Every summer, in the heart of the Baie des Anges, a beach welcomes the children of the City of Nice. In this reserved space, they can engage in various activities and discover water sports.
Since 2014, the former Florida Beach becomes a “land for the little ones” during the months of July and August. Indeed, the beach club Li Rateta, called “the mouse”, welcomes young people from Nice and vacationers aged 6 to 17 from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
At Li Rateta, children can obviously swim in the sea but also discover new water activities such as sailing, paddleboarding, canoeing, and surfing. On the beach, some can also learn to swim in a pool designed for this purpose. Inflatable structures allow them to have fun in other ways. Football fans come together on two small built fields. Two of them share their experiences from a day at the club:
“I did automatic surfing. It was very, very complicated but it was super funny, I fell over.” Theo
“This is the fifth time I’ve come here. I come with the leisure center, and each time I discover new activities.” Malek
The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, visited Li Rateta yesterday to greet the children and the leaders. He was accompanied by two elected officials, Jennifer Salles Barbosa (Deputy in charge of Solidarity and AnimaNice) and Frédéric Chenu (youth director of the municipality).
“This project was born from the mayor’s desire to create something for the children. The challenge for the leisure centers was to go in the water safely with the pebbles and the depth. Over time, we have developed the activities. At first, we had beach sports, then water sports, and for the past three years, the pool which allows us to teach swimming.” Frédéric Chenu
As Jennifer Salles Barbosa reports, the venue is not only for leisure centers:
“It is accessible to anyone who wishes to drop off their child in the morning, in the afternoon, or for the day… On Saturdays, we welcome ‘the workers’ who work from Monday to Friday and do not have access to activities during the week, but who can on this day engage in sports like paddleboarding, kayaking, or stretching while leaving their child at the club.”
