Antibes, French Riviera, France

Antibes is located on the Mediterranean Sea, between Cannes and Nice. This is one of the most famous resorts on the Cote d'Azur, where the bustling streets of the old town and the sunny beaches neighbour the area of peace which is the peninsula of Cap d'Antibes.

Antibes is especially impressive when it comes to the beautiful weather, where the clear air allows you to admire the old town, and in the background - very close, almost within reach - the Maritime Alps.

Parking in Antibes

You can park in Antibes in the Ponteil parking lot (P1; GPS: 43.573932, 7.124677), located near the beach (a fee of 3 € allows you to park until 8:00 AM next day). This allows you to quickly get to the center of old town using the Boulevard Marechal Leclerc and next the archeological museum walking Promenade Amiral de Grasse. A walk in the opposite direction - using Boulevard James Wyllie and Boulevard de Bacon - will lead you to the peninsula of Cap d'Antibes.

Port of Antibes, cathedral, Cours Massena

Antibes has one of the largest resort ports on the Cote d'Azur (A; GPS: 3.583748, 7.126737). After visiting it, you can get back on the Rue du Bateau to see the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de l'Immaculée Conception, and then the Picasso Museum (B; GPS: 43.581005, 7.128198). On the Cours Massena street you could often find a typical Provencal market in the morning (C; GPS: 43.580675, 7.127506), where you can buy local olives, olive oil, spices, and even truffles. Walking down the Rue Georges Clemencau street you can go to the Place Nationale (D; GPS 43.581203, 7.125809) where numerous restaurants are located. Walk down the Rue de La Republique street and you'll find yourself in the Antibes center - the square of General De Gaulle, where you could see an interesting fountain (E; GPS: 43.580473, 7.120758).

Fort-Carré

If you're really bored of the beach or it's just too crowded, head up to the Fort-Carré (F; GPS: 43.590263, 7.127235) for a great taste of the historical side of Antibes. This interesting place is located next to the harbor, which itself is quite close to the railway station. So if you are planning to visit the Fort-Carré, make sure you are ready to walk! However, you can at least drive to the harbor and park there (P2; GPS: 43.588685, 7.123740). The fort of Antibes has two main levels. First we visit the buildings located at the ground level (kitchen, chapel, utility rooms). This level can be simply visited without the guide while the second one - the ramparts - must be a guided walk. The visit is easy, pleasant and not too expensive - the price is 3€.

Cap d'Antibes. Jardin botanique Thuret

The peninsula of Cap d'Antibes is the neighbouring oasis of tranquility. There were built many magnificent villas among the wealth of plants. Visiting the peninsula should begin in its highest point, where the Sanctuaire de la Garoupe was built and one of the largest lighthouses in the Mediterranean is located. From here you can admire beautiful views of Antibes. Then, you can leave the car (P3; GPS: 43.563822, 7.131919) and go to the Thuret botanic garden (G; GPS: 3.563228, 7.124661). The garden, an area of approximately 4 hectares, was founded in 1857 by a scientist Gustave Thuret. It contains now a collection of over three thousand interesting plant species. The property is currently managed by the INRA organization (National Botanical Research Institute). Admission to the garden is free.

You can also choose very nice path to walk around the Cap d'Antibes. It takes about 1 hour to slowly walk the whole path. It begins nearby the Plage de la Garoupe (J; GPS: 43.554032, 7.137185). You can also find there a quite huge parking (P4; GPS: 43.552860, 7.135651).

Villa Eilenroc

After visiting the Thuret garden you can make your way towards the villa Eilenroc (H; GPS: 43.547854, 7.130012). Its construction started in 1860. Property occupies an area of 11 hectares and admission to it is free. Opening hours: park and garden - Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 to 17 (in July and August closed), the villa - Wednesday from 9 to 12 and 13:30 to 17 (in July and August closed, too).

Hotel du Cap

Near the villa Eilenroc you will find the most famous hotel on the peninsula of Cap d'Antibes - Hotel du Cap (I; GPS: 43.548649, 7.122295). Originally it was a private mansion Villa Soleil, but in 1887 the Italian hotelier Antoine Sella bought it and opened a hotel in 1889. There stayed well-known personalities such as Winston Churchill, Marlene Dietrich and Charles de Gaulle.