15 Unforgettable Things to Do in Antibes, France
If you’re craving a slice of French Riviera charm, Antibes is an excellent choice. Nestled between Nice and Cannes, and slightly off the beaten path, this sun-drenched coastal town is more than just a picturesque postcard scene. It’s a vibrant blend of historical allure and modern luxury – and I love it.
And I’m not the only one – Antibes has been a haven for notable artists, writers, celebrities, and the ultra-wealthy over the years. Notably, Picasso, Monet, & F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald all made their home in Antibes for short periods of time.
In Antibes, you’ll stroll along the ancient ramparts for views that stretch across the azure Mediterranean, stop in at the Picasso Museum, wander through the aromatic markets, and gape at the massive yachts of Port Vauban.
Of course, Antibes isn’t just about sightseeing. The town’s beaches are perfect for those lazy afternoons basking in the Mediterranean sun, and the Cap d’Antibes (the Cape of Antibes) is full of rugged, natural beauty.
15 Unforgettable Things to Do in Antibes, France
In this post, I’m sharing all my favorite spots and things to do in Antibes, plus how to get here, how much time you need, where the best beaches are, and other practical information.
1. Wander the Streets of Old Town
Antibes Old Town is full of narrow streets painted in tan, cream, and yellow, constructed in stone, and with pink, light green, and sometimes red shutters.
Potted plants or free-growing vines accent the Mediterranean hues of the buildings on every street, and flowerpots hang along the sides of the streets.
Old Town is filled with boutiques and restaurants, the quaint tables and wicker chairs spilling out onto the streets, under the shade of dozens of umbrellas.
Window displays showcase artisanal goods such as original art and pottery, and local provincial wares, and the ever-present boulangeries can be found on every other street.
I love just wandering the streets of the adorable Old Towns in France, and Antibes is no exception. Many of the following sites are also located within the confines of the Old City.
2. Marché Provencal
The Marché Provencal is an outdoor covered market, with a vibrant display of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables and other locally made Provencal goods.
Tables are filled with bundles of fresh lavender and baskets of herbs and spices, bottled olive oil made in the region, locally produced cheeses and meats, and homemade jams, among other goods and foods.
This is a market that’s clearly a local favorite, and you can tell that the regulars have their favorite stalls, whether for heirloom tomatoes or dried sausages.
But it’s also a fascinating place to visit as a tourist, as it’s an authentic look at what is produced and sold in Provence. Plus, many of the items in the market make for *excellent* souvenirs to bring home with you.
While some vendors take card, make sure you have cash with you if you want the flexibility to purchase anything that catches your eye.
Hours: Open every day of the week during summer (but closed on Monday during the other months). The regular market closes around 1pm, and then becomes a small craft market in the afternoon.
3. Musée Picasso
The Picasso Museum is unique for several reasons. First, the museum is located in the old Grimaldi Castle. This castle has been in the hands of the Antibes Town Council for several hundred years and had already been used as a museum when the curator invited Picasso to come live and work in it.
Picasso lived in the castle from September to December 1946, where he created 23 paintings and 44 drawings that he left to the museum.
Over the years, Picasso dedicated more works of art to the museum, which was finally dedicated as the Picasso Museum in 1966 – the first of many museums in the world to be dedicated solely to the famous artist.
Picasso is certainly a polarizing artist – most people either love him or hate him. I still wouldn’t say that I love everything Picasso does, but over the years I’ve grown to understand and appreciate his work, and yes, even enjoy many of his pieces – which is definitely progress!
In addition to traditional paintings and drawings, there is also a room full of photographs of Picasso creating his art. Another room features a series of ceramic plates that Picasso painted – a subsection of his work I hadn’t before seen.
Even if you’re not a big Picasso fan, because of the large collection, the significance of the location to Picasso, and the fact that it is housed in an actual castle, I think the museum is a must-visit in Antibes.
Large placards in French, English, and Italian are in every room and give context and information about the works of art displayed.
When you’re done admiring the art, make your way out to the castle terrace that overlooks the Bay of Antibes.
4. Cathedral Notre Dame of the Immaculate Conception (Antibes Cathedral)
This noteworthy and beautiful cathedral is just next door to the Picasso Museum and features a beautiful pink and yellow façade with intricately carved wooden doors. The inside is equally beautiful, and is free to stop in.
5. Chapelle Saint-Bernardin
The Saint Bernadin Chapel is tucked away on a side street in Old Town and sees few visitors, but I think is worth the (very little) time and energy to stop in. While it looks pretty simple from the outside, the inside is splashed with saturated colors!
The ceiling is painted in deep blue squares, with pictures of the saints strategically placed, and side ceilings are painted blue with small white stairs.
The walls are covered in red and yellow designs, and the altarpiece is covered in intricate golden leafing, columns, and sculptures.
It’s a very small chapel, but it certainly took my breath away!
6. Musée Peynet et du Dessin Humoristique
The Peynet and Cartoon Drawings Museum is very much an off-the-beaten-path spot just off of lively Place Nationale. I’ll admit – this museum at first was very puzzling.
The front half is dedicated to the cartoons and illustrations of renowned French artist Raymond Peynet, who apparently was a well-known illustrator featured in newspapers and magazines.
Dozens and dozens of his drawings and sketches are on display, and truly they were puzzling to me. I speak French quite well, but apparently not well enough to get the double entendres or plays on words that I assume were present in the captions.
But the back half of the museum, dedicated to contemporary artist Francois Ravard, was delightful.
His paintings were pleasant and very easy to consume and were often a little tongue-in-cheek. The combination of the wry titles with the colorful paintings really made me smile. I thought it was cute, and certainly worth the inexpensive entrance fee.
- Entrance Fee: 3€
- Hours: Closed Mondays
7. Walk the Ramparts
One of the best things to do in Antibes is to walk the extensive ramparts that run between the town and the sea. These ramparts were built to protect the city, are made of bricks and are, in many spots, elevated above street level, offering a unique perspective of the city.
The ramparts start on the north at the Le Nomade sculpture in Port Vauban, and run south along the sea to the Musee Archeologique, near Plage du Ponteil. The walkway is also known as the Promenade Amiral de Grasse.
You’ll enjoy multiple great viewpoints of the bay and the town along the ramparts, so I’d recommend walking the entire thing.
As you walk, you’ll enjoy views over the deep blue, clear waters of the Mediterranean – and the dozens of boats (ranging from charming sailboats to massive yachts) that are almost always sitting right outside of the harbor.
Near the southern end is a tiny little jut out that is the Jardin des Poetes and is filled with palm trees and cacti. Don’t miss it as you walk along the ramparts.
8. Port Vauban
Port Vauban is a haven for the rich and uber-wealthy in southern France – you can practically taste the money just by looking at the port!
The port is huge and has multiple sections – over 1900 boats are moored here year-round. You’ll see everything from small speedboats and fishing boats, to charming sailboats, and then your small yachts, mid-size yachts, and the absolutely enormous, mega yachts anchored on the Quai des Milliardaires (Billionaire’s Quai)
You can get the best views of Port Vauban from the northern section of the ramparts, and from Fort Carré (more on Fort Carré below).
9. Le Nomade
Le Nomade is a large, white sculpture made of letters that depicts a sitting person, created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.
The informational placard near the sculpture tells us that “…beyond its simple mission of communicating a meaning, spoken or written language can also be seen as a kind of envelope covering the matter and energy that constitute us. Like bricks, letters have a potential for construction, as they enable us to construct thought.”
It’s a pretty cool concept!
Visitors are welcome to go inside the sculpture, but you cannot climb it.
10. Fort Carré
Fort Carré is a Renaissance fort from the 16th century that sits on a small hill on the north side of the city, overlooking Port Vauban. The fort is surrounded by a small, wild park that has a few walking trails.
The fort is very well-preserved and super cool, being constructed in a star shape, with zigzagging pathways along the top of the building. The views you get from the top over the bay, the port, the ramparts, the Quai of Billionaires, and the old town are really magnificent!
To enter the actual fort, you must go with a guided tour. Tours start every 30-45 minutes throughout the day and they last for about 30-45 minutes. Tours are in French, but if you’re not a French speaker, they’ll give you an informational paper in English to read.
The tour itself is pretty low-key. If you happen to have some French speakers with you, the guide will share some information in French. But overall, you’ll just casually walk around the top of the fort, stopping at various nice viewpoints. At the end, you’ll walk through a few rooms inside the fort itself.
It’s a little far away from the rest of the attractions in Antibes (about a 30 minute walk from the middle of Old Town), and you may have to wait for a few minutes for the next tour to start.
However, I do think it’s worth the time and effort to come here – it’s a very interesting historical site with a fascinating design and fantastic views.
- Hours: Tours are usually every half hour between 10am-5pm, closed Monday
- Cost: 3€
11. Commune Libre de Safranier
The Free Commune of Safranier is a small neighborhood just south of the main Old Town area in Antibes. It’s a compact area, comprised of just a few streets and alleys, and is notable because it’s actually technically autonomous from the rest of Antibes – they even have their own mayor and town hall
To be honest, this area was pretty meh for me. There’s not much to see here, and I wouldn’t say the vibes are so amazing that it’s worth going out of your way to find the few, rather hard-to-find streets.
If you happen to walk by, awesome, but it’s not an area I would prioritize.
12. Enjoy the Sandy Beaches
Not all beaches on the French Riviera are created equal. While I love the beaches in Nice, Menton, and Cap Ferrat for many reasons, those beaches (and many others) are anywhere from pebbly to fairly rocky.
It’s somewhat rare to have an actual sandy beach on the Cote d’Azur, but you can find some in Antibes! These are two, nice sandy beaches in Antibes:
Plage de la Gravette
Plage de la Gravette is a beautiful French Riviera beach. It’s also one of the most easily accessible beaches in Antibes, as it is located right by Old Town, near the port, and right off the rampart walkway. In fact, you can overlook the beach as you walk the ramparts.
This beach is excellent thanks to the sandy shores, which are mostly free from sticks and debris, the convenient location, and most especially, because of the protected waters.
A human-made rock “harbor” shields most of the waves from the sea, creating a calm area for swimming. While there were plenty of people just lying out or wading, there were also plenty of people doing some legit swimming in the waters here.
Plage du Ponteil
Plage du Ponteil is another larger, lovely beach at the end of the ramparts walk. This one has a dedicated parking lot, and there is one private beach club here, but most of the beach is public access.
13. Sentier du Littoral of Cap d’Antibes
The sentier du littoral (the coastal pathway) along the cape of Antibes is a super charming pathway along a rugged coastline and farther away from the city.
It’s an easy, 1-2 hour long walk, but does have some uneven stone steps, (which tbh just adds to the charm of the trail, but it does limit accessibility), and ends at the Bay of Billionaires.
You can walk, drive, or take a bus down to the trailhead near the Plage de la Garoupe. I love this hike – it’s a fantastic way to get out and enjoy some gorgeous views in an isolated nature location.
Note: Villa Eilenroc used to be a villa open to the public on Cap d’Antibes, but it is no longer open for tours.
14. Bay of Billionaires
The Bay of Billionaires is the beautiful, charming beach nestled in a little “hidden” cove on the far end of Cap d’Antibes. This is where the sentier du littoral ends, but you can access the beach from a small trail from the main road as well if you don’t want to do the whole hike.
This beach is rocky, but stunning and very secluded.
15. Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-Pins is a small resort town just across the peninsula from Antibes but with a distinctly different vibe. Tall palms line the streets and the wide promenade that runs along the beautiful, sandy beach, and the area has a strong resort feel to it.
For example, much of the beach is dedicated to private beach clubs, although you can find some public, free beach space here and there. There are lots of restaurants and shops near the beach, and shopping is clearly a popular activity in Juan-les-Pins.
If you want a quiet beach experience, this is not the place for you. If you want a beach club and lots of amenities, this is your place.
Juan-les-Pins is just a short walk (15-20 minutes) from Antibes, but it also has its own train station, making it easy to get here from anywhere along the coastline.
Map of Attractions in Antibes
If you click on this map (or click on the star to the right of the title), the map should save to your Google Maps account. Then, when you’re in Antibes, you can pull up this map on your phone and use it to help navigate around the city.
From your phone, open Google Maps, then click the Saved button at the bottom of the screen. Scroll all the way down and click on the Maps icon on the bottom right. You can see all your saved maps, select this map, and open it directly on your regular Google Maps. It’s super helpful for on-the-ground navigation!
Practical Information
How Much Time Do You Need in Antibes
With one full day, you can do pretty much all the sightseeing in Antibes, plus have a little bit of time to either relax on the beach or walk around Cap d’Antibes.
If you want plenty of time to enjoy the beaches, hike the sentier du littoral, and go through Antibes at a more leisurely pace, I’d plan for two days.
How to Get to Antibes
While you can base yourself out of Antibes, the city also makes a great day trip from Nice, Cannes, or Monaco. Antibes is a stop on the main SNCF train line that goes along the coast multiple times an hour. It is extremely cheap and easy to get here from other coastal cities along the French Riviera.
