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The Little French Town You Need To Visit

Antibes is a Gem on the Côte d'Azur

With European countries reopening to American tourists, it’s time to unearth your passport and dust off your travel bucket list. Chances are you have a few big cities on the list - maybe London, Paris, or Rome. Should you make it to Europe this year or next, pencil in Antibes, a tiny must-see town on the glorious Côte d’Azur.

Tucked between Nice and Cannes is Antibes, an ancient port town on the French Riviera that’s home to a Picasso Museum, a bountiful Provençal market,  charming cafes, and Billionaires Bay, a Mediterranean playground for everyone to enjoy. 

Antibes has a handful of things going for it, the first of which is its proximity to everything else on the central Mediterranean coastline. By train, Nice is a 15-minute ride east, and Monte-Carlo, Monaco, the small city-state where the rich go to play, is only another 20 minutes. Westward, Cannes is a ten-minute train ride, and, if you time it perfectly, you can enjoy an afternoon of star-gazing at the annual film festival.

 If you crave the mountains, the French Alps are an hour’s drive north. With Antibes as a hub, there are endless options for day trips.

Lest you think Antibes is a drive-through town, it has plenty to see and do on its own. Stroll down its cobblestone streets, pop in a few shops,  and enjoy a long, slow lunch with a glass of wine. With more than 20 beaches to explore, and nearly year-round sunshine, there is always a spot to sit or splash or take in the view. 

One of the must-see places in Antibes is Cap D’Antibes, and the Anse de l’Argent Faux, Billionaires Bay (Baie des Milliardaires d'Antibes). Follow Avenue Mrs. Beaumont to the entrance to Villa Eilenroc, and a map will direct your way on the Tirepoil footpath. Don’t let the fancy houses deter you: Visitors are welcome to freely enjoy the water and coastal paths, which lead to a staircase and jumping off point into the clear blue sea. Pack a lunch and plan to stay a while. 

Antibes is rich with history, its origins dating back to the Phoniecians and the Iron Age and serving as a coastal stronghold throughout the Middle Ages. It’s been a place where artists, writers, and musicians visit for inspiration - some deciding to stay and live. Today, Antibes is both for locals and tourists, those with and without yachts. It’s for sun seekers, art lovers, and foodies, for singles, couples, and families. 

Antibes is the kind of town one stumbles upon when going somewhere else, but it deserves a stop on its own, whether long or short, when visiting the French Riviera. 

For visitor information, visit AntibesJuanLesPins.com/en


 

Fast Facts:

  1. Getting there: The closest airport is in Nice, which offers a 30-minute drive to Antibes, but you could also fly into Milan, about 4.5 hours away, and enjoy the Italian countryside and coastline on the way to France. 

  2. Port Vauban is the largest European marina (in tonnage) with more than 1600 berths for yachts and superyachts. The main train station in Antibes stops across the street from Port Vauban, perfect for an afternoon stroll to la Plage de la Gravette, one of the bigger public beaches. Marina-Port-Vauban.com.

  3. Le Championnet is a true Mediterranean restaurant (a little French, a little Italian, plenty of wine) located at 33 Cours Masséna inside the Marche Provencal. Enjoy pizzas, pastas, and an array of seafood dishes to satisfy every appetite - including kids! 

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