The Best Places To Visit On The French Riviera

Famous for its flashy towns like Cannes and Saint-Tropez, the French Riviera is one of the most alluring regions in France. With a warm climate, turquoise seas and exquisite food and wine, it’s easy to see why A-listers regularly flock here. Speaking of important people, the travel experts at Plum Guide (bonjour, that’s us) are no strangers to the delights of the French Riviera. We have all the inside info on where to go, so before you pack your skimpiest swimwear, read our guide to the best places to visit on the French Riviera.

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With its beautiful seaside resorts, scenic hilltop villages and dramatic mountains, the Alpes Maritimes is one of France’s most diverse departments. Its hinterland is perfect for nature lovers—head to the Mercantour National Park, the Préalpes d’Azur Regional Natural Park, the Var Valley or the Vésubie Valley, which all offer countless opportunities for getting active outdoors. The southern coast of the Alpes Maritimes is part of the French Riviera, where you’ll find renowned resorts like Cannes, Nice and Antibes. But these towns aren’t just about the glitz and glamour—you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find cultural heritage in the form of museums and galleries, historic town centres, and even a few off-the-beaten-track beaches like Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (keep that hush-hush).

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Saint-Tropez is undoubtedly one of the most famous towns on the French Riviera. Made famous by Brigitte Bardot’s 1956 film And God Created Woman, this town went from a small fishing village to a magnet for international jet setters in the 1960s. Saint-Tropez remains a popular destination today, where you can join wealthy bohemian crowds on the iconic Pampelonne Bay, a sandy stretch of coastline with waters ideal for swimming. If you need a break from the beach, visit the Citadel of Saint-Tropez, home to the Museum of Maritime History, where you can learn about the town’s history. Saint-Tropez’s central square, Place des Lices, is the best place to grab a drink and pastry at one of the cafes—an ideal spot for watching the locals play pétanque.

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Lights, camera, action… welcome to Cannes. Best known for the renowned Cannes Film Festival, this resort is synonymous with Riviera charm. Unless you have an invitation to the festival (if so, we’re very jealous), you can still enjoy screenings at Cinéma de la Plage, which take place each night. Be sure to wander down La Croisette, France’s most established and popular streets. This is a prime destination to eat, shop, enjoy a sundowner and play spot-the-celebrity. If you’ve spent too much time in Cannes’s beach bars and want to switch things up, one of the best things to do is to hop aboard a ferry to Iles de Lerins, four islands just a 15-minute ride away. Away from the crowds, this is a fantastic spot to relax on the island’s tranquil beaches and bays.

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Nestled in the foothills just north of Cannes is the ancient village of Grasse. Synonymous with perfume since the 16th century, the village is still home to around 30 perfume makers today. Allow your nose to guide you to the International Perfume Museum, followed by a tour of the Fragonard perfumery to see (and smell) how the fragrances are distilled and bottled. You can even take a short workshop with a qualified perfumer to create your own scent. If you happen to be visiting during the spring, you’ll see fields of roses and fragrant jasmine blooming around Grasse. Visit La Domaine de Manon, one of the main flower plantations set amongst serene nature. You can also catch the annual Grasse Rose Festival in May when the whole village comes alive with colour.

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Often hailed as the birthplace of tourism on the French Riviera, Nice is a wonderful city with an idyllic coastline. The best place to enjoy these sea views is on the seven-kilometre-long Promenade des Anglais. Keep an eye out for the Musée Masséna, a sumptuous seaside mansion and a centre for Riviera art and artefacts. Speaking of museums, the Musée Marc Chagall is also worth a visit, featuring many of the famed painter’s works which the Riviera inspired. Just off the promenade is Nice’s old town which has kept its Italian charm with its sunny squares and colourful buildings. Pop by the famous Marché aux Fleurs, or flower market, where you can fill your bags with Provencal treats before heading to Castle Hill for spectacular sunset views.

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Sitting between Monaco and the Italian border, Menton doesn’t get as much attention as places like Saint-Tropez or Cannes. But with the backdrop of the Alpes Maritimes mountains and its stunning waterfront, you can’t afford to miss it off your itinerary. Thanks to its subtropical microclimate, the town is revered for its impressive gardens like the Serre de la Madone garden and La Citronneraie, a citrus grove with 450 trees of the ‘Citron de Menton’ variety. You’ll also find the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange, a baroque Roman-Catholic basilica with a magnificent ceiling mural. From here, walk down through the old town centre past the quaint buildings and their colourful facades. The narrow streets lead out onto the coastline, where you can swim at Plage des Sablettes or indulge in French-Italian cuisine at one of the beachfront restaurants.

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With its varied landscapes, France’s Bouches-du-Rhone department is one of the best places to visit on the French Riviera. At its heart is Marseille, a gritty city with a rich history and culture. Making your way out into the countryside, you’ll find the gorgeous landscape of the Alpilles with its broad valleys, rocky outcrops and charming villages. Down by the coast, you’ll find a wild and rugged terrain of pine-strewn promontories and calanques, narrow limestone coves backed by sheer cliffs. Take a boat and moor at Calanque d’En Vau beach, a pretty inlet with towering white cliffs which disappear into the azure waters. Also along the Bouches-du-Rhone coastline are postcard-perfect Riviera towns like Cassis, with its beautiful marina and the more peaceful La Ciotat.

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Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is one of the French Riviera’s most exclusive postcodes, situated on a greenery-covered peninsula. Dotted with extravagant Belle Époque villas and lush landscaped gardens, this town was once a favourite with European aristocracy. Our favourite is the Italian Renaissance Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, built in 1905 for the socialite Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild and her growing art collection. Swan around the elegant rooms filled with an impressive array of artwork curated by Beatrice herself. The extensive grounds are home to nine themed gardens looking out to sea. Speaking of the sea, it wouldn’t be a Riviera town without a little seaside fun. There are a handful of beaches surrounding the peninsula, the most popular being Paloma Beach which has seen the likes of Henri Matisse, Sean Connery and Elton John.

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Nestled between Cannes and Nice, Antibes is one of the most popular seaside resorts on the French Riviera. But beyond the swanky yachts moored at the elegant marina, the town has a wealth of history to explore and has been home to some notable residents. Start at the 16th-century rampart-enclosed old town, and stroll to the former Château Grimaldi (also known as the Picasso Museum) to see where Picasso lived and worked in 1946. Continue your walking tour to Fort Carré, where Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned. Don’t forget to peruse the Provencal food market of Marché Provençal to shop for fresh seasonal produce. Take your picnic to Plage de la Gravette, a little horseshoe-shaped beach just a short walk from the harbour.

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We’ve said this about many places on this list, but Èze is one of the best places to visit on the French Riviera. Perched high above a rocky bluff, this medieval village boasts panoramic views of the sparkling sea from every corner. Lined with romantic shop fronts and restaurants, stroll down Èze’s cobblestone lanes, stopping to take photos of sights like the 14th-century Chapelle de la Sainte-Croix. Then, take the Nietzsche path (named after the German philosopher who once lived here) to the town’s summit to admire the medieval fortress featured in Hitchcock’s classic To Catch a Thief. Next door, the Jardin Exotique d’Èze is probably one of the most scenic botanical gardens you’ve ever seen.

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