Monaco, a committed tourist destination : Come and experience it for a weekend!
A destination of international renown, Monaco is known the world over for the quality of its hotels, the finesse of its gastronomy orchestrated by Michelin-starred chefs and the many events that punctuate its calendar.
By reinventing the notion of luxury based on environmental and social values, Monaco aims to make its entire tourism industry part of a progressive approach that meets the challenges of the 21st century.
The aim is to offer guests unique holidays that combine excellence with respect for the environment.
In Monaco, the customer experience is designed to be healthy, serene and focused on well-being, an ambitious but essential approach to sustainable and thoughtful tourism.
So, whether you're just passing through or staying in the Principality for several days, let us show you what a committed destination has to offer.
P.S.: We recommend that you visit the website www.visitmonaco.com to prepare for your visit. In particular, you will find a tool developed by Visit Monaco with the support of the Mission de la Transition Energétique to calculate the carbon impact of your stay in the Principality using the online carbon calculator .
Day 1
Green arrival
Visitors wishing to make their mobility as easy as their carbon footprint can choose from a number of solutions.
The destination is accessible from Nice Côte d'Azur airport and other towns on the Riviera by public transport: by bus (line 80) or by train.
For a transfer as prestigious as it is responsible, the Monegasque company Ҽlimo provides a fleet of top-of-the-range & 100% electric chauffeur-driven vehicles.
Welcome to Monaco!
With over 80% of rooms certified, Monaco's hotel sector is very committed to protecting the environment.
See you at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort!
The hotel has been awarded the Green Globe label and is part of the Monte-Carlo SBM group.
If you have an electric vehicle, a super charger is available (fast charge in just 15 minutes).
After checking in, take a stroll around the resort. You'll discover a 400 m² vegetable garden, tended by Terrae, where organic fruit and vegetables are grown and then prepared by the Hotel's Chef, Marcel Ravin.
The Hotel, which boasts a sandy lagoon, a lush garden and a spa, is pursuing large-scale projects to reduce resources (installation of photovoltaic panels, change of lighting, installation of the first CLEANEA machine, etc.).
The Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort has thus succeeded in reconciling quality of service, competitiveness and energy management, thanks in particular to the installation of the Smart+ pilot.
These projects have enabled the Hotel to reduce its energy consumption by 40% since it opened in 2005.
10H00
It's time to explore Monaco. It couldn't be easier. Line 6 of the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco whose fleet runs on Diester as well as electric power, passes in front of the Hotel .
Or would you prefer to explore the Principality by bike? Monabike is a self-service electric bike hire system. With 350 bikes and 49 stations, it's easy to pick up a bike for an hour or more and drop it off when the ride is over!
Thanks to electric assistance, the climb up the Fairmont is child's play and you'll be in Monte-Carlo, the Principality's legendary district, in record time.
After dropping off your "mount" at the "Monte-Carlo" station, you can stroll around the famous Carré d'Or, or go shopping in the new "One Monte-Carlo" district - just a stone's throw from the Casino - before discovering the Jardins de la Petite Afrique, home to some amazing tropical species.
This is where the Heritage Tree Trail begins, a route that allows you to wander through Monaco's various gardens and discover its green heritage. For example, the Wollemi Pine, a plant identified very recently (1994) north of Sydney in Australia, in a canyon, the precise location of whose discovery is kept secret in order to preserve the species. Just under a hundred trees have been identified worldwide.
12H00
More and more restaurants are taking a responsible approach, and here you will find establishments with the " Restaurant Engagé " label. This means that they are working every day to reduce and sort waste, combat food wastage and single-use items, support local initiatives, reduce energy and water consumption, and raise customer awareness of all these issues.
" La petite boîte ", a Monegasque-style doggy bag. A service that allows consumers to take away a dish or drink that they haven't finished!
The Principality also offers EcoSlowasting Monaco , a local platform that combats food waste by enabling retailers to sell their unsold food at a reduced price.
14H30
Off to Monaco-Ville!
With its medieval alleyways, the Old town on the Rock is home to the seat of government, the Palace of Justice, the Conseil National, the Prince's Palace, the Cathedral, the Chapelle de la Miséricorde and the Oceanographic Museum.
Built into the rock face of Monaco, the Oceanographic Museum created by Prince Albert I, has been watching over the oceans for over a century. With its world-renowned expertise, the Museum displays over 6,000 specimens, from sharks and seahorses to piranhas and clownfish...
Since its inauguration in 1910, this Temple of the Sea has established itself as an international benchmark for teaching people about, loving and protecting the oceans.
It includes a care clinic and a convalescent pool. It provides care for turtles in difficulty, while making these marine animals ambassadors for their species to the public. The open-air centre is an integral part of the museum visit. There are activities for children of all ages throughout the year.
16H30
The Jardins Saint Martin nestle between the Oceanographic Museum and the Cathedral.
These were Monaco's first public gardens, created at the request of Prince Honoré, who decided to give Monegasques work by creating gardens following a famine.
Like all the other public green spaces in Monaco, they are treated organically and have the ECOCERT label. You will be able to identify several heritage trees thanks to the signs or the Parcours brochure.
Since 2019, a new trail has been set up in the St Martin gardens: the "biodiversity trail ". The area is in fact very rich and the trail allows you to discover lesser-known areas of the garden via paths that were previously closed to the public. From the "flower meadow" to the insect Hotel, the trail takes you on a stroll past the entrance to the caves (closed for safety reasons) that were home to Monaco's first prehistoric man and are now home to bats and seismic devices.
At the foot of the cliffs, you might spot cormorants fishing or basking in the sun, or a pair of peregrine falcons, especially visible in the Fontvieille cove.
" Monaco City " was created to meet the growing demand for public transport during the summer season. A solution that makes it possible to use soft mobility services.
Dinner
Under the signature of Marcel Ravin, the Michelin-starred Elsa restaurant celebrates sustainable and committed Mediterranean cuisine, inspired by the sea and supported by products from responsible fishing and environmentally-friendly farming.
Located on Monte-Carlo Beach, the restaurant is close to Monte-Carlo Bay, so it's just a short walk to your Hotel.
Day 2
This second day is all about "intermodality" (the use of several means of soft transport). Soft mobility is extremely well developed in Monaco. Armed with the Monaco Malin guide , you can get from A to B using only soft mobility, optimising your journey times and getting around like the locals!
9H00
To start the day, head for Larvotto beach, just a stone's throw from Monte-Carlo Bay.
More than just a beach, the Larvotto area is a protected marine reserve, notably for its Posidonia meadow. So if you go for a swim, especially in the morning, don't be surprised to see fish swimming alongside you!
After your walk or swim, you can head off on foot to the Japanese Garden.
Created in 1994 at the request of Prince Rainier III by landscape architect Yasuo Beppu (winner of the Grand Prix at the 90' Osaka Flower Show), this garden was designed in accordance with the strictest principles of Zen thinking, and offers an exotic journey to the land of the rising sun, right in the heart of the Principality. Managed by the Direction de l'Aménagement Urbain, the garden is certified and uses only organic treatments.
Mareterra , Monaco's new eco-designed district, is designed to meet environmental challenges and develop sustainable urban planning, combining nature, modernity and innovation.
From here, take the famous Grand Prix tunnel to Port Hercule. Below the Fairmont is the Principality's second marine protected area: the Tombant des Spélugues, a coralligenous cliff rich in Mediterranean red coral.
11H30
Walk alongside the Yacht Club building and take the waterbus to cross the harbour!
The boat-bus is equipped with two battery-powered electric motors and 14 single-crystal solar panels that supply 15W/day in summer.
In just a few minutes, you'll be on the Quai Antoine Ier, where you can stroll along the floating seawall and the Solarium.
Lunch at Les Perles de Monte-Carlo
The port of Fontvieille is home to an original restaurant. In a region where oyster farms are few and far between, Les Perles de Monte-Carlo offers a simple way to enjoy exceptional oysters bred in Monaco, as well as all kinds of seafood, from clams to sea bream.
Afternoon: Fontvieille Landscape Park and Rose Garden
Visit landscaped park of Fontvieille surrounds the marquee and provides the area with a landscaped urban park that is a firm favourite with families.
Mediterranean species such as olive trees, pines and cypresses stand alongside numerous heritage trees (such as the beautiful "Erythrine crête de coq", which takes its name from its red flowers that resemble rooster's crests).
Winding paths criss-cross the park and guide walkers along a path of botanical and cultural discoveries, with many works of art on display.
Along the way, you can discover an educational vegetable garden, the " Smart Flower " (an intelligent photovoltaic generator made up of 12 petals that works like a sunflower - it opens and closes according to the sun - and provides energy for the park's lighting) and a children's Playground.
The park features a landscaped pond where numerous species live side by side, including free-roaming ducks and geese, as well as carp of all sizes that can be seen from the banks of the pond or from the wooden footbridge.
Around the bend in the footpath, you'll come to the Princess Grace Rose Garden created by Prince Rainier III as a tribute to his wife, Princess Grace of Monaco.
The 5,000 m² of this rose garden (awarded the EVE label by Ecocert for its good ecological practices) is home to more than 450 varieties of rose.
Afterwork and Dinner
You can start the evening at the Brasserie de Monaco to sample a beer brewed on site using organic malts, and take time out to stroll along Port Hercule to discover Monaco By Night!
And to get back to the Hotel, there are several options open to you: the CAM buses, Monabike bicycles, or why not try out Mobee ?! This is the Principality's electric car-sharing service, based on the principle of free-floating. The fleet is made up of Twizys, Peugeot e-208s and Tesla Model Ys.
It's an easy, fast and environmentally-friendly way to get to your Hotel and enjoy the cuisine of its Chef, Marcel Ravin, a Mediterranean blend of Caribbean flavours prepared responsibly using vegetables from the hotel's own kitchen garden.