Best of the Cote d'Azur
The best things to see and do in the fabulous Cote d'Azur in the South of France
Nice
Nice, the largest city on the Côte d'Azur, mixes urban sophistication and coastal charm. Its most famous attraction is the Promenade des Anglais, a palm-lined walkway that runs the length of the beach overlooking the Baie des Anges, with its aquamarine water.
The city's old town, Vieux Nice, features narrow winding streets and colorful facades, markets and cafés.
Nice is also a cultural hub, with several worthwhile museums, including the Matisse Museum and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
The city's cuisine is a highlight, with local specialties like socca and salade niçoise. Nice's warm climate and beautiful scenery make it a year-round destination for visitors.
Cannes
Cannes is famous for its glamorous film festival, but this city offers much more than celebrity sightings. You can explore La Croisette, the waterfront promenade lined with luxury hotels and high-end shops. The old town, Le Suquet, provides a glimpse into Cannes' history with its winding streets and panoramic views.
The city's beaches are a major draw, with both public and private options. You can take a boat trip to the nearby Lérins Islands for a peaceful escape from the bustling city.
Cannes' markets are worth a visit, especially the Marché Forville, where you can sample local produce and specialties. Cannes also has a vibrant nightlife, with many clubs and bars staying open late into the night.
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez, once a quiet fishing village, is now synonymous with luxury and celebrity. The harbour is filled with superyachts but the buildings remain with their distinctive warm colours.
The old town, La Ponche, retains its charm with narrow streets and traditional Provençal houses. You can visit the Citadel, a 17th-century fortress that offers stunning views of the bay and surrounding area.
Saint-Tropez's Place des Lices hosts a popular market twice a week, where you can buy local products and souvenirs. The town's nightlife is legendary, with exclusive clubs and restaurants that attract a jet-set crowd during the summer months. And just outside of town is the beautiful sandy beach called Pampelonne, known for its beach clubs and clear waters.
Mougins
Perched in the lush hills behind Cannes, Mougins offers a picturesque escape in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. You'll find this charming village just 15 minutes from the beaches of the coast.
Mougins is made up of narrow cobblestone streets and historic buildings. The medieval town center invites you to get lost in its winding alleys and discover hidden corners and squares.
Mougins is known as a capital of gastronomy with many restaurants, some with Michelin stars.
The town's artistic heritage is evident in its numerous galleries and museums. Pablo Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life here.
Monte-Carlo
Monte-Carlo strictly speaking is a district of the country of Monaco, but the two names are interchangeable. Its tax-free status and privileged position on the Mediterranean make Monte Carlo a magnet for the uber-wealthy. Being of limited size this means the principality is crammed with blocks of unaffordable apartments and luxury shopping, all hoping for a glimpse of the twinkling sea.
The famous Monte-Carlo Casino stands in the main square opposite the very grand Hoel de Paris, where you can see some of the most well-heeled people on Earth parading in and out.
As well as all the top shopping brands, Monte Carlo has Michelin-starred restaurants, and some beautiful belle époque architecture, a botanical garden perched above the sea, and the Oceanographic museum.
Antibes
Antibes is on the coast between Cannes and Nice and retains more of its old character than both. Its old quarter is a place to explore on foot through winding streets, while the harbour is home to the most modern yachts afloat. Antibes has little public beaches as well as luxury hotels like the famous Hotel du Cap, food markets, and cultural attractions like the Picasso Museum.
Grasse
Grasse, in the foothills behind the coast, is the world's perfume capital. The town dates back to the 11th century and retains charming architecture and medieval street design. The main attraction is of cours the perfume industry and you can visit famous perfumeries like Fragonard and Galimard to learn about the art of fragrance-making. Many offer tours and workshops where you can create your own scent. Around Grasse the fields are covered with jasmine, roses, lavender and other plants bearing the essential oils used in perfumery.
Eze
Eze is an impossibly picturesque village perched high on a spire of rock towering over the Mediterranean, between Nice and Monaco. A wander through its narrow, winding streets takes you back in time, and also past many artists’ studios. The Exotic Garden is filled with succulents and Meditrranean plants and has the most spectacular view of the French Riviera far below.
Menton
Menton is the easternmost point of the Cote d’Azur, right on the Italian border. It famously has its own micro-climate that allows citrus fruits to grow here, in fact it is known as the ‘City of Lemons’. Menton is one of the most photogenic villages in France, with its amazing palette of ochre facades, and the proximity of Italy is evident in its look and feel. Walking up through Menton takes you past one beautiful photo opportunity after another, culminating in the cemetery right at the top, with its stunning sea views. The beach is right at the foot of the village. Another bonus is that Menton is not on everyone’s list of places to visit or stay, so it is relatively uncrowded and affordable.
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St Paul de Vence
St Paul de Vence, perched on a hilltop, was a magnet for artists in the 1920s and remains so to this day. Its narrow medieval streets and tiny size mean that it is usually crowded so go early or don’t go at all. It is one of the oldest villages on the Cote d’Azur and highly instagrammable.
Villefranche
Villefranche-sur-Mer would qualify for the description ‘secret gem’ of the Cote d’Azur. It is tucked away just past Nice and shares a bay with exclusive St Jean Cap Ferrat which sits opposite. Villefranche has an old town tumbling down to the very picturesque waterfront where wooden fishing boats still prevail. The beach takes over at the northern end of the bay. The feeling is of slipping back in time as there is no modern development evident from the waterfront, unless a cruise ship is taking up the deep waters of the bay.