HOW TO SPEND THE DAY IN ANTIBES
Antibes is argueably one of the best places to visit on the French Riviera. It’s a great holiday destination with sandy beaches which are a rarity along the French Riviera and crystal clear blue waters.
There is a beautiful Old Town with it’s cobbled, narrow streets and lively markets enclosed in 16th century stone rampards. Antibes is pretty small and so if you’re up for a busy day you can see all the sights in one day. However, if you want to take things at a more leisurely pace Antibes is a great place to use as a base to explore other great places on the French Riviera such as Monaco, Nice or Cannes.
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Visit Fort Carre
Little history lesson here for you - Fort Carré was built in the 16th century as a means to protect Antibes and the rest of France from Nice, which was at that time its own country. It was used in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again and has a unique 4 pointed star shape. It’s probably most famous for imprisoning Napoleon during the French Revolution. The Fort is open everyday except Monday 2 - 5pm and admission is €3 for adults and €1.50 for children.
Stroll around Port Vauban
Along the French Riviera you get very used to seeing huge yachts and boats everywhere. The boats in Port Vauban tend to be a little smaller than some of the grand yachts in other places such as Monaco or Cannes but there’s still some pretty mighty luxury yachts on show and it’s a lovely little walk. It only takes 10 minutes or so and you can start at Fort Carre and wander south towards Gravette Beach.
Wander the maze-like narrow streets of Antibes Old Town
Antibes Old Town is charming. It has a different feel to many other parts of the French Riviera mainly due to it’s historic buildings and walled ramparts. I took a sunrise walk around Old Town and it was simply wonderful to see the place wake up and come to life. Market sellers readying their stores for the busy day ahead, the locals sitting outside cafes with a coffee and a pastry and people wandering back home after buying their baguettes from the local boulangerie.
If you’re not up for a sunrise walk go anytime of day. You’ll be fascinated by all the boutiques, cafes and galleries. If you’re after somewhere to eat you won’t be disappointed with many restaurants tucked away in all the narrow streets and there’s also a few large squares with restaurants with seats all outside.
Walk the Old Town Walls
The Old Town of Antibes is enclosed by the defensive, thick 16th century ramparts. You can climb up on them and follow them around the coast from Plage de la Gravette to Plage du Ponteil. You’ll have beautiful views out to sea on your left and the buildings of the Old Town on your right.
Learn about the history of Antibes at the Archaeological Museum
If history is you’re thing make sure you head inside the Musée Archéologique. Even if you’re not a history buff it’s still worth a hour or so of your time as it only costs €3 (€1 for children) and is pretty interesting, offering lots of information about the original Roman city that once stood there and artefacts that date back to as early as the 7th century. The museum itself is housed in a small fort building which is part of the Old Town Rampart.
Take in some art with a collection of Picassos paintings
Over the years Antibes has become popular with artists and this is clear by the amount of art galleries there are in the town. The museum itself was once Pablo Picassos home and work place back in 1946. The museum is open every day except Mondays and admission is €8 for adults and €6 for chidlren.
Hike the Cap d’Antibes
There is a stunning hiking trail on the Cap d’Antibes which follows the coast all around the penisula. You can start at the beaches in Antibes and simply follow the coast. You will arrive at a gate taking you out on to the trail with rocks that look like you’re on another planet and sea as blue as you’ve ever seen. There are quite a lot of uneven steps involved so please be careful out there and wear sensible footwear.
Relax at one of Antibes beaches
After a busy day make sure you relax at one of Antibes many beaches. Near the port is the small beach of Gravette which is sheltered by the town walls so is calm and shallow.
On the west side is Juan les Pins which has a few private beaches lined with chairs as well as some nice sandy public beaches which are great for families. There are many cafes and restaurantes lining the beach where you can catch a refreshment after your long day.
Watch our time in Antibes
COMING FRIDAY 28th 2023
