Antibes
Shopping & Culture
The heart of Antibes is its market, the Petit Marché Provencale, that takes place every day except Monday. The selection of meat, fish, cheese and vegetables on sale is second to none! Both sides of the market are lined with restaurants and bars that are extremely busy both day and night.
Another good place to food shop is the Rue Sade, a narrow pedestrians street that runs between the market and Place Nationale. An Antique Market is held every Saturday here.
Just behind the market, Antibes cathedral is the setting for many outdoor concerts during the summer months.
Beaches
The nearby Plage de la Gravette is a wonderful spot for a swim but it's very small, so it's a good idea to get there early in the morning. West of the old town and just before the start of the Cap d'Antibes, a long sandy beach called La Salis provides a glorious view back towards the old town and the bay of Nice!
Dining Out
Brasserie Square Sud in Place de Gaulle is always good for lunch outside in the sun where the fountains in the square are playing.
Brassiere Kanter on Boulevard Albert 1er, on the main street to the seafront, is has a nice atmosphere for dinner and allows you to choose your dessert before your main course! as they are on display as you enter the restaurant. Closed Sundays.
Hotel Belles Rives in Juan les pins: is a Deco Hotel, a treat for Dinner or that special occasion, Nouvelle/classical french cuisine, fantastic service and outside terrace in warmer months overlooking the bay of Golfe Juan.
Ilette bakery/tea room on the seafront opposite the roundabout has delicious pastries and bread of course!
There are plenty of "al fresco" lunchtime informal restaurants and snack bars in the old town.
Cap d'Antibes
The Cap d'Antibes remains one of the most exclusive places to live in the world. Dotted amongst the pines are some of the most luxurious villas and hotels anywhere to be found, a good number are Deco hotel Belles Rives and Provencal, to name but two.
Also along the Cap is the Hotel Du Cap, which was the setting for F Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night" and is where the likes of George Clooney stay during the Cannes Film Festival.
The Plage de la Garoupe is one of the prettiest beaches anywhere on the coast and is incredibly peaceful, even in July or August. Choose from one of the ten or so beach clubs all of which have their own restaurants overlooking the sea. A rugged path known as Le Chemin des Contrebandiers ( Smugglers Way ) runs right round the cap from La Garoupe to Hotel du Cap. It is often closed in the winter due to rough seas but is an extremely pleasant walk in the summer.
For a completely different view of the cap, visit the La Garoupe lighthouse. Walk up the stairs to the top, place a donation in the basket and one is rewarded with extraordinary views in all directions. The interior of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Port next to the lighthouse looks more like an antiques shop than a chapel. It is full of paintings and various mementoes left here by people in memory of loved ones. Large areas of the cap are owned by France's National Institute of Agronomy and much of the land is used for the study and growing of rare plants. Their largest research centre called the jardin Thuret is open to the public and contains over three thousand exotic plants. It is here that Eucalyptus was introduced to France.
Juan-les-Pins
Juan Les Pins developed as a resort in 1920's with the construction of a casino. It is said that sunbathing began in Juan Les Pins and the beaches that lured people here in the 20's are still fabulous. The clean sandy beaches run over two miles from the base of Cap d'Antibes to Golfe Juan. Some parts of the beach are private but there are long stretches that are public.
Entertainment
In July and August, Juan Les Pins is alive 24 hours a day with its numerous night-clubs and live music venues and this is the ideal base for those that want beach all day and dance the night away. Juan Les Pins is also the setting for the "Jazz a Juan", a World famous Jazz Festival that takes place every July.
