16 Wonderful Places to Visit in the French Riviera
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In this article I'd like to share with you some of my favorite places to visit all along the French Riviera.
This list is a mix of cities and towns, natural areas, beaches, and specific sites (museums, gardens, historical buildings, etc.) that I think combine to provide a classic Riviera experience.
I haven’t included everywhere and I’ve skipped a few of the most famous places (like Cannes and Saint-Tropez) either because I personally find them to be overcrowded and overrated or because you’re certain to go to them anyways so I don’t think I even need to mention them.
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
1. Menton
Menton
Menton is a colourful town right on French-Italian border on the eastern end of the French Riviera. The town’s clock tower with its distinctive orange color, surrounded by pastel-colored houses, can be seen from all around.
It is a very cultural place where you can visit three architecturally interesting churches: the Black Penitents’ chapel, the Saint-Michel Basilica, and the Russian church. The harbor, full of brightly colorfed boats, is worth a walk too.
The town is home to two great cultural centers, the Jean Cocteau Museum and the Val Rahmeh Botanical Gardens.
And for swimming, the city's beach is absolutely excellent.
For more info, check out our guide to Menton.
A view over Menton's red tile rooftops
Menton's city beach
2. Antibes
Antibes’ dreamy coastline
Antibes is one of these cities where you can simply feel the history of the place at every turn.
The town is a jumble of small streets and brightly colored houses, an absolute wonder to walk around. It was originally created by the Greeks, and it’s a good idea to learn a bit about that history at the city’s Museum of History and Archeology.
Another worthwhile visit is to the Grimaldi castle, built in the 14th century, which now houses the Picasso Museum.
Turning towards the sea, you should certainly head down to one of the city’s gorgeous beaches for some time soaking in the azure waters. Also go for a walk along Europe’s largest marina, Port Vauban, where you’ll see loads of enormous yachts anchored.
For something unique, stop by the Absinthe Museum and try a drink or two at their bar. Picasso and Hemingway both stopped by for a sip as well in the past.
For a bit of nightlife and great beach clubs, nearby Juan-les-Pins is a chic little place that's reachable either by bus or foot.
And then there's the absolutely wonderful walking path and trails that run around the Cap d’Antibes cape. A half-day or full-day hike along the cape is one of the most iconic things to do in the Riviera.
Learn more in our guide to Antibes.
Antibes seen from one of its many viewpoints
A pedestrian street in the town center
3. Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden
Lily pads in the Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden. Photo: Gossipguy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Val Rahmeh botanical garden is located in Menton, but deserves its own mention. This is a Provence-Italian style garden that hosts a collection of rare flowers.
The garden is the result of a love story; a British military officer created the garden for his beloved wife. Sadly, she never saw the completed grounds as she died unexpectedly before its completion.
4. Nice
A view over Nice
Nice is the capital of the French Riviera and it is a word heritage city, listed by UNESCO since 2021.
The city’s star attractions are the famous Promenade des Anglais, luxury hotels like Le Negresco, the rue des Ponchettes street where a great market takes place, and Vieux-Nice, the city’s historic old town.
The streets and alleys bustle with activity and are filled with with small restaurants, shops, colorful houses, little squares full of charm, and many outstanding churches and buildings.
On the Cours Saleya street you have one of France’s best markets, filled with fruits, veggies, treats, flowers, and much more.
For something a bit more cultural, you can head to the Matisse Museum or the Chagall Museum.
Read more in our guide to Nice.
The Negresco hotel
The Fontaine du Solei fountain in Place Massena
Promenade du Paillon in Nice
5. The Jean Cocteau Museum
Menton's Jean Cocteau Museum. Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Jean Cocteau Museum (website in French only), like the Val Rahmeh Gardens, is also in Menton and also merits its own little section.
The museum is dedicated to its namesake, the artist Jean Cocteau who practiced many different arts. It is situated right on the waterfront and is housed in a very interesting combination of buildings: a 17th century fort on one side and a very modern modern building on the other side.
On display is a collection of almost 1,000 pieces mostly donated by the businessman Severin Wunderman.
Jean Cocteau, from 1950 until his death in 1963, lived here and became an important figure in the history of the town and the museum catalogues his works.
You'll likely see some of his works as you explore the Riviera, so visiting the museum is a nice chance to learn a bit about the artist and his art.
6. Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The walled town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Photo: Jpchevreau, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a beautiful medieval village perched on top of a hill. The town is perfectly preserved and provides fabulous views of Nice’s bay.
The village is famous for its look with stone buildings and narrow streets and staircases all around, but it’s most famous of all for its artisans and craft shops. The shopping here is excellent and you’ll find lots of local shops offering creations from local artists ranging from jewelry and clothes to leathers bags and ceramics.
Some of the town’s art galleries also display paintings and sculptures around town and directly on the street, making it especially fun to walk around and view them.
While here, you can also visit the White Penitents’ chapel which was redecorated in very unusual and interesting style by the late modern arist Jean-Michel Folon.
Typical stone buildings in town
One of many lovely cobblestone staircases
7. Maeght Foundation
A sculpture exhibit at the Maeght Foundation. Photo: David Broad, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Maeght Foundation, just outside Saint-Paul-de-Vence, was created as a place to showcase local artists’ pieces using almost exclusively natural light.
It has been a place for artistic experiment and exchange since 1964 and here you’ll find art, architecture, and nature in almost perfect harmony.
8. Biot
A view over Biot. Photo: Jean Pierre Lozi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Biot is a lovely medieval town with art everywhere. The village is a good example of a fortified village dating from the 13th century.
In the church, you’ll find a 16th century altar painting from the Italian painter, Louis Breas, which is just magnificent.
Biot is also well known for its bubbled glass blowing technique and you can visit many glass factories to learn how these beautiful art pieces are made.
9. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gorgeous gardens
The beach at Pointe Sainte-Hospice. Photo: Tangopaso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
A view over town. Photo: Kerschbaumer's at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is surely the pearl of the Côte d’Azur.
It is a town located on a small peninsula with sumptuous villas from the Belle Epoque era, lush greenery everywhere, and an azure sea all around you. The feeling here is of pure classic luxury.
Many villas are private while others, like Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its 9 gardens, or the Villa Santo Sospir covered in murals by the artist Jean Cocteau, can be visited by the public.
If you’re feeling active when you make it here, the town has 14 kms of walking trails that run throughout the town’s cape, Cap Ferrat. I think doing the entire walk is wonderful, but there are also 3 smaller routes that you can opt for. You can find the main route, along with the others too, on AllTrails here. There's no need for a map, though, as it's all very clearly signposted. Whatever you choose, all the routes offer beautiful views of the sea and the town’s villas.
The beaches here are also excellent, so you’d be remiss if you didn’t spend at least a little time lounging by the sea.
10. The Lérins Islands
Île Saint-Honorat island (the narrow one) seen from above Île Sainte-Marguerite
The Lérins Islands are in the Gulf of Cannes and are reachable by boat. Between the four islands which make up the archipelago, Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat are the most interesting.
On Saint-Marguerite, you’ll find the Fort Royal housing the Cannes Sea Museum and the Roman cisterns. You can also see where the "Man in the Iron Mask” was held prisoner for 11 years, according to the legend (learn more about it on Wikipedia). There is also a nice botanical walk that takes you along a path lined with Aleppo pines and Eucalyptus trees.
On Saint-Honorat, which is a bit less interesting, there is a monastery dating from the 5th century inhabited by twenty Cistercian monks who produce red and white wine, Lérina, an herbal liquor, lavender essential oil, and honey. There's also a very picturesque little "fortress” that sits right in the sea.
The Abbey of Lerins seen from the Saint-Honorat fortress. Photo: Florian Pépellin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
The Fortress of Saint-Honorat. Photo: Helge Høifødt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
11. Grasse
Hilltop Grasse. Photo: Lylambda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The town of Grasse is inland, so you won’t find any beaches here. Its claim to fame is for being the worldwide capital of perfume.
Depending on the season you are visiting, you’ll see fields of flowers like roses, jasmine, and lavender. You can also visit the factory of the famous perfume maker, Parfumerie Fragonard.
While in town you should also have a look inside the Villa Jean Fragonard Museum. It houses artworks by the eponymous painter, who was one of the most prolific of the 18th century, with some great “trompe l’oeil” painting technics (“fooling your eyes”).
12. Monaco
Monaco's harbor
Monaco is an inimitable place. It is incredibly famous, but almost entirely actually unknown.
It is a sort of surprising microcosm - in just 2 square kilometers you have an ancient fortress, modern buildings, a casino, tennis courts, an ice rink, a football stadium, a zoo, a botanical garden, 40,000 inhabitants, a prince and his family, and, of course, a Formula 1 Grand Prix. And then, it’s part of the French Riviera, but it’s not even part of France!
While here, there are many things to visit:
The Prince’s Palace - You can visit Monaco’s palace from April to the middle of October (to check every year). Here, admire Italian Renaissance murals only recently brought back to life and wander the grounds where the prince’s family has lived since 1297.
Oceanographic Museum of Monaco - The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco collects about 4,000 fish and sea creatures and has 90 different tanks in its aquarium, fed by water coming from the Mediterranean Sea.
You can also see all sorts of tools, maps, and artifacts that have been used over centuries of Ocean exploration. The famous French ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau was the head of the museum after Prince Ranier’s death and then until his own death.
Automobile Museum of Monaco - The Automobile Museum of Monaco was created by Prince Rainier to showcase the car collection he made over a period of thirty years. You will find everything from old, restored cars to Formula 1 race cars and Monte-Carlo ralley cars.
The museum is a really wonderful trip through automobile history and the setting, in the city that hosts a great Formula 1 Grand Prix, could not be more fitting.
Monaco’s Classic Gardens - A few of Monaco’s gardens are entirely worth visiting. You should for sure plan to check out the the Roseraie Princesse Grace (Princess Grace Rose Garden) and the Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden). Each has its own personality.
The Jardin Exotique was established in the 19th century and specialized in cactuses and succulents, like aloes and crassula, all of which from semi-arid regions of the globe.
The Princess Grace Rose Garden was created in 1984 by Prince Rainier in memory of his wife, Princess Grace. It has an English garden flair with a Mediterranean touch with olive trees, cypresses, bougainvillea, lavender, and fountains interspersed throughout 6,000 rose bushes of 315 different varieties.
You have a lot of info right here, but for more planning advice, take a look at our guide to Monaco.
The Monte Carlo Casino
No shortage of luxury cars (or shopping) in Monaco
The Prince's Castle
13. Îles d'Hyères - the Hyères Islands
Port-Cros’ marina. Photo: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A beach on Porquerolles
A boat off Porquerolles
The Îles d'Hyères (Hyeres islands) are a little archipelago of 3 islands on the Var coastline. The 3 islands are Porquerolles, Port-Cros, Le Levant.
The town of Hyeres, which is actually inland, is the main departure point for ferries, although you can also arrive from a few other cities on the coast. Ferries from Hyeres’ port take about 45 minutes.
Each island has their own appeal, but Port-Cros is the best preserved of the 3 and is actually a protected national park. All 3 islands offer dense Mediterranean scrub (and forests), gorgeous beaches, and pristine waters. Boating around the islands and their secret coves is always a pleasure as is hiking.
Naturists will particularly enjoy the island of Levant which has quite the nudist scene.
14. Èze
Mountaintop Èze overlooking the coast
An alley in Eze
The view from the Jardin Exotique
Just 20 minutes by car from Nice, the gorgeous village of Èze is worth visiting for its views over the coast alone; perched on the very top of a mountain overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Hospice and the towns of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the location is almost unbelievable.
A medieval town, the stone architecture is charming and the town’s few little pedestrian-only streets are a treat to wander around. Between the views over the coast and the town itself, photographers will have their hands full!
While here, a walk in the Jardin Exotique is always a must (entrance 5 euros - great views too). And if you're in town on Sundays, be sure to do a little shopping at the weekly market.
After all this positivity, a quick word of caution: Èze is one of the most touristy places on the French Riviera and if you visit between the hours of 9:30 am and 5:00 pm, it feels like Disneyland. To be blunt, it's sort of a tourist trap. But, if you go before the crowds (and the huge tour buses) arrive or after they depart, it can be still be very pleasant.
15. The Old Golf Course
An aerial view of a portion of the Old Golf Course. Photo: Michel Royon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Mandelieu Old Course Golf, located between Nice and Cannes, has a club house that dates back more than 100 years and is one of France’s oldest.
It is a very unique course, cut by the tracks of the Marseille-Nice train line and also by the Siagne river. While playing, you’ll need to take a small sort of ferry/cable car across the river to continue your game.
On the 8th green you’re also only 100 meters away from the Cannes-Mandeliue airport runway. On the 4th, you’re so close to the sea that losing your ball in the Mediterranean is a very real possibility.
Even if you’re not a great fan of golf, the experience is quite charming.
16. Beaches, beaches, beaches
Paloma Beach on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Photo: Павлуша, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mala Beach in Cap d’Ail. Photo: Gilbert Bochenek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The beach of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Photo: Shaunwiltshire, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped
There are some beaches on the French Riviera that simply need to be experienced.
The best beaches are a bit hidden, with pristine azure waters and cliffs covered in bright green pines and Mediterranean scrub surrounding them. The contrast of colors, and the contrast of scents of the sea and the pines, creates the quintessential setting of the French Riviera.
Here are few of the best beaches to visit:
Paloma Beach in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Petite Afrique Beach in Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Eze Beach
Passable Beach in Cap-Ferrat
Villefranche-sur-Mer Beach (coarse sand)
La Garoupe Beach in Cap d’Antibes (the only sandy beach)
Mala Beach in Cap d’Ail (accessible only by a 100-step stairs)
These beaches offer a mix of private paid facilities and free public beaches, they have good facilities, and lots of activities that you can organize at or from them. Many also have excellent restaurants right on the beach where you can eat with sea views.
Because they are mainly pebble beaches, make sure you have beach shoes to protect your feet.
More French Riviera travel info
For more advice on planning a trip to the French Riviera, check out some of our other guides and itineraries!
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