Sea view and pool in Tourrettes-sur-Loup

Antibes was founded by the Greeks under the name Antipolis ”the town across from” which means across from another Greek town, Nikaia, - today’s Nice. Unfortunately there’s nothing remaining from that early period, apart from a few objects that can be found at the town museum. With the arrival of the Romans, a very important town was established...

Auribeau-sur-Siagne is a typical, medieval village with narrow streets and old stone houses. There is an abundance of flowers in all colours and their perfumes fill the air. Apart from a walk in the old town, it is recommended to go down to the river on the south west side of the village, but note that the climb up can be pretty tough. A nicely...

Biot is a very popular medieval village which actually dates back to 154 B.C. Biot is also an ancient “Knights of the Temple” domain and you still find old fortifications like Porte des Migraniers from 1566. Despite the fact that Biot is often overrun by tourists in the high season, it keeps its natural charm with its medieval gates, vaulted...

Below is the charming old town with its narrow, winding streets and vaulted passages between tall medieval buildings. The town also offers an old town hall, a clock tower and a beautiful chapel, the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs. Here are a few small shops, restaurants, and cafes. Over the years, Cabris has attracted several artists, including...

The fortified Haut-de-Cagnes lies at the top of a small mountain. The town is broken up by steep, winding streets, stairways and lots of small, idyllic squares. Haut-de-Cagnes is most interesting because of the old Grimaldi castle from the 14th century. In the square in front of the palace there are several cafés and night clubs and it can be...

Cannes has, actually, only a few sights. Primarily there is, of course, the exceptionally well known La Croisette with its palm trees, expensive restaurants and designer shops, and the very famous hotel Carlton, which has been frequented by a far larger number of celebrities and royalties than any other hotel in Europe. Then, there is the...

Every summer the beach attracts many tourists from the nearby hotels and holiday resorts. All along the seafront there are small beach kiosks and a few restaurants where you can have a bite to eat while enjoying the beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Cannes. There are also car parks all along the seafront. La Bocca is a...

Carros is distinguished by being completely unspoilt by tourists and very well maintained. It has been named one of the area's most beautiful villages and it is certainly not without reason. Carros has managed to preserve its Provencal authenticity with its many flowery streets, steep, cobbled stairwells, shady squares, and old stone houses....

Eze is without any doubt one of the most picturesque spots on the Côte d’Azur, and for this reason you must be prepared not to be the only one climbing up to this fabulous mountain village. Crowds are the price to pay for this experience, if you are not in the fortunate position of being able to come out of season. At the summit of the village...

Gattières is an old village with charming medieval streets, small flowery squares and beautiful old fountains. There are old vaulted houses, full of charm and neatly restored facades and gates from the 18th century. One can also find local arts and crafts: silk painting, sculptures, joinery and wrought iron. Gattières is surrounded by a big...

The town is a little charming, and typically southern, French coast town with food shops as well as good and cheap restaurants – open all year round. In Golfe-Juan one can also find a quite new, big and very well frequented marina with lots of restaurants and cafés. There is a big open air theatre with plays and music - both classical and jazz...

Grasse does not give the feel of a pure tourist town. It is not the souvenir shops that dominate in Grasse. The old city, vielle ville, is big, old and utterly interesting. The streets still appear as in the Middle Ages – narrow passages and stairways, narrow, dark tunnels where the sun never breaks through. If you live in Grasse or near Grasse...

The beach in Juan-les-Pins is narrow but very pleasant. There are lots of shops, restaurants, nightclubs and a casino. The town is seething with excitement in the summer and especially at night time, mostly for young people. It is most lively around the casino, which dates from1908, Palais des Congrés, and the pine grove, Pinedès, which leads...

Château de Marquis de la Gaude, which earlier was a ruin, is now completely restored. This impressive building dominates the whole village but unfortunately it is not possible to get inside as the château is privately owned. Take a walk in the town’s narrow streets and you will discover its beautifully restored pretty facades. La Gaude is a very...

Le Rouret is surrounded by olive groves, pines and cypresses, a real Provencal village, which has retained part of its old stone houses. The village has a square, lined with plane trees, where there is also a church with a free standing bell tower, a fountain from 1851 and a fine little chapel, now transformed into a dancing hall. Le Rouret is a...

This village surprises you with its charm, its beautiful well-restored houses and impressive gates, and its abundance of flowers everywhere – here lots of care has been given to every detail. Mougins has, actually, seduced numerous painters, artists and other celebrities including Picasso (who spend the last 15 years of his life here), Cocteau...

Nice has for centuries been a favourite holiday resort and the city has attracted kings and princes from all over the world, a fact, testified to by the city’s many luxury hotels. In the beginning of the 19th century ”an English colony” flourished, English aristocrats flocked to the coast and ”colonised”, so to speak, most of the coast. It was...

Originally, Roquefort-les-Pins was a fort and thereafter a fief. Roquefort-les-Pins is not a real town, more a conglomeration of small villages separated by beautiful vegetation and pine forests. There are no real attractions in Roquefort-les-Pins, but the quality of life, on the contrary, is superb in this Mediterranean area which offers all...

Baou de St. Jeannet looks incredibly steep and unapproachable, but it is actually possible to climb it. From its top there are great views of the French and Italian Alps. The enormous cliff massif has attracted a great number of artists including Renoir, Poussins, Fragonard and Chagall. St-Jeannet lies on a natural terrace, from where there are...

St-Paul-de-Vence is said to be France’s most visited tourist attraction after Mont St.-Michel. St-Paul-de-Vence is one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages in the area. It is also one of the medieval villages, most intact. Everything is so well kept. Nothing falls into decay. It is overwhelming. St-Paul-de-Vence is enclosed by town...

Théoule-sur-Mer has several attractions. There is, for instance, a former soap factory which is now transformed into a castle and an entire quarter of bowl-shaped luxury villas, designed by the Hungarian architect Antti Lovag. These villas consist of a system of mutually combined bowls with cylindrical corridors, oval door openings, doors of...

It is not a coincidence that Tourrettes-sur-Loup is called ”the violet village”. For centuries this flower has been grown and even today it is one of the main activities in the village. The violet is honoured each year in March with a big flower festival. If you arrive by car, the best thing is to park outside the village; inside it is almost...

The old part of the town has retained its medieval character, but is also very lively. In contrast to most of the other villages in the hinterland of the coast, the streets are laid in symmetrical rectangles, according to Roman traditions and plans drawn by the monks of the Lérins islands. Valbonne is enclosed by fortified houses. There are four...

Vence is a picturesque old cathedral town, set on a hilltop at 400 metres altitude. It is well protected to the north by 1000 meter high mountains. Five gates lead into Vence’s medieval quarter. The oldest and most impressive is Porte de Peyra, from the 14th century. Having passed through this you will arrive at Place du Peyra, the town’s most...

As well as being one of the bases for the French Mediterranean fleet, Villefranche's deep bay makes it a popular destination for cruise ships. The large cruise ships dock here for 24 hours and take their guests by bus to Nice, Cannes or Monaco. Many of the cruise ship guests stay overnight in Villefranche, but fortunately this hasn't spoilt the...

Villeneuve-Loubet is especially well-known for being the chef Auguste Escoffier’s (1847-1936) native town. Auguste Escoffier was chef at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo and at the Savoy in London, and it was he who created the Bombe Néro and the Pêche Melba. He has his own museum in Villeneuve-Loubet with exhibits of 5000 menu cards from big...

Additionally, Mandelieu-la-Napoule is a fantastic starting point for walking and hiking tours into the Esterel Mountains, Gorges du Verdon and, of course, to the southern Alps. Mandelieu-la-Napoule has one of France’s oldest golf courses, Cannes-Mandelieu Old Course, a very interesting golf course with a nice and original club house - and also...