It is once again possible to walk on the ramparts of the Vauban port. Since the end of last year, the Saint-Jaume bastion and the fortifications have been under construction.
The construction site was vast because the old defensive structure has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1930.
It was therefore necessary to observe precise rules to restore it, especially since the architect Philippe Prost and the port decided to preserve the old stones and ensure the preservation of the geckos which live between the stones.
Opening of the ice cream parlor this Tuesday
“We have drawn up an inventory which has shown the presence of two protected species: Tarantulas and Hemidactyls”indicates Gregory Deso, who created the herpetological association of Provence Alpes Méditerranée (AHPAM).
With Thierry Reynier, from the Reynier Environnement design office, they monitored the construction site and placed a white cloth in the places where geckos were seen, so that the workers would not wall them in. They even built small rooms with pieces of bamboo, between two bricks, for them to settle in.
And the removable gateway?
Currently, the walk stops at Nomade. You must therefore go down to the esplanade of the bastion – designed to host various events – and continue on the quai Rambaud to go to the lighthouse of the Échauguette, where an ice cream parlor will await walkers from next week.
But the real project is to connect these two parts with a removable footbridge that will pass over the entrance to the Quai des Milliardaires. The latter has been closed since 2017 for – according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Nice Côte d’Azur, manager of the port – security reasons.
The famous footbridge must be delivered around the start of the school year and the project is expected to last between three and four months. Antibes should therefore be able to admire superyachts again next year.
