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Vallauris | Antibes | Cap d’Antibes | Juan-les-Pins | Biot | Villeneuve-Loubet | Haut-de-Cagnes

The coastline spanning the short distance from Cannes to Antibes and Nice has a personality all its own, combining some of the most accessible waterfront resorts (Juan-les-Pins, Villeneuve, and Cagnes-sur-mer, which in 2012 was France’s fifth most popular beach destination) with one of the most elite (Cap d’Antibes). This is vacationland, with a culture of commercial entertainment that smacks of the worst of Florida in the 1960s. The hot, poky N98, which goes from Antibes to Cagnes, crawls past a jungle of amusement parks, a massive beach disco and casino, and even a horse-race track. The hill towns of Vallauris and Biot cater to souvenir hunters and lunch sorties. But everyone visiting this little piece of the Côte d’Azur, whether staying in a villa or a concrete cube, is after the same experience: to sit on a balcony, to listen to the waves washing over the sand, and to watch the sun setting over the oil-painted backdrop of the Martitime Alps.

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Vallauris

6 km (4 miles) northeast of Cannes; 6 km (4 miles) west of Antibes.

This ancient village in the low hills above the coast, dominated by a blocky Renaissance château, owes its four-square street plan to a form of medieval urban renewal. Ravaged and eventually wiped out by waves of the plague in the 14th century, the village was rebuilt by 70 Genovese families imported by the Abbaye de Lérins in the 16th century to repopulate the abandoned site. They brought with them a taste for Roman planning—hence the grid format in the Old Town—but more importantly, a knack for pottery making. Their skills and the fine clay of Vallauris were a perfect marriage, and the village thrived as a pottery center for hundreds of years. In the late 1940s Picasso found inspiration in the malleable soil and settled here, giving the flagging industry new life. Sadly, the town has developed a more shady reputation (so keep your hands on your purse) despite Saudi’s King Salman owning a 1930s villa where Churchill and Hollywood celebs stayed, running along 1 km (½ mile) of Vallauris’s beachfront.

Getting Here and Around

The SNCF Golfe–Juan train station is in Place Pierre Sémard in the center of Vallauris–Golfe–Juan. Tickets cost €5.70 one-way from Nice and €2 from Cannes. Bus No. 8, part of the Envibus network, runs between the Golfe–Juan train station and Vallauris about every 15 minutes (45 minutes on Sunday). From Place Guynemer in Antibes, Envibus No. 5 goes to Vallauris with frequent departures. Bus No. 200, connecting Nice and Cannes, stops in Golfe–Juan and runs about every 15 minutes. Tickets cost €1.50. There’s also the Rapides Côte d’Azur No. 250, a daily airport express bus (55 minutes, €10) that stops in Antibes, Juan-les-Pins with Vallauris as its final destination.

Exploring

Musée National Picasso.
In the late 1940s Picasso settled here in a simple stone house, “le château de Vallauris”—the former priory of the Abbaye de Lérins and one of the rare Renaissance buildings in the region—creating pottery art from the malleable local clay with a single-minded passion. But he returned to painting in 1952 to create one of his masterworks in the château’s Romanesque chapel, the vast multipanel oil-on-wood composition called La Guerre et la Paix (War and Peace). Today the chapel is part of the Musée National Picasso, where several of Picasso’s ceramic pieces are displayed. | Pl. de la Libération | 04–93–64–71–83 | www.musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr/picasso | €4 | July and Aug., daily 10–12:45 and 2:15–6:15 ; Sept.–June, Wed.–Mon. 10–12:15 and 2–5.

Where to Eat

Café Llorca.
$ | MEDITERRANEAN | This is a modern café from one of the “pillars of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine,” Alain Llorca. As part of the bistronomomy movement (and one of the best-value eateries in the region), Café Llorca has daily-changing starters from €9 and main courses at around €17, which attract a loyal clientele of locals and tourists alike, who are in awe of dining near an outdoor Picasso statue. The menu mainly sticks to southern classics such as beef cannelloni in a bordelaise sauce and cod with aïoli, both served so generously (in pottery dishes from Vallauris) that it’s hard to find room for the pastries by Jean-Michel Llorca. | Average main: €17 | Pl. Paul Isnard | 04–93–64–30–42 | www.cafellorcavallauris.com.

Antibes

15 km (9 miles) southeast of Nice.

Named Antipolis—meaning across from (anti) the city (polis)—by the Greeks, who founded it in the 4th century BC, Antibes flourished under the Romans’ aristocratic rule, with an amphitheater, aqueducts, and baths. The early Christians established their bishopric here, the site of the region’s cathedral until the 13th century. It was in the Middle Ages that the kings of France began fortifying this key port town, an effort that culminated in the recognizable star-shape ramparts designed by Vauban. The young general Napoléon once headed this stronghold, living with his family in a humble house in the Old Town; his mother washed their clothes in a stream. There’s still a lavoir (public laundry fountain) in the Old Town where locals, not unlike Signora Bonaparte, rinse their clothes and hang them like garlands over the narrow streets.

With its broad stone ramparts scalloping in and out over the waves and backed by blunt medieval towers, it’s easy to understand why Antibes (pronounced “Awn- teeb”) inspired Picasso to paint on a panoramic scale. Stroll Promenade Amiral-de-Grasse along the crest of Vauban’s sea walls, and watch the sleek yachts purring out to sea. Even more intoxicating, just off the waterfront, is the souklike maze of old streets, its market filled with fresh fish and goat cheese, wild herbs, and exotic spices. This is Vieil Antibes, with a nearly Italianate feel, perhaps no great surprise considering that Antibes’ great fort marked the border between Italy and France right up to the 19th century.

Monet fell in love with the town, and his most famous paintings show the fortified Vieil Antibes against the sea. He arrived in January 1888 and expected to stay only a few days; three months later, he had shipped off 39 canvases to be exhibited in Paris at the gallery of Vincent van Gogh’s brother. To see Antibes as Monet—and Picasso, Cross, Boudin, and Harpignies—once did, head to the tourist office for a pamphlet in English on the Painters’ Trail, complete with map or sign up for a guided walk along the trail (see Tours, below).

Getting Here and Around

Antibes has one central train station, the Gare SNCF, which is at the far end of town but still within walking distance of the Vieille Ville and only a block or so from the beach. Local trains are frequent, coming from Nice (20 minutes, €4.60), Juan-les-Pins, Biot, Cannes (10 minutes, €3), and almost all other coastal towns.

There are high-speed TGVs (Trains à Grand Vitesse) to Antibes. Bus service, available at Antibes’ Gare Routière (1 pl. Guynemer) is supplied by Envibus (04–89–87–72–00 | www.envibus.fr). For local routes or to get to Cannes, Nice, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Juan-les-Pins, take the Lignes d’Azur No. 200 (08–10–06–10–06 | www.lignedazur.com), which runs every 15 minutes and costs €1.50.

Visitor Information

Antibes Tourist Office. | 42 av. Robert Soleau | 04–22–10–60–10 | www.antibesjuanlespins.com.
Gare SNCF. | Pl. Pierre-Semard | www.gares-sncf.com.

Tours

Antibes Tourist Office Tours.
Several guided tours lasting 1 hour 45 minutes are offered by the tourist office. Themes range from “The Painters Trail” to “Discovering Old Antibes” (in English on Thursday at 10, March–October) to “Artists and the Mediterranean.” A new addition is the “Gourmet Tour” (June–September). For €12 per person (€20 per couple) you can taste the town by sampling at three local eateries. Tours must be reserved in advance with the Tourist Office. Or download the tourist office’s Monument Tracker app and let it guide you in English through 150 local sites. | 42 av. Robert Soleau | 04–22–10–60–25 | www.antibesjuanlespins.com | From: €7.

Exploring

Top Attractions

Fodor’s Choice | Commune Libre du Safranier (Free Commune of Safranier).
A few blocks south of the Château Grimaldi is the Commune Libre du Safranier, a magical little neighborhood with a character (and mayor) all its own, even though it’s technically part of Antibes. Not far off the seaside promenade, Rue de la Touraque is the main street to get here, and you can amble around Place du Safranier, where tiny houses hang heavy with flowers and vines, and neighbors carry on conversations from window to window across the stone-stepped Rue du Bas-Castelet. | Rue du Safranier, Rue du Bas-Castelet.

Cours Masséna.
To visit old Antibes, stroll the Cours Masséna, where every day 6–1 (except Monday September–May) a sheltered Provençal market sells lemons, olives, and hand-stuffed sausages, and the vendors take breaks in the shoebox cafés flanking one side. Painters, sculptors, and other artists take over at 3 pm Tuesday–Sunday in the summer, and Friday–Sunday September–mid-June. From Port Vauban, you’ll find the cours by passing through an arched gateway beneath the ramparts and following Rue Aubernon to the old Portail de l’Orme, built of quarried Roman stone and enlarged in the Middle Ages. | Antibes.

Eglise de l’Immaculée-Conception (Cathédrale Notre-Dame).
This sanctuary served as the region’s cathedral until the bishopric was transferred to Grasse in 1244. The church’s 18th-century facade, a marvelously Latin mix of classical symmetry and fantasy, has been restored in stunning shades of ocher and cream. Its stout medieval watchtower was built in the 11th century with stones “mined” from Roman structures. Inside is a Baroque altarpiece painted by the Niçois artist Louis Bréa in 1515. | Rue du Saint Esprit | Daily 8:30–noon and 3–6.

Musée Picasso.
Rising high over the water, this museum is set in the stunning medieval Château Grimaldi. As rulers of Monaco, the Grimaldi family lived here until the revolution; this fine old castle, however, was little more than a monument until its curator offered use of its chambers to Picasso in 1946, when that extraordinary genius was enjoying a period of intense creative energy. The result was a bounty of exhilarating paintings, ceramics, and lithographs inspired by the sea and by Greek mythology—all very Mediterranean. The château, which became the museum in 1966, houses some 245 works by the artist, as well as pieces by Miró, Calder, and Léger; the first floor displays more than 100 paintings by Russian-born artist Nicholas de Staël. Even those who are not great Picasso fans should enjoy his vast paintings on wood, canvas, paper, and walls, alive with nymphs, fauns, and centaurs. | Château Grimaldi, Pl. Mariejol | 04–22–10–60–10 | €6 | June 16–Sept. 15, Tues.–Sun. 10–6; Sept. 16–June 15, Tues.–Sun. 10–noon and 2–6.

Port Vauban.
Whether you approach the waterfront from the train station or park along the Avenue de Verdun, you’ll first confront the awesome expanse of luxury yachts in Port Vauban, which has a new underground parking lot and attractive new esplanade from which to admire how the other half live at sea; no wonder the antiques fair and yacht show chose this spot for their events every spring. With the tableau of snowy Alps looming in the background and the formidable medieval block towers of the Fort Carré (Square Fort) guarding entry to the port, it’s difficult to find a more dramatic spot to anchor. This superbly symmetrical island fortress was completed in 1565 and restored in 1967, but can only be admired from afar. Across the Quai Rambaud, which juts into the harbor, a tiny crescent of sand called La Gravette beach offers swimmers one of the last soft spots on the coast before the famous Riviera pebble beaches begin as you head east. | Antibes.

Worth Noting

Musée Archéologique (Archaeology Museum).
Promenade Amiral-de-Grasse—a marvelous spot for pondering the mountains and tides—leads directly to the Bastion St-André, a squat Vauban fortress that now houses the Musée Archéologique. In its glory days this 17th-century stronghold sheltered a garrison; the bread oven is still visible in the vaulted central hall. The museum collection focuses on Antibes’s classical history, displaying amphorae and sculptures found in local digs as well as in shipwrecks from the harbor. | Bastion St-André, Av. Général-Maizières | 04–22–10–60–10 | €3 | June 16–Sept. 15, Tues.–Sun. 10–noon and 2–6; Sept. 16–June 15, Tues.–Sun. 10–1 and 2–5.

Place Nationale.
Not far from the Commune quarter, the Old Town streets invite you to explore the mix of shops, galleries, restaurants, and bakeries. Aim to wind up on Place Nationale, the site of the Roman forum. It’s a pleasant place for a drink under the broad plane trees, and in 2016 it will be home to a new bandstand. | Antibes.

Beaches

Antibes and Juan-les-Pins together claim 25 km (15½ miles) of coastline and 48 beaches (including Cap d’Antibes). In Antibes you can choose between small sandy inlets, such as La Gravette, below the port; the central Plage du Ponteil; Plage de la Salis toward the Cap; rocky escarpments around the Old Town; or the vast stretch of sand above the Fort Carré. The Plage de la Salis may be one of the prettiest beach sites on the coast, with the dark pines of the cape on one side and the old stones of Antibes on the other, all against a backdrop of Alpine white. Juan-les-Pins is one big city beach, lined by a boulevard and promenade peppered with cafés and restaurants. If you want to follow in Picasso’s footsteps, head to the Plage de la Garoupe, halfway down the Cap d’Antibes peninsula and set near the cape’s fabulous Sentier Tirepoil footpath: this pretty white-sand crescent is the place locals have always headed to sunbathe and celeb-spot.

Where to Eat

Fodor’s Choice | Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit.
$$$$ | FRENCH | After 18 years performing in the kitchens of others, acclaimed Chef Christian Morrisset opened one of the best restaurants in the Old Town of Antibes and earned himself a Michelin star. It’s in a contemporary setting with dark-wood tables and is gorgeously shaded by a 40-year-old fig tree and a canopy of vines—the shady street is one of the most picturesque in town. The former chef of Juana has kept his prices democratic at lunchtime, when a two-course meal costs around €39 (except on Sunday); you can easily spend twice as much at dinner. Typical of his style, which focuses on local ingredients, is a saddle of lamb from the Alpilles cooked in a crust of Vallauris clay with gnocchi and truffles, zucchini, eggplant, and thyme jus. It is costly—and don’t choke when you see a €3,000 bottle on the wine list. | Average main: €45 | 14 rue Saint-Esprit | 04–93–34–50–12 | www.christianmorisset.fr | Closed Tues., most of Nov., and last wk of June. No lunch Mon. and Wed. May–Oct.

Le Nacional.
$$$ | FRENCH | When you’ve had enough of the “catch of the day” and need a good old dose of red meat, this restaurant in old Antibes is the place to go. The selection includes Black Angus American, Australian, or Coutancie beef, and various cuts from rump steak to rib to sirloin XXL, all overseen by Nicolas Navarro, head chef at the Michelin-starred Pecheurs in the Cap. You can even read about where your meat (and veal, chicken, and foie gras, also on the menu) was raised, as well as its breed, age, and feeding methods. If all of this is too much, you can order pasta—you know where that comes from. Nacional is set among stone walls and has a chic bar-and-grill design. There’s a swanky summer terrace. | Average main: €29 | 61 pl. Nationale | 04–93–61–77–30 | www.restaurant-nacional-antibes.com | No credit cards | Closed Jan., and Mon. Sept.–mid-June. No dinner Sun.; no lunch mid-June–Aug.

Taverne le Safranier.
$$$ | FRENCH | Part of a tiny Old Town enclave determined to resist the press of tourism, this casual tavern is headquarters for the tables scattered across the sunny terrace on Place Safranier. Install yourself at one, and tuck into dishes like zucchini beignet, Saint Jacques and lobster cassoulet, thick handmade ravioli, or whole dorade, a delicate Mediterranean fish that is unceremoniously split, fried, and garnished with lemon. A laid-back staff shout your order into the nautical-styled bar. The homemade blackboard specials are reasonably satisfying, but it’s the location that brings out the best flavors here. | Average main: €31 | 1 pl. Safranier | 04–93–34–80–50 | Closed Mon., and Jan.

Where to Stay

Le Mas Djoliba.
$$$ | HOTEL | Tucked into a residential neighborhood on the crest between Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, this cool, cozy inn feels like the private home it once was, surrounded by greenery and well protected from traffic noise. The well-maintained swimming pool is a haven if you’re too relaxed to hike down to Salis beach. Rooms, decked in bright colors and floral prints and equipped with air-conditioning, have either views of the garden or the sea; the family room on the top floor, which sleeps four, has a balcony overlooking the Cap d’Antibes. Pros: peaceful neighborhood yet only 7-minute walk to beach; tea and coffee in the rooms. Cons: parking is limited, but they’ll make sure don’t have to park on the street. | Rooms from: €160 | 29 av. de Provence | 04–93–34–02–48 | www.hotel-djoliba.com | Closed Nov.–mid-Mar. | 13 rooms | No meals.

Nightlife

Absinthe Bar.
It’s both a museum (daily 10–7) and a time machine: take a trip back to the day of Hemingway and the Green Ferry. Taste what all that talk about hallucinating is all about, and you might just get a hat to commemorate the occasion. Open every day, this underground bar has a piano bar on Friday and Saturday. | 25 cours Masséna | 04–93–34–93–00.

Blue Lady Pub.
Next to Geoffrey’s British food shop, this pub is frequented by French and foreigners alike (and their kids and dogs). It’s a great little spot to collect your thoughts over a drink after a long day, or to hear some live music. The Blue Lady has daytime appeal, too. Beginning at 7:30 am you can grab a latté, a smoothie, or even an English breakfast (there are newspapers on deck). If you stick around for lunch, you can order homemade burgers, potpies, and fresh salads. Friendly service and free Wi-Fi are bonuses. | La Galerie du Port, Rue Lacan | 04–93–34–41–00 | www.blueladypub.com.

La Siesta.
This is an enormous summertime entertainment center and the largest beach club in France—some 15,000 revelers pack in every Friday and Saturday mid-June–early September. The casino has 194 slot machines, English roulette, and blackjack tables, a bistro, and a terrace overlooking the sea. | Rte. du Bord de Mer | 04–93–33–31–31 | www.joa-casino.com.

Sports and the Outdoors

Diamond Diving.
Brit Alex Diamond owns this Golfe–Juan Dive Centre shop, which offers Discover Scuba courses and equipment rentals, and with his French government recognized certification he even teaches future French diving instructors “Diving English.”|Rue des Pêcheurs, | Vallauris | 06–15–30–52–23 | www.diamonddiving.net.

Shopping

In Antibes, two antiques and flea markets occur weekly, both open 7–6: one on Saturday on Place Nationale, and one on Thursday and Saturday at Place Audiberti. You’ll find a stall selling the iconic Savon de Marseille in the Provençal Cours Masséna market but if you’re on the hunt for a more original nicknack to take home to friends, stop by Le Comptoir des Savonniers on Rue Thuret, which sells translucent wedges of multicolored soap cut to size using a special machine and sold by weight. The shop’s presentation is so Modern Art you can overlook the fact that the soap is imported from Belgium.

Market.
At the market on Antibes’s Cours Masséna, you can buy fruits, vegetables, and a tempting array of other regional products daily until 1 pm.

Old Town.
You can find plenty of eclectic little boutiques and gallery shops in the Old Town, especially along Rue Sade, Rue de la République, and Rue James Close. | Antibes.

Cap d’Antibes

2 km (1 mile) south of Antibes.

For the most part extravagantly idyllic, this fabled 4-mile-long peninsula has been carved up into luxurious estates perched high above the water and shaded by thick, tall pines. Since the 19th century its wild greenery and isolation have drawn a glittering assortment of aristocrats, artists, literati, and the merely fabulously wealthy. Among those claiming the prestigious Cap d’Antibes address over the years are: Guy de Maupassant, Anatole France, Claude Monet, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos, and the cream of the Lost Generation, including Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now the focal point is the famous Hotel Eden Roc, which is packed with stars during the Cannes Film Festival (not surprisingly, as movie studios always pick up the tab for their favorite celebs). Reserve a table for lunch here during the festival and be literally surrounded by celebrities to-ing and fro-ing to the pool. Just play it cool, though: keep your sunglasses on at all times and resist the urge to take photos.

Getting Here and Around

Envibus No. 2 (€1) connects Cap d’Antibes to downtown Antibes.

Exploring

Jardin Thuret (Thuret Garden).
To fully experience the Riviera’s heady hothouse exoticism, visit the glorious Jardin Thuret, established by botanist Gustave Thuret in 1856 as a testing ground for subtropical plants and trees. Thuret was responsible for the introduction of the palm tree, forever changing the profile of the French Riviera. On his death the property was left to the Ministry of Agriculture, which continues to dabble in the introduction of exotic species. | 90 ch. Raymond | From Port Gallice, head up Chemin du Croûton, turn right on Bd. du Cap, then right again on Chemin Raymond | 04–97–21–25–00 | www6.sophia.inra.fr/jardin_thuret | Free | Oct.–Mar, weekdays 8:30–5:30; Apr.–Sept, weekdays 8–6.

Fodor’s Choice | Le Sentier du Littoral (Sentier Tire-poil).
Bordering the Cap’s zillion-dollar hotels and over-the-top estates runs one of the most spectacular footpaths in the world. Nicknamed the Sentier Tire-poil (because the wind is so strong it “ruffles the hair”), the circuit was recently extended, bringing it “full circle” around the gardens at Eilenroc over to l’Anse de l’Argent Faux. It now stretches about 5 km (3 miles) along the outermost tip of the peninsula. The Sentier du Littoral begins gently enough at the pretty Plage de la Garoupe (where Cole Porter and Gerald Murphy used to hang out), with a paved walkway and dazzling views over the Baie de la Garoupe and the faraway Alps. Round the far end of the cap, however, and the paved promenade soon gives way to a boulder-studded pathway that picks its way along 50-foot cliffs, dizzying switchbacks, and thundering breakers. (Signs read “Attention Mort”—“Beware: Death”—reminding you this path can be very dangerous in stormy weather.) Continue along the new portion of the path to the cove l’Anse de l’Argent Faux, where you can stop and catch your breath before heading up to entrance of Eilen Roc. Then follow Avenue Beaumont impasse tangent until it touches the Cap’s main road RD 2559. On sunny days, with exhilarating winds and spectacular breakers, you’ll have company, although for most stretches all signs of civilization completely disappear except for a yacht or two. The walk takes about two hours to complete, but it may prove to be two of the more unforgettable hours of your trip (especially if you tackle it at sunset). By the way, if you come across locked gates blocking your route it’s because storm warnings have been issued and you are not allowed to enter. TIP From the station in town take Bus No. 2 to the “Fontaine” stop. To return, follow the Plage de la Garoupe until Boulevard de la Garoupe, where you’ll make a left to reconnect with the bus. | Cap d’Antibes.

Phare de la Garoupe (Garoupe Lighthouse).
You can sample a little of what draws famous people to this part of the world by walking up Chemin de Calvaire from the Plage de la Salis in Antibes—a distance of about 1 km (½ mile)—and taking in the extraordinary views from the hill surmounted by this old phare (lighthouse). Next to it, the 16th-century double chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garoupe contains ex-votos and statues of the Virgin, all in memory of and for the protection of sailors. | Chemin de Calvaire | 04–22–10–60–10 | Chapel Tues. and Fri. 2:30–6.

Fodor’s Choice | Villa Eilenroc.
The Sentier du Littoral passes along the beach at the Villa Eilenroc, designed by Charles Garnier, who created the Paris Opéra—which should give you some idea of its style. It commands the tip of the peninsula from a grand and glamorous garden. Over the last decade an ecomuseum was completed and a scented garden created at the entrance to the rose garden. On Wednesday, September–June, visitors are allowed to wander through the reception salons, which retain the Louis Seize-Trianon feel of the noble facade. The Winter Salon still has its 1,001 Nights ceiling mural painted by Jean Dunand, the famed Art Deco designer; display cases are filled with memorabilia donated by Caroline Groult-Flaubert (Antibes resident and goddaughter of the great author); and the boudoir has boiseries (decorative wood features) from the Marquis de Sévigné’s Paris mansion. As you leave, be sure to detour to La Rosaerie, the rose garden of the estate—in the distance you can spot the white portico of the Château de la Cröe, another legendary villa (now reputedly owned by a syndicate of Russian billionaires). It has a host of big names attached to it—singer Helene Beaumont built it; and King Leopold II of Belgium, King Farouk of Egypt, Aristotle Onassis, and Greta Garbo all rented here. | 460 av. L.D. Beaumont, at the peninsula’s tip, about 4 km (2½ miles) from Garoupe Bay | 04–93–67–74–33 | www.antibesjuanlespins.com | €2 (free Oct.–Mar.) | Wed. and 1st and 3rd Sat. of every month 2–5.

Where to Eat

Les Pêcheurs.
$$$$ | FRENCH | In 1954 French resistance hero Camille Rayon built a restaurant on the Cap d’Antibes between two stone fishing huts dating to the early 20th century. It wasn’t long before La Maison des Pêcheurs became a fashionable address, though the site was abandoned in the 1990s before being transformed into the Relais & Chateau Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel in 2009. Although beef dishes are available at this famed Michelin-starred restaurant, fish plays a starring role in chef Nicolas Navarra’s menu, backed up by vegetables and fruits from the nearby hills; don’t miss the stunning desserts (at a whopping €20 each), which will give you an excuse to linger as the sun sets over the Îles de Lérins and the Esterel. The more affordable beach restaurant is open for lunch during the same period, as well as dinner June–September. | Average main: €50 | 10 bd. Maréchal Juin | 04–92–93–13–30 | www.ca-beachhotel.com | Closed mid-Oct.–Mar.

Restaurant de Bacon.
$$$$ | SEAFOOD | Since 1948, under the careful watch of the Sordello brothers, Restaurant de Bacon has been the spot for seafood on the French Riviera; its Michelin star dates back to 1979. The catch of the day may be minced in lemon ceviche, floating in a top-of-the-line bouillabaisse, or simply grilled with fennel and crisped with hillside herbs. The dreamy terrace over the Baie des Anges, with views of the Antibes ramparts, justify extravagance, even if the service sometimes falls short of pricey expectations. Many of the à la carte fish dishes are expensive, but a €55 lunch menu and an €85 dinner menu are available, except in July and August. (Note that there are very few nonfish alternatives.) | Average main: €85 | 664 bd. de Bacon | 04–93–61–50–02 | www.restaurantdebacon.com | Closed Mon., and Nov.–Feb. No lunch Tues. | Reservations essential.

Where to Stay

Hôtel du Cap–Eden Roc.
$$$$ | HOTEL | In demand by celebrities from De Niro to Madonna, this extravagantly expensive hotel looking out on 22 acres of immaculate gardens bordered by rocky shoreline has long catered to the world’s fantasy of a subtropical idyll on the French Riviera and yet remains the place to stay. First opened in 1870, the Villa Soleil joined forces with the neighboring Eden Roc tearoom in 1914 and expanded its luxuries to include a swimming pool blasted into seaside bedrock. After the Great War, two stylish American intellectuals—Sara and Gerald Murphy—rented the entire complex and invited all their friends, a stellar lot ranging from the Windsors to Rudolf Valentino and Marlene Dietrich. Their most frequent guests were Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who used it as the model for Hôtel des Etrangers in his Tender Is the Night. Large, sun-drenched rooms are thickly carpeted and furnished with antiques in the main Second Empire mansion; the waterside Pavillon Eden Roc wing is more modern and enjoys sheer-horizon views. Continental breakfast is included in the price (and so is access to the beach). Everyone dresses stylishly for dinner in the newly renovated Eden-Roc restaurant; the Champagne Lounge, the crème de la Cap crème, was uncorked in 2013; and La Rotonde piano bar, the most historic corner of the pavilion with vistas as gentle as the evening musical accompaniments, was redone in 2015. Pros: no other hotel in Southern France has the same reputation or style; specially designed children’s summer programs; breakfast included in price. Cons: if you’re not a celebrity, tip big to keep the staff interested; don’t even try to book a room during the Cannes Film Festival in early May. | Rooms from: €970 | Bd. J.F. Kennedy | 04–93–61–39–01 | www.hotel-du-cap-eden-roc.com | Closed Oct.–mid-Apr. | 104 rooms, 14 suites | Breakfast.

Hôtel La Jabotte.
$$ | HOTEL | At this adorable guesthouse a few steps from a sandy beach, tastefully decorated and colorful rooms surround a central courtyard, where guests relax over a gorgeous breakfast. Nathalie, the genuinely charming owner, and thoughtful little touches keep guests coming back. Pros: very warm welcome is a pleasant contrast to some of the better-known hotels; breakfast with homemade jam is delicious and included in the rate; iPad available at reception. Cons: difficult to find, so bring a good map or use GPS; hotel is often full; rooms are small. | Rooms from: €140 | 13 av. Max Maurey | 04–93–61–45–89 | www.jabotte.com | No credit cards | 10 rooms | Breakfast.

La Baie Dorée.
$$$$ | HOTEL | Clinging to the waterfront and facing the open sea, this pleasant inn provides private sea-view terraces off every room and a discreet aura to the point of self-effacing: the reception area is as small as a coat check and when you look out the window, you are reminded that you are paying for location, not sumptuous interiors. The public grounds and terraces progress in tiers down to the water, from the shaded restaurant (open from late May to late September) and bar to the boat dock to the private beach on the Baie de la Garoupe. The outdoor pool (yes, meaning there’s another inside) is magnificent and free for guests to use. Pros: every room has double glazing and shutters; beach offers water sports; parking and breakfast included. Cons: furniture is modest and a throwback to another decade; some rooms are small. | Rooms from: €440 | 579 bd. de la Garoupe | 04–93–67–30–67 | www.baiedoree.com | 12 rooms, 3 suites | All meals.

La Garoupe-Gardiole.
$$$ | HOTEL | Cool, simple, and accessible to non–movie stars, this pair of partnered hotels offers a chance to sleep on the hallowed Cap peninsula and bike or walk to the pretty Garoupe beach. A sizable heated pool, framed by high walls and tall pines, is serviced by an outside bar. Guest rooms are comfortably furnished in both buildings, with the Garoupe offering modern style and the Gardiole a rustic Provençal design. There’s a restaurant nearby (Le Jardin du Cap, where entrées cost around €30, is 164 feet away); otherwise, this place is pretty isolated. The walk into town takes about 20 minutes or there’s a bus stop right in front (€1). Pros: location among million-dollar mansions; spacious rooms available for families but the area is pretty quiet; free Wi-Fi and parking. Cons: buffet breakfast costs €13; towels cost €2 per day; some rooms are small, but ask for one facing pool. | Rooms from: €150 | 60–74 chemin de la Garoupe | 04–92–93–33–33 | www.hotel-lagaroupe-gardiole.com | Closed mid-Oct.–mid-Apr. | 37 rooms | No meals.

Beaches

Plage de la Garoupe.
Thanks to the perfect oval bay of La Garoupe, the finest, softest sand on the Riviera, magnificent views that stretch out to Antibes, and relatively calm waters, this northeast-facing beach is a real jewel—and the first in the country to impose a “No Selfie” zone. Getting the Gucci-clad spill-over from the Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc, the high-end beach clubs here spill on to the sand. Wannabeseens head to the private Joseph Plage at one end of the beach, where you can rent loungers, while the quieter folk stick to the public middle section. For the weak-walleted, there are also two snack bars (if you dare to be seen at one). Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming. | Chemin de la Garoupe.

Juan-les-Pins

5 km (3 miles) southwest of Antibes.

From Old Antibes you can jump on a bus over the hill to Juan-les-Pins, the jazzy younger-sister resort town that, along with Antibes, bracelets the wrist of the Cap d’Antibes. This stretch of beach was “discovered” by the Jazz Age jet set, who adopted it with a vengeance; F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived in a seaside villa here in the early 1920s, dividing their idylls between what is now the Hôtel Belle Rives and the mansions on the Cap d’Antibes. Here they experimented with the newfangled fad of water-skiing, still practiced from the docks of the Belle Rives today. Ladies with bobbed hair and beach pajamas exposed lily-white skin to the sun, browning themselves like peasants and flaunting bare, tanned arms. American industrialists had swimming pools introduced to the seaside, and the last of the leisure class, weary of stateside bathtub gin, wallowed in Europe’s alcoholic delights. Nowadays, the scene along Juan’s waterfront is something to behold, with thousands of international sunseekers flowing up and down the promenade or lying flank to flank on its endless stretch of sand, but the town is simply not as glamorous as its history.

Getting Here and Around

Regional rail service connects Juan-les-Pins to Nice (30 minutes; €5.10), Cannes (€2.60), and other coastal towns; from the train station, Envibus No. 15 (€1) loops through town, stopping at the public beach. Juan-les-Pins can also be reached from either Nice or Cannes via Lignes d’Azur Bus No. 200 (75 minutes; €1.50).

Visitor Information

Juan-les-Pins Tourist Office. | 60 chemin des Sables | 04–22–10–60–01 | www.antibesjuanlespins.com.

Beaches

Antibes and Juan-les-Pins together claim 25 km (15½ miles) of coastline and 48 beaches (including Cap d’Antibes). Juan-les-Pins is one big sandy beach, lined by a boulevard and promenade peppered with cafés and restaurants.

Plage d’Antibes les Pins.
This sandy beach west of Juan-les-Pins is popular thanks to its size, and thus known as La Grande plage. You can rent a beach chair from the nearby private beaches that dominate the strip. Amenities: toilets; showers. Best for: swimming. | Bd. du Littoral.

Port de Crouton Plage.
Covered with fine white sand, this small public beach next to Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel boasts shallows that slope very gently, making it ideal for kids. It’s a protected bay, so there are no waves, just plenty of shallow water that’s bathwater-warm in high summer. There are few English tourists, so it is a real plage à la Française experience. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets; showers. Best for: snorkeling; solitude. | Bd. Marechal Juin.

Where to Stay

Hotel des Mimosas.
$ | HOTEL | In an enclosed hilltop garden studded with tall palms, mimosas, and tropical greenery, this is the sort of place where only the quiet buzzing of cicadas interrupts silent nights. Many of the guest rooms—modestly decorated in Victorian florals—overlook the sizable pool; its presence helps make up for the quarter-mile hike down to the beach, but at these low prices, can you really complain? Pros: nice garden and grounds (worth the extra money for room with terrace); easy 10-minute walk to train station. Cons: some rooms are small; free Wi-Fi in common rooms, but signal is weak. | Rooms from: €104 | Rue Pauline | 04–93–61–04–16 | www.hotelmimosas.com | No credit cards | Closed Oct.–Apr. | 34 rooms | No meals.

Fodor’s Choice | Les Belles Rives.
$$$$ | HOTEL | Lovingly restored to 1930s glamour, this fabled landmark proves that what’s old is new again, as France’s stylish young set make this endearingly neoclassique place with lovely Art Deco accommodations one of their latest favorites. Not far from the onetime villa of Gerald and Sara Murphy—those Roaring Twenties millionaires who devoted their lives to proving the maxim “living well is the best revenge”—the Belles Rives became the home-away-from-home for literary giant F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda (chums of the Murphys). Dining on the terrace of the on-site restaurant on a fine summer night, with the sea lapping below and stars twinkling in the velvety Mediterranean sky, you’ll share that “living well” feeling. There’s no pool, but the private beach (très cher, as is the €32 breakfast) is just steps away. Pros: views are quite spectacular, but ask for a room with a frontal (not lateral) sea view; lots of water sports. Cons: everything costs extra (breakfast, loungers, towels, etc.); some rooms are on the small side. | Rooms from: €315 | 33 bd. Édouard Baudoin | 04–93–61–02–79 | www.bellesrives.com | Closed Jan.–early Mar. | 42 rooms | No meals.

Nightlife and Performing Arts

Eden Casino (Casino Partouche Juan-les-Pins).
The glassed-in complex of the Eden Casino houses slot machines, roulette and blackjack tables, and a panoramic beach restaurant. Texas Hold ‘Em Poker is played every night. Players park for free. The casino is open until 4 am (5 am in summer). | 17 bd. Baudoin | 04–92–93–71–71 | www.casinojuanlespins.com.

Festival International Jazz à Juan.
Every July the world-renowned Jazz à Juan festival stages a stellar lineup in a romantic venue under ancient pines. Launched in 1960, this festival hosted the European debut performances of such stars as Miles Davis and Ray Charles. More recently, it spawned the fringier Jazz Off, with 200 musicians and free street concerts, as well as the Jazz Club at Les Ambassadeurs beach, where you can enjoy a drink with live music (headliners have been known to pop in for impromptu concerts here). Book online or buy tickets directly from the tourist office in Antibes or Juan-les-Pins. | Juan-les-Pins | 04–22–10–60–06 for ticket info | www.jazzajuan.com.

Kiss Club.
This club has the sexiest style and a sound system that will keep you shaking in your stilettos all night. | 5 av. Georges Gallice | 06–30–71–46–18.

Sports and the Outdoors

Visiobulle.
To study underwater life while circling the cape, take one of this company’s one-hour cruises in tiny, yellow glass-bottom boats. From April to September, boats leave from the Ponton Courbet in Juan-les-Pins four to seven times a day depending on the season; it’s best to reserve ahead by phone in summer. | Ponton Courbet, Av. Amiral Courbet | 04–93–67–02–11 | www.visiobulle.com | €14.

Biot

6 km (4 miles) northeast of Antibes; 15 km (9 miles) northeast of Cannes; 18 km (11 miles) southwest of Nice.

Rising above a stretch of commercial-industrial quarters along the coast from Antibes, the village perché of Biot (pronounced “Bee- otte”) sits neatly on a hilltop,and, as some claim, near an ex-volcano. Threaded with cute alleyways and dotted with pretty placettes (small squares), the old town is so picturesque it almost demands you pick up brush and palette—mere photographs don’t do it justice, especially as it’s not on the receiving end of much light. For centuries home to a pottery industry, known for its fine yellow clay that stretched into massive, solid oil jars, Biot has, in recent generations, made a name for itself as a glass-art town.

Despite the new commercialism, traces of old Provence remain in Biot, especially in the evening after the busloads of shoppers leave and the deep-shaded squares under the plane trees fall quiet. Then you can meander around the edges of the Old Town to find the stone arch gates known as the Porte des Tines and the Porte des Migraniers: they’re the last of the 16th-century fortifications that once enclosed Biot. Step into the 15th-century église, which contains an early-16th-century altarpiece attributed to Louis Bréa and depicting the Virgin Mary shielding humanity under her cloak; the surrounding portraits are as warmly detailed as the faces and hands in the central panel. Truly Nikon-worthy is centuries-old Place des Arcades, the ancient heart of the Old Town which was first colonized by the Knights Templar and then the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. Found between the tourist office and the church, just behind Rue Barri, it has an otherworldly grace, with its Gothic arcades and tall palm trees. Picturesquely curved and shop-lined, the center of town remains Rue Saint Sébastien.

Unfortunately, Biot was heavily affected by the violent storms that swept across the French Riviera on October 3, 2015, as a result of which both La Verrerie de Biot and Marineland suffered 90% damage. At the time of publication, both of these sites were closed due to massive flooding.

Getting Here and Around

The Biot train station on the coast is 4 km (5 miles) away, but you can jump on Envibus No. 10 from outside the station and arrive in the village in less than 10 minutes (€1). Alternatively, you can telephone IciLa d’Envibus (04–92–19–76–33) and organize an individual pick-up by minibus—still costing only €1. It’s available 6:30 am–7 pm on weekdays and 9–noon and 2–5:30 on Saturday within specified zones, which include Cap d’Antibes, Biot, St-Paul-de-Vence, and Valbonne. By car, coming up from the D6007, take the CD4 past Marineland and you’ll find signposting straight to Biot.

Visitor Information

Biot Tourist Office. | 4 chemin Neuf | 04–93–65–78–00 | www.biot-tourisme.com.

Exploring

La Verrerie de Biot (Biot Glassworks).
On the edge of town, follow the pink signs to La Verrerie de Biot, which has developed into something of a cult industry since its founding in the 1950s. Here you can observe the glassblowers at work, visit the extensive galleries of museum-quality glass art (which is of much better quality than the kitsch you find in the village shop windows), and start a collection of bubbled-glass goblets, cruets, or pitchers, just as Jackie Kennedy did when the rage first caught hold (she liked cobalt blue). Despite the extreme commercialism—there is a souvenir shop, a boutique of home items, audio tours of the glassworks, a bar, and a restaurant—it’s a one-of-a-kind artisanal industry, and the product is made before your eyes. | 5 chemin des Combes | 04–93–65–03–00 | www.verreriebiot.com | €3, guided visit €6 | May–Sept., Mon.–Sat. 9:30–8, Sun. 10:30–1:30 and 2:30–7:30; Oct.–Apr., Mon.–Sat. 9:30–6, Sun. 10:30–1:30 and 2:30–6. May still be closed due to floods of Oct. 2015.

Marineland (Espace Marineland).
Marketed under the umbrella title of Espace Marineland, this extremely commercial amusement complex a short distance from Antibes and Biot provides parents with bargaining leverage for a day of Picasso and pottery shopping. There’s a small Marineland, with lively scripted dolphin shows, dancing killer whales, and a Plexiglass walk-through aquarium, where sharks swim over your head. Animal lovers may wish to avoid this circus and head instead to the surprisingly deep and fascinating collection of old sea paraphernalia in its naval museum. Kid’s Island, Adventure Golf, and Aquasplash are also on nearby grounds. The 95-room, three-star Marineland Hotel Resort, with a swimming pool and Red D’Hippo restaurant opened on the grounds in April 2015 at a cost of €12 million. | 309 rue Mozart, | Antibes | From Antibles, take the N7 (Departmentale 6007) north, then head left at La Brague onto the D4, toward Biot | 04–93–33–49–49 | www.marineland.fr | €39. Joint tickets available for Kid’s Island and Adventure Golf | July and Aug., daily 10 am–11 pm; mid-Apr.–June and Sept., daily 10–7; Oct.–mid-Apr., daily 10–6. May still be closed due to floods of Oct. 2015.

Villeneuve-Loubet

10 km (6 miles) north of Antibes.

This tiny village, its medieval château heavily restored in the 19th century, is best known for its sprawl of overbuilt beachfront, heavily charged with concrete high-rises and with all the architectural charm of a parking ramp. However, if you’re a foodie, you may want to make the pilgrimage to the eccentric Musée de l’Art Culinaire.

Exploring

Musée de l’Art Culinaire (Museum of Culinary Arts).
This is a shrine to the career of the great chef Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935). The epitome of 19th-century culinary extravagance and revered by the French as much as Joan of Arc and De Gaulle, Escoffier was the founding father of the school of haute cuisine Calvin Trillin calls “stuff-stuff-with-heavy,” where ingredients are stripped, simmered, stuffed, sauced, and generally intervened with, sometimes beyond recognition. His was the school of food as sculpture—the famous pièces montées, wedding-cake spires of spun sugar, and the world of menus of staggering length and complexity. He wowed ‘em at the Ritz in Paris and the Savoy and Carlton in London and is a point of reference for every modern chef—if only as a foil for rebellion. In his birthplace you’ll view illustrations of his creations and a collection of fantastical menus, including one featuring the meat of zoo animals killed in the war of 1870. | 3 rue Escoffier, | Villeneuve-Loubet | 04–93–20–80–51 | www.fondation-escoffier.org | €5 | July and Aug., Tues. and Thurs.–Sun. 2–7, Mon. and Wed. 10–7; Sept.–June, daily 2–6.

Haut-de-Cagnes

14 km (9 miles) southwest of Nice; 10 km (6 miles) north of Antibes.

Could this be the most beautiful village in southern France? Part-time residents Renoir, Soutine, Modigliani, and Simone de Beauvoir are a few who thought so. Although from the N7 you may be tempted to give wide berth to the seaside town of Cagnes-sur-Mer—with its congested sprawl of freeway overpasses, numerous tourist-oriented stores, beachfront pizzerias, and the train station—follow the brown signs inland for the “Bourg Médiéval” and the steep road will lead you up into one of the most heavenly perched villages on the Riviera. Even Alice, of Wonderland fame, would adore this steeply cobbled Old Town, honeycombed as it is with tiny piazzas, return-to-your-starting-point-twice alleys, and winding streets that abruptly change to stairways. Many of the pretty residences are dollhouse-size (especially the hobbit houses on Rue Passebon) and most date to the 14th and 15th centuries.

Getting Here and Around

Frequent daily trains from Nice or Cannes stop at Cagnes-sur-Mer (get off at Cros-de-Cagnes if you’re heading to the beach) from where you take a navette to Haut-de-Cagnes. Bus No. 44 runs thoughout the day seven days a week. The Lignes d’Azur Bus No. 200 (€1.50) also stops in Cagnes-sur Mer (which has several beachfront cafés, like Art Beach, open year-round).

By car from Paris or Provence on the A8 highway take Exit 47 (Villeneuve–Loubet/Cagnes-sur-Mer); if coming from the east (Monaco, Nice), look for Exit 48 (Cagnes-sur-Mer).

Visitor Information

Cagnes-sur-Mer Tourist Office. | 6 bd. Maréchal Juin, | Cagnes-sur-Mer | 04–93–20–61–64 | www.cagnes-tourisme.com.

Exploring

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Protection.
Nearly hidden in the hillside and entered by an obscure side door, the grand Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Protection, with its Italianate bell tower, was first built in the 14th century after the fortress had been destroyed; as a hedge against further invasion, they placed this plea for Mary’s protection at the village edge. In 1936 the curé (priest) discovered traces of fresco under the bubbling plaster; a full stripping revealed every inch of the apse to have been decorated in scenes of the life of the Virgin and Jesus, roughly executed late in the 16th century. From the chapel’s porch are sweeping sea views. Even if it’s closed when you stop by, be sure to note the trompe-l’oeil “shadows” delightfully painted on the bell tower portal. | Rue Hippolyte Guis, | Cagnes-sur-Mer | Weekends 2–5.

Château-Museé Grimaldi.
Crowning Haut-de-Cagnes is the fat, crenellated Château-Museé. Built in 1310 by the Grimaldis and reinforced over the centuries, this imposing fortress lords over the coastline, banners flying from its square watchtower. You are welcomed inside by a grand balustraded stairway and triangular Renaissance courtyard with a triple row of classical arcades infinitely more graceful than the exterior. Filling nearly the entire courtyard is a mammoth, 200-year-old pepper tree—a spectacular sight. Beyond lie vaulted medieval chambers, a vast Renaissance fireplace, and a splendid 17th-century trompe-l’oeil fresco of the fall of Phaëthon from his sun chariot. The château also contains three highly specialized museums: the Musée de l’Olivier (Olive Tree Museum), an introduction to the history and cultivation of this Provençal mainstay; the obscure and eccentric Collection Suzy-Solidor, a group of portraits of the cabaret chanteuse painted by her artist friends, including Cocteau and Dufy; and the Musée d’Art Moderne Méditerranéen (Mediterranean Museum of Modern Art), which contains paintings by some of the 20th-century devotees of the Côte d’Azur, including Chagall, Cocteau, and Dufy. If you’ve climbed this far, continue to the tower and look over the coastline views in the same way that the guards once watched for Saracens. | Pl. du Château, Haut de Cagnes | 04–92–02–47–30 | €4 (free 1st Sun. of month), €8 combined ticket with Renoir Museum | July and Aug., daily 10–1 and 2–6; Apr.–June and Sept., Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–6; Oct.–Mar., Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–5.

Musée Renoir.
After staying up and down the coast, Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) settled into a house in Les Collettes, just east of the Vieille Ville, which is now the Musée Renoir. He passed the last 12 years of his life here, painting the landscape around him, working in bronze, and rolling his wheelchair through the luxuriant garden tiered with roses, citrus groves, and spectacular olive trees. You can view this sweet and melancholic villa as it has been preserved by Renoir’s children, and admire 11 of his last paintings. In 2013, after an 18-month renovation, the museum opened the kitchen and rooms by the garden, which include a set of 17 plaster sculptures donated by the Renoir and Guion families, as well as two additional original paintings. Although up a steep hill, Les Collettes is walkable from Place du Général-du-Gaulle in central Cagnes-Ville. | Chemin des Collettes, | Cagnes-sur-Mer | 04–93–20–61–07 | €6 (free 1st Sun. of month), €8 combined ticket with Château-Musée Grimaldi | June–Sept., daily 10–1 and 2–6; Apr. and May, Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–6; Oct.–Mar., Wed.–Mon. 10–noon and 2–5.

Where to Stay

Fodor’s Choice | Château Le Cagnard.
$$$$ | HOTEL | There is no better way to experience Old Haut-de-Cagnes’s grand castle views than to stay in this acclaimed 13th-century manor, now completely renovated and affiliated with Small Luxury Hotels, perched on the ramparts of the Grimaldi fortress. No detail was unturned to complete the storybook allure. Rooms, named after artists connected to the village, are gorgeously Provençal and look out over the Old Town and on to the sea. (The rooms also have bathrooms so luxe you’ll want to take them home with you!) If you’re arriving at the town square by shuttle bus, the hotel’s voiturier will be sent to pick up your luggage. Pros: free shuttle bus to Cagnes-sur-Mer; high-quality linens; gorgeous setting. Cons: not much to do in village; service has a few glitches; village parking expensive. | Rooms from: €230 | 54 rue Sous Barri, | Cagnes-sur-Mer | 04–93–20–73–21 | www.lecagnard.com | Closed Nov.–mid-Dec. | 14 rooms, 14 suites | No meals.

Le Grimaldi.
$$ | HOTEL | More of a bed-and-breakfast, this little hotel is smack in the middle of the Haut-de-Cagnes’ liveliest square, complete with picture-perfect pétanque games. Owners Christine, Daniel, and Damien speak English, French, German, and Italian. Guest rooms have been updated with a mix of contemporary and French country antique style, with windows looking onto the square and the hills beyond Cagnes. Set in a fetching weathered stone house, the Grimaldi also houses one of the upper town’s best restaurants, the downside of which can be noise if your room faces the square. Pros: attentive owners speak four languages, including English; great views from the rooms. Cons: steep stairs in hotel; parking difficult. | Rooms from: €140 | 6 pl. du Château, | Cagnes-sur-Mer | 04–93–20–60–24 | www.hotelgrimaldi.com | 4 rooms, 1 suite | Breakfast.

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