The French Riviera - Antibes

The French Riviera – Antibes

Antibes is an interesting town for several reasons, not least of which is the old castle overlooking the port. It’s many alleys and narrow streets are crowded in the summer, but offer a varied selection of restaurants, fine wine sellers and of course, the ubiquitous tourist traps.

If you are looking for a true taste of France, look elsewhere, there are probably more English, Australian, Kiwis, Germans and Dutch here than almost any other town in France. Antibes has a thriving yachting industry and many of the crew on the boats in the harbor are foreigners. This means two things: one, the price of drinks in the bars are outrageous and two, it’s a great place to party.

There is an excellent covered market in the middle of the town in the Cours Massena, selling a huge selection of food stuffs. The market is on every day and is lined on either side by a great selection of restaurants and bars that are usually busy. Moules mariniere are a local favorite in season and there are several good places here to buy them.

Parking is a pain in the center of Antibes, but it’s a fairly small town and it is easier to take whatever space you see on the edge of town, park and walk in. There is a large parking lot right next to the harbor, just outside the old walls of the city. Park here and it’s a thirty second walk to the main part of town. Do not leave any valuables, cameras or money visible to passers-by. You WILL have your car broken into. It’s also a good idea to leave the glove compartment open to show there is nothing of value in the car.

One of the appealing features of Antibes is the narrow alleyways, hustling and bustling with tourists and locals alike. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay, pick somewhere outside the town proper though, because the night life goes on until late.

There is a small beach in Antibes (Le Plage de Gravette) but you need to get there early during the season, otherwise you will be scrabbling for a tiny plot at the edge of the beach.

The Cathedral hosts many concerts during the season and is a beautiful building in it’s own right.

If you are looking for a small picturesque town with a lot of nightlife, Antibes is a good choice. There are dozens of bars to choose from, ranging from Irish bars to a few seedier French bars, up market wine bars and cafes galore. Chinese, Indian, French, Algerian cuisine, all within a few minutes walk of each other. The night life is excellent and there is very little crime, except for cars being broken into. I will re-iterate. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR.