Places to Visit on the French Riviera: Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Menton and Monaco

The best way to visit the French Riviera is to take your time, because you can’t see everything. Simply do as the locals do: enjoy a glass of rosé in the sun, spend three hours at the table, stroll along the seafront and listen to the street musicians. Otherwise, you end up spending more time in your car than in the places you came to see.

Here are five of the best things to see and do on the Côte d’Azur, some of them unmissable. But if you return to the same café or the same beach several times a day, visit a market and a museum or two, and spend your evenings eating and drinking once you’ve had enough sun, your time will have been well spent.

Between its museums, its châteaux and its picturesque villages, the Côte d’Azur has preserved both its natural beauty and its traditions. It is a treat for the senses, and a byword for glamour.

The beaches of Saint-Tropez and Cannes

There are beautiful beaches all along the Côte d’Azur, but the most famous are in Saint-Tropez. Pampelonne beach was made famous by the 1956 film And God Created Woman, starring Brigitte Bardot. Choose one of its beach clubs, settle in and spend the day, as the champagne flows. Cannes also has fine sandy beaches along the Croisette.

Cannes and the Croisette

Cannes, home of the International Film Festival since 1946, is around an hour’s drive east of Saint-Tropez. A stroll along the famous Croisette is a must. Stay in one of the iconic hotels lining the Croisette, or in a small, discreet hotel a few kilometres away in Antibes. Dine by the sea, shop in the chic boutiques or the fine food shops, and try your luck in the casinos.

The Picasso Museum and the old town of Antibes

Many of the great 20th-century artists lived and worked on the Côte d’Azur. In Antibes, the Picasso Museum is housed in the Château Grimaldi, where Picasso worked in 1946. A visit is also the perfect opportunity to explore the old town, like stepping back into medieval France.

Nice: Castle Hill and its museums

Climb the steps to Castle Hill in Nice for the best view of the city. Then explore the Promenade des Anglais and visit the city’s museums, including the Musée Matisse, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Musée Chagall.

Menton and Monaco

Every February, Menton holds its Lemon Festival, with sculptures and floats made from the town’s famous golden fruit. Finally, Monte Carlo is the place to play at the casino in style. The Principality also has excellent restaurants, a beach and the Oceanographic Museum.