Our Summer Vacation in Europe (Part 3): Antibes, France

This final leg of our Europe trip last summer may be the part I’m most excited to share here (don’t let the long delay in posting fool ya).  Antibes, a charming town on the French Riviera, was the perfect destination to unwind for few days after our fun, but bustling time in two big cities, Barcelona and Paris.

Antibes probably isn’t a standout on the travel radar for many; in fact, we hadn’t heard of it before planning this trip.  But we learned about it as we were researching towns on the Côte d’Azur,  where we had decided to spend the last few days of our European vacation.  Levi and I had been to Nice many years before and remembered it being enjoyable, but very busy, and we wanted a more relaxed destination to wind down our trip.  After watching many YouTube videos about different towns on the French Riviera, we narrowed it down to a few, and decided on Antibes after we found a great Airbnb there.

So, without further delay, here is a recap of our time there…

 

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

We took a train from Paris to Antibes, a scenic five-hour ride that went by very quickly.  We left in the morning and were in the South of France by early afternoon.  We walked about 10 minutes from the train station to our Airbnb, since it was a lovely day, and a fairly short distance.  (Taxis were available if we had needed one.)  After we were settled in, Levi picked up our rental car  from SixT which was literally down the street from our apartment.  While we didn’t need a car to explore the Old Town of Antibes, we wanted a car to get to other towns and areas in Antibes a little further away.  Buses are available, but we prefer to be on our own schedule and have the flexibility to stop where and when we want.

As for getting around the main parts of Antibes, we walked everywhere.  Not only is the Old Town area and immediate surrounds fairly compact, it’s all stunning!  Plus, it was fun to explore the maze of streets within the city walls and see what we might stumble upon.  It always felt very safe, though, of course, it’s always a good idea to be alert late at night, or if you’re alone.

 

WHERE WE STAYED  

Part of the reason we decided on Antibes was the lovely Airbnb we found.  The space was great for us — two bedrooms, with a king bed in one, two twins in the other —  and a nice, spacious living/dining room area, plus other amenities we wanted like AC and washer/dryer.  The best part was its location in a building practically just steps to the Mediterranean and a short, picturesque walk to the Old Town full of shops and restaurants, two beaches, and many interesting sights. It was also an easy drive to other towns we visited (Nice and Èze) and to other areas of Antibes.

 

WHAT WE DID

Old Town Exploration

The old town of Antibes is like the old areas of many European cities with narrow streets and walkways that seem to wind around like a maze, all encompassed by old walls that date back to the 16th century. An open air market with vendors selling fresh fruit and veggies, seafood and meat, and freshly prepared food stretches underneath a pavilion at one end.  Shops and cafes line the lanes, and it’s fun to pop in and browse everything from clothes to housewares to art to artisan foods to souvenirs.  There are also many residential streets with vines and flowers growing up walls and spilling out of planters.   A couple of large squares are within the Old Town, and many restaurants have tables set up for outdoor dining.  It all has a lively but laid back vacation vibe, but also offers a glimpse into everyday life there.

 

Beaches

When you’re vacationing on the Mediterranean coast, beach time is pretty much a given, and something we sought out to wind down our trip. There are many great public spots to beach (yes, using it as a verb ala Barbie), and we enjoyed three of them during our stay. Plage du Ponteil, a long, narrow stretch right off the promenade, was just a couple minutes’ walk from our Airbnb. We went there for a quick dip in the sea a couple of times because it was close, but preferred other spots.

Plage de la Gravette, a beautiful crescent of beach located right outside the walls of the Old Town, was about a 10-minute walk from our apartment. While it also drew a lot of beach-goers, the sand area was wider, and felt like more space to spread out. It was nice to hang out there, go for a swim, then pop into town. Not to mention, it was such a pretty area.

Our favorite beach was Plage de la Garoupe located on the Cap d’Antibes about a 10-minute drive from our place. It’s a bit more tucked away, and while it was crowded, the vibe was fun, plus the white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water, and stunning views made it a very picturesque spot. A couple of restaurants were located right there to enjoy a meal and the scene together.

 

Day Trip to Nice & Èze

There are many lovely towns within driving distance along the Côte d’Azur, and we would have loved to visit them all if we’d had more time. We really wanted to see Èze, a medieval village that sits atop high hills overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice is on the way there, about 30 minutes from Antibes, so we made a day trip of visiting both places by car. The train and bus are also transportation options, but we wanted to be on our own schedule.  We had lunch in Nice then walked through the Old Town and and around Place Masséna. It’s much bigger and busier than Antibes, which made me really happy we’d chosen to stay in a smaller, more laid-back area.

 

Èze, about a 20-minute drive from Nice, was just as extraordinary as we’d heard. Most of the town is built into a hillside and walking paths wind through centuries-old stone buildings, with shops, cafes, and galleries on the way to the top, where Jardin Exotique d’Èze awaits. This beautiful garden created after World War II is a botanical jewel. It’s full of succulents and a variety of Mediterranean flora, all of it artfully designed with elements like sculptures and fountains integrated into the landscape.  And then there are the views of the French Riviera, which are nothing short of spectacular.

 

Cap d’Antibes Hike: Le Sentier du Littoral (The Tire-poil)

This 3-mile(ish) hike along the Cap d’Antibes peninsula was one of the highlights of this trip — and I mean our whole time in Europe last summer. One morning, Levi and I woke early to walk the gorgeous stretch of coastline with limestone cliffs, rocky coves, and lush Mediterranean vegetation. An easily navigable trail extends along the seaside, starting at Plage de la Garoupe (the beach mentioned above). The whole hike took about two hours, which included stops to swim in the sea (which you can do in several areas) and enjoy the stunning views from lookouts.  It ends at Billionaires Bay, a magnificent cove of water in multiple shades of sparkling blue with a small white sand beach all encompassed by rocky cliffs. Luxury villas decorate the surrounding landscape, but the name comes from the fancy yachts that frequent the area. It’s open to the public, and we saw a few people hanging out and swimming, but we just took in the scene of nature’s eye-candy before wapping up our hike.

 

Picasso Museum 

All three cities we visited on our Euro trip — Barcelona, Paris, and Antibes — have their own Picasso museums, each place significant in the artist’s life. I had already been to the larger, more well-known ones on previous trips, so I saved a viewing of Pablo’s works for Antibes. The Picasso Museum there is located within what was the Grimaldi Castle in the 14th century, and was at one time his art studio before it became a museum in 1966. More than 200 works by Picasso are on view along with exhibitions of other artists connected to him. The museum’s location has to be noted, too — right on the edge of the Old Town overlooking the sea, you can’t beat it, especially the terrace where some of Picasso’s sculptures are displayed.

 

Night Market

In the evenings in July and August, there is a great night market right outside of the Old Town next to the marina. Lots of stalls with everything from jewelry and other wearable accessories to art and crafts to tableware to foods to souvenirs are fun to browse, and it’s a fantastic, lively vibe.

 

TIPS & INSIGHTS

* Antibes would be an especially good destination with young children. Not only is it fairly small and walkable with a stroller, I saw several playgrounds there, including one with incredible Mediterranean views.

* While we didn’t go, there is an amusement park in Antibes in July and August. We could see the carousel from the night market, and reading up on it, it sounds like there are rides and activties for all ages.

* There are many more nearby towns to explore on a day trip or even overnight if you have time to stay in more than one place. If we’d had more time, we would have loved to visit Villefranche-sur-Mer, Menton, Cannes, Monaco, Saint-Tropez, and Cassis. (These were also some of the places we considered staying in.)

* There is some fantastic public art to see just walking down the promenade. “Air” sculptures by Nicolas Lavarenne are such a delight, and Nomade, a giant white sculpture made up of stainless steel letters of the alphabet of a seated man looking out at the sea. So cool!

* We happened to be there during the Euro Cup when France was in the semi-final, and it was exciting to watch the soccer match at a restaurant in the big square with lots of other fútbol fans. (Though, unfortunately, they didn’t win.) If there’s any kind of big sports event going on during travels there, seek out a public spot to watch it. And be aware that restaurants and cafes showing them on TV will fill up fast with patrons, so go early or make reservations!

* Bring appropriate shoes for the Cap d’Antibes hike. The trail isn’t crazy strenuous (no big hills), but some parts are rocky and rugged.

* Pack both casual clothes and some dressier things. It’s fun to get “vacation” dressy, and I noticed a lot of other travelers dolled up for dinner and even day trips, probably for good Instagram pics, but also just to enjoy the vacay vibe.

 

MORE SCENES FROM ANTIBES

This slideshow requires JavaScript.