Antibes

This beautiful seaside town is extremely popular with both French and international visitors. Antibes boasts one on the best markets on the Côte d’Azur as well as plenty of fine restaurants, shopping venues, beautiful beaches and art vistas.

Antibes’ Mediterranean waterfront is what makes it so popular with the tourists. There are miles of golden sandy beaches where sunbathers flock in the summer. For those who love boats and sailing, visit the marina, where some of the world’s finest leisure yachts can be found throughout the season.

Antibes isn’t all beaches and shopping. The city is home to some very interesting cultural attractions. The 16^th century Grimaldi Castle (Château Grimaldi) holds the greatest collection of Picasso’s works in the world. Also on the grounds are sculptures by Germaine Richier, Miró, César and others. The Napoleon Naval Museum (Musée Naval et Napoléonien) has a multitude of information about Napoléon Bonaparte including naval models, paintings and mementos.

At the covered morning market on Cours Masséna, visitors will find a wide array of items for sale. On Friday and Sunday afternoons, the market houses a variety of crafts and when the market closes, café tables fill the area. Antibes also has numerous little streets to explore with lots of authentic shops, general stores and tourist gift shops.

Antibes is situated between Nice and Cannes, both of which can easily be reached by hire car. Nice, only 22kms away, offers Genoese, Provençal, medieval and baroque architecture among a host of winding streets and shops that are perfect for a day out. Cannes is one of the most popular destinations along the Côte d'Azur. This city is known for its annual film festival, but there are plenty of other attractions here to draw the crowds. Some of the better-known sites include the old town (Le Suquet) and the fortified 12^th century priory Chapel (Chapelle Ste-Anne).

There is an international airport in Nice, just 22kms east of Antibes that provides access to Antibes by hire car or bus. There are also train routes that run to Antibes, Nice and Cannes.