Côte d Azur, France Weather and Climate

Geographical location

Abbreviated as CDA by abbreviationfinder, Côte d Azur is located in the south of France on the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the French coast and is often referred to as the French Riviera.

The name goes back to a French poet who wrote a book in 1887 with the title Côte d’Azur. His name was Stéphen Liégeard.

The extent of this stretch of coast is from Cassis near Marseille to the Italian border with Menton. The Principality of Monaco is also on the Côte d’Azur. Other famous places are Nice, Cannes, Saint-Raphaël and Saint-Tropez.

There are several islands off the coast. They are located in the western part of Hyeres and Le Lavandou. The islands are also called Iles d’Hyeres after the place. The azure coast is part of the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

Climate on the Côte d Azur

The climate is Mediterranean and very mild. Even in winter it can be up to 20 degrees. In summer, on the other hand, it is getting increasingly hotter due to global warming. Particularly noteworthy are the numerous sunny days in this region. Up to 300 days a year the sun shines from the sky and plunges the land and sea into an azure blue coastal landscape.

In general, the light is very special. Many artists were influenced by it and painted breathtaking pictures. Van Gogh was one of them, but other artists also lived on this coast. Rain falls mainly between October and March, in midsummer only three to four days with individual showers can be expected statistically.

The water temperatures usually crack at the end of May or early June the 20 degrees mark and stay above it until the beginning of October. The peak value is reached with around 23 degrees water temperature in August.

When is the best time to travel to the Côte d Azur?

Travel time is all year round. You can swim in the Mediterranean from May. June, July and August are very touristy, as many French people also vacation on the Côte d Azur. September is an excellent time to travel. The water is still warm, the air is not quite as hot, the tourists are fewer and the light is brilliant.

The Cannes International Film Festival takes place in May. The stars here have been surrounded by scandals and fans since 1946. The “Golden Palm” is awarded. The film festivals are undoubtedly among the most important in the world. The festival is accompanied by paparazzi, many stars and many yachts that are anchored in Cannes at this time.

But winter is also a good time to travel for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle and warm themselves in the sun. However, we recommend the period from mid-May to mid-October as the best travel time.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Côte d’Azur).

Place	Best travel time
Nice	June, July, August and September
Saint Tropez	June, July, August and September

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Nice (Côte d’Azur)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	13 ° C	13 ° C	15 ° C	17 ° C	20 ° C	23 ° C	26 ° C	27 ° C	24 ° C	21 ° C	16 ° C	14 ° C
Night temperature	5 ° C	6 ° C	7 ° C	10 ° C	13 ° C	16 ° C	19 ° C	19 ° C	17 ° C	13 ° C	9 ° C	6 ° C
Water temperature	13 ° C	12 ° C	13 ° C	14 ° C	16 ° C	20 ° C	22 ° C	23 ° C	21 ° C	19 ° C	16 ° C	14 ° C
Precipitation in mm	83	76	71	62	49	37	16	31	54	108	104	78
Rainy days	7	6	6	6	5	4	2	3	4	6	7	6
Hours of sunshine	5	5	7	8	9	10	11	10	8	7	5	5
Sunrise	8:00	7:30	6:45	6:50	6:05	5:50	6:00	6:35	7:10	7:45	7:25	7:55
Sunset	17:20	18:00	18:35	20:15	20:50	21:15	21:10	20:35	19:45	18:50	17:05	16:55

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Nice is 15 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (23 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 7.9 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Nice is 23 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. The months of June, July, August, September and October have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of July, August and September have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 769 mm on 62 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. In January snowfall is possible.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day. The average annual sunshine is 7.4 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Sights & attractions

Well worth seeing are the famous places like Nice, Cannes, Monaco and the coast in general. Nice with its Mediterranean old town and its famous “Promenade des Anglais” is an absolute highlight that you should not miss. This city is particularly worth living in, not only during the carnival season, but all year round. It has a privileged location, with the sea in front of it and a protective mountain range behind. Many hikers also make trips into the hinterland. The old town itself has more than 170 restored house facades in the typical Mediterranean style.

Place Massena is an important central point of the city. In the middle there is a wonderful garden. Nice has many gardens and parks, such as the “Albert 1er” garden. He is one of the oldest. In addition, the Parc du Château, the Parc Phoenix (with the largest greenhouse in Europe and its astronomical garden), the botanical garden and many more are worth seeing. The cultural offer and life in Nice is very rich. A Matisse Museum and a Chagall Museum are very well equipped with exhibits.

In Cannes you shouldn’t miss a stroll on the “Croisette”, it does indeed have a special charm. Numerous events take place there throughout the summer, from street theater to concert soirees. Cannes also has a beautiful old town with finely restored buildings. Cannes is famous for its port and the former castle.

Monaco is the third highlight of the Côte d Azur. However, it does not belong to France, but is a separate city-state, a principality with the famous Grimaldi as regents. Many rich personalities live in Monaco, who have settled there for tax reasons and also because of the beauty of the city and the mild climate. Accordingly, the marina is a superlative port. The city has a high density. With around 19,000 inhabitants per square kilometer, it has the highest population density of any country.

Côte d’Azur weather in March, April and May

Average daily temperatures between 14 ° C and 20 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in May in Nice, noticeably cooler in March in Saint-Tropez.

Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 13-18 ° C.

In March, at about 6 days expected precipitation in April at about 6 days in May at about 5 days.

In the period from March to May , the sun shines an average of 7 to 9 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in May in Nice, but with less sun you will have to get by in March.