Mountain Biking in Sospel

Dry, dusty and rocky single track trails are plentiful on the Côte d’Azur. However, finding the best ones is not always that easy. Just a short drive from Nice, you can find some of the best trails you will have ever ridden, and that’s no exaggeration.

Sospel

Granted, it’s not in Nice, but if you are a keen mountain biker, Sospel is definitely worth the 45 minute picturesque drive/train journey, and will not disappoint. Sospel was chosen as the year-round base for the Founder of the famous Trans-Provence race. That should give you a good indication of the quality of riding here. The Trans-Provence, which starts in Sisteron, passes through Sospel en-route to Menton.

The Riding

Sospel has everything. Flat out downhill tracks, undulating Enduro sections, and beastly cross country trails. It even has a bike park (see below). There are many trails on all aspects of the mountain side, meaning you can be riding loamy earth on the North facing trails, then swing around to the South facing side and be smashing through rocks on super dry and dusty trails.

You have to earn your turns that’s for sure. Sospel doesn’t have a lift system and the only way to access the trail head is on your bike, on foot, or to drive up the back road which get’s you almost to the top of the mountain biking area. Check out the video below to get a flavour for this MTB haven.

Sospel Bike Park

With the exception of a berm or three, the riding in Sospel has a largely natural feel. However, in the lower part of the mountain, just before you re-enter the village, there is a fun little bike park with several North Shore features, a few drops, berms and jumps. This is a good place to hang out at the end of an epic day riding the good stuff higher up.

Guiding in Sospel

Founder of Trans-Provence, Ash Smith offers guided mountain biking trips in Sospel. Read more about what’s on offer here.

Ash says “I have spent much of the last 10 years scouring maps and riding all over the Alps in search, not of the best trail (there isn’t one!), but in search of what I would consider to be the ultimate place to base a mountain bike adventure in, from or around. In 2012 it came time to settle in one place and, together with my familly, we moved to Sospel in the Maritime Alps. I live here because I haven’t found any better general area to ride a mountain bike.”

The Village

The village itself is a charming and sleepy little place. If you have time, definitely have a wander around the village and go for a coffee in one of the cafés around the village centre. The river Bevera splits Sospel in two and provides a photogenic backdrop for your snaps.

There are a handful of restaurants and bars which aren’t always open, so it’s best to take supplies with you from Nice just in case.

Good to Know

• Trails for all levels of ability
• 45 minute drive from Nice
  • Get directions from Nice to Sospel
• It’s possible to get the train from Nice Pont Michel to Sospel
  • Journey takes 45 mins
  • Tickets cost €6.80 each way
  • Check here for train times
• There are no mechanical lifts at Sospel
• On your way back to Nice, you can visit Menton or Monaco for a drink or evening meal