ail, you want the beach for hours rather than 45 minutes, or someone in your party is outside the boat's age limits.
- Choose the 3-hour boat if you want time ashore in Villefranche as well.
Whichever way you go, bring a towel: the Nissa RIBs to the cave do not provide one. Where each boat boards is on the map of departure points, what to pack is in the visitor guide, and the rest of the coast is on things to do in Nice from the water.
Boats that stop near the cave
Nice: Secret Riviera Boat Tour to Mala cave with Snorkeling
Two hours on a RIB of up to 12: about 45 minutes swimming and snorkelling at the Mala cave, then home past the capes with a guide. Masks, snorkels and life jackets included.
From $74 per person
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Half Day Guided Boat tour to Mala caves with stop in Villefranche
Three hours on a 12-seat RIB: a stop at the Mala beach, a swim off Paloma beach and 45 minutes ashore in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
From $87 per person
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Nice to Monaco Speedboat Tour: Coast, Mala Cave & Swimming
Two and a half hours on a fast RIB past the capes and the Mala cave into Monaco's harbour, with a swim stop. Nobody goes ashore; snorkel gear is not included.
From $85 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Decide between the swim at the cave and the walk above it, then check the times. Every fare sits side by side on Nice Boat Tours.