A travel guide to Antibes, France

Antibes is just across the Baie des Anges from Nice but is much smaller and more intimate than the Riviera megapolis. The municipality includes Antibes, the toney Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins. The port of Antibes is a favorite of yachties and the town is a favourite of British expats. You'll find plenty of shops and services catering to British tastes in Antibes town. Cap d'Antibes is a wooded peninsula on a calm bay with sandy beaches. Juan-les-Pins is where the nightlife is.

What to See

After admiring the mega-yachts in Antibes port, head to the covered Provencal Market on the Cours Massena, the bustling heart of Old Antibes. It's dominated by the 12th-century Chateau Grimaldi which once served as Picasso's studio and now houses the prestigious Picasso Museum. Check out the "Free Commune of Safranier", a sort of village-within-a-village, determined to safeguard its history. The modest village houses and flowery streets contrast starkly with the high-end splendour of the Cap d'Antibes where the mega-rich have mega-villas or stay in the mega-expensive Hotel du Cap Eden Roc.

Beaches

Antibes is graced with many kilometres of sandy beaches from Plage de la Gravette near the Old town to the beaches of Cap d'Antibes. Between are the idyllic public beaches of Plage de Ponteil and Plage de la Salis. More on Antibes beaches.

Accommodation in Antibes

Antibes has a full complement of hotels at all price levels although there's a wider selection in Juan-les-Pins. Did you ever want to stay on a yacht and sail the Riviera? Who doesn't? At the new Yacht Caramia you can stay aboard a five-star yacht and visit the storied beaches of the French Riviera.

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History of Antibes

Greeks from Marseilles were the first people to settle Antibes, arriving in the 4th century BC. They called it Antipolis. They were eventually supplanted by the Romans and then by the powerful Grimaldis of Monaco who ruled Antibes from 1384 to 1608. With the turbulence of the Middle Ages, Antibes found itself on the border of France and Savoy. This vulnerability prompted fortifications to be constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were torn down in 1894.

Transportation in Antibes

The centre of Old Antibes is pedestrian only but there is an efficient network of buses to whisk you to outlying neighbourhoods such as Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les Pins, plus to nearby towns such as Villeneuve-Loubet and Biot. The local bus company is Envibus and the cost of a ticket is €1.50.