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The 13 best places to visit in Côte d’Azur
Discover the best places to visit in Côte d’Azur, with turquoise beaches, Belle Époque villas, Monaco glitz, stunning mountain hikes and exceptional food.
With a world-famous coastline, entrancing hilltop villages and an emerging hinterland scene, the Côte d’Azur (“Azure Coast”) is eternally chic and surprisingly diverse. Not long ago, this corner of France had acted as little more than a stopover point for travelers en route to Italy, but that changed when a new train line unfurled from the north, bringing with it foreigners waving prescriptions for a healthy dose of the region’s winter’s sun.
There’s still no hard and fast starting and finishing point – you’ll see the Côte d’Azur defined as stretching all the way to St-Tropez or Hyères in the Var – but what’s not debated is that the sweep from Cannes to Menton, or the boundary of the Alpes-Maritimes, is France’s glittering blue coast. Princely Monaco lies in its embrace.
The Côte d’Azur maintains a glorious allure with its intoxicating mix of sun, sea, culture, food and wine, and the green mountain interior beckoning today’s batch of adventure travelers. Check out these top 13 best places to visit in Côte d’Azur.
1. Nice
Best for elegant architecture and beaches
The capital of the Côte d’Azur, Nice has undergone a complete refresh in the last decade or so. As the UNESCO Winter Resort Town of the Riviera, the city has a new purpose and swagger. Nice is no longer living off its reputation for beaches, palm trees and sunshine. An exciting food scene is simmering, alongside cool wine bars and independent boutiques in trendy yet local neighborhoods such as the Port and Libération.
See the stunning 19th-century Opéra de Nice, stroll through the narrow streets of Vieux Nice (the Old Town) and dive into the city’s history at Musée Massena.
For 360-degree views of the city and the sea, climb the Colline du Château, a wooded outcrop between Vieux Nice and Port Lympia. For sunsets, there’s no better place than sweeping Promenade des Anglais – the beating heart of the city with all the beaches.
Planning tip: The easiest way to get into town is on Nice's inexpensive east–west tram L2 with departures every 10 minutes from 8am to 8pm.
2. Villefranche-sur-Mer
Best for inspired seaside strolls
Irresistibly photogenic Villefranche-sur-Mer starts at Nice’s eastern edge but is a world away from the buzz of the big city. This is small village life, where locals catch up on gossip at the Wednesday and Saturday morning produce markets or play pétanque in the shadow of the high-walled 16th-century Citadelle Ste-Elme. Start by admiring the green thumbs of residents along rue Volti and rue Baron de Brès known for pastel facades. Just before the waterfront, rue de Poilu is a hub of activity with restaurants and small lavender-fragranced boutiques selling floaty dresses and wide-brimmed straw hats. The whimsical brushstrokes of Jean Cocteau cover the walls and ceilings of the must-see Chapelle St-Pierre, telling the story of Villefranche’s fishing traditions.
Planning tip: Pause for a bite along the quay at upscale La Mère Germaine, locally-loved Lou Bantry or hipster rooftop bar Achill’s. 
3. Cannes
Best for cinematic glitz and glamor
Cannes is the host with the most; not content to hold just one world-leading industry affair a year – yes, Cannes Film Festival, we’re looking at you – the conference and event schedule is so busy that dates spill out from the calendar most months. Yet, despite first impressions, usually superyachts crowding the bay and luxury cars double parked outside the designer boutiques of La Croisette, Cannes is an old Provençal soul, as the brightly colored wooden fishing boats bobbing in the harbor or the battered courgette flowers cooked fresh in the Marché de Forville bear witness. Discover Le Suquet, the town’s oldest neighborhood with quiet streets, medieval houses and floral balconies. Visit the castle-set Musée des Explorations du Monde that harbors treasures from all four corners of the world and marvel at the 17th-century Église Notre-Dame de l’Espérance.
Detour: Take the 20-minute ferry from the Cannes coast and escape to the sweet smell of pine and the gentle sound of waves on Île Ste-Marguerite. This island, along with the nearby Île St-Honorat, is covered in numerous walking trails with hidden coves for refreshing dips.
4. Antibes
Best for artsy vibe
The annual Coul’Heures d’Automne Festival in Antibes, a 20-minute drive east from Cannes, transforms bare walls and garage doors into expressive canvases for street artists from around the world that then remain as permanent installations. A cluster can be viewed on foot as you stroll through Vieil Antibes – the lovely cobblestone old town – bringing a modern touch to this seaside resort so beloved by artists and writers, including Graham Greene and Pablo Picasso. Discover more about the famous artist at the Musée Picasso, set inside the imposing 14th-century Château Grimaldi where Picasso set up his studio in 1946.
Planning tip: Head to the resort of Juan-les-Pins just outside Antibes for the gorgeous sandy beach perfect for sunset watching. For more Mediterranean turquoise, check out Anse de l'Argent-Faux (also known as Billionaires' Bay) with sublime vistas of Cap d’Antibes. 
5. Monaco
Best for a lavish lifestyle with a view
Smaller than New York’s Central Park and with a population of just 36,000, Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country and one of its most dense. Nowhere else on the Côte d’Azur feels so built up, but in fact, over 20% of Monaco’s territory is made up of gardens.
Here, towering cranes are as ubiquitous as superyachts and sports cars as the principality stretches up and out to sea to maximize every centimeter of its limited space. The glitz is as pervasive as ever, but is now balanced out by local experiences – and flavors – that add another side to Monaco’s real identity and culture.
Visit English-style Roseraie Princesse Grace with over 6000 rose bushes for a peaceful retreat. Scrape back layers of time at the Palais Princier de Monaco and certainly don’t miss Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Belle Époque marvel that put Monaco on the map. Finish with the bustling Marché de la Condamine, a hub of cheap and cheerful local eats.
Planning tip: On foot is the best way to get around Monaco with no distances longer than an hour’s walk apart, but the terrain can be very steep. Swap the stairs – and catch your breath – in one of the area’s 79 public lifts or 35 escalators.
6. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferra
Best for spectacular Belle Époque villas
Jutting out into the Mediterranean with the bays of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer on either side, St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat’s leafy streets provide the perfect cover for their grand private residences. High walls and locked gates obscure most of the multi-million-euro mansions from view.
However, the peninsula’s greatest architectural treasure, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, is one of the finest attractions on the entire coast. As soon as you set foot inside the ornate pink-and-white Belle Époque villa, you’ll be swept back to a time when Louis XVI furniture and Fragonard paintings were the height of fashion.
Planning tip: Save plenty of time for the nine themed gardens that fan out from the villa.
7. Mandelieu-La Napoule
Best for manicured gardens
A thick yellow brushstroke of mimosa (wattle) bloom defines the French Riviera in winter. Mandelieu-La Napoule, the resort town at the western end of the Baie de Cannes, is considered the mimosa capital. Its biggest draw is Château de la Napoule, a waterfront medieval fortress turned magnificent villa set in 6 hectares (14 acres) of manicured gardens. In its current life as an art foundation, the property is open for visitors.
Planning tip: The main events to note in your calendar during the flowering season include February’s Fête du Mimosa, a five-day celebration with flower parades, evening animations, fireworks and a party mood. 
8. Grasse
Best for perfume houses and museums
Grasse’s status as the world capital of perfume was cemented with the awarding of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2018. A trio of local fragrance houses dominate this sprawling town stretched out high in the hills above Cannes, a 40-minute drive to the south.
Hands-on experiences are the real highlight when in Grasse, allowing you the chance to play perfumer for anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour. You can reserve workshops at all three perfume houses online – Fragonard, Molinard and Gallimard – but with its city-center location, Molinard is the easiest to reach on foot. In a high-ceiling, monochrome-tiled room, you’ll mix and match dozens of top, middle and base notes to create a custom scent to take home.
Detour: Visit Jardins du Musée International de la Parfumerie in Mouans-Sartoux, an enchanting tactile garden where the world’s greatest perfume flowers grow. It’s particularly lovely in spring when the Rose de Mai is in full bloom. In Grasse, don’t miss Musée Provençal du Costume et du Bijou showcasing traditional Provençal clothing and jewelry. 
9. Menton
Best for lemon-scented old town exploration
There’s something about the mountains-meets-sea microclimate of Menton. This last curve of France before the Italian border is the most northerly place in the world that lemons can grow.
During February’s annual Fête du Citron celebrations, the streets around the waterfront light up in every shade of yellow and orange. Tickets are required for the lively street parades of floats built out of citrus fruits and flamboyantly dressed dancers, but you won’t need to pay a cent to admire the gigantic citrus displays sculpted to a different theme every year in Jardins Biovès.
Detour: Clinging to a rock face 800m (2624ft), Ste-Agnès claims to be the highest coastal village in Europe. It’s among the most beautiful villages in France, with a 10th-century château and showstopping coastal panoramas. A ride from Menton will only take 20 minutes.
10. Èze
Best for awe-inspiring coastal panoramas
The three corniches (coastal roads) cling to the cliffs between Nice and Monaco. You could drive this route without stopping in under an hour, but that would mean skipping many of the Côte d’Azur’s crown jewels, one of which is Èze.
Parking can sometimes be tough but this isn’t a stop to miss: snuggled into a rocky nest nearly 500m (1640ft) above the sea, Èze is a Côte d’Azur sparkler where the narrow medieval streets all lead to one place, the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, a serene multi-level garden where cacti grow among the ruins of the old château.
Detour: Next to Èze is another breathtaking craggy village called La Turbie. It is famous for the Tête du Chien viewpoint where you can see three countries: France, Monaco and Italy.
11. Gorges du Loup
Best for picturesque village hopping
From the mountain plains high above Cannes, the Loup River runs all the way down to the Mediterranean and is at its most dramatic northeast of Grasse, snaking through a landscape of plunging cliffs, perched villages, refreshing waterfalls and thick forest, an area known as the Gorges du Loup. Meaning wolf in English, the Loup has given its name to a cluster of delightful villages, starting with sun-kissed Le Bar-sur-Loup, which has a rich tradition of cultivating bitter oranges and is also the departure point for the Chemin du Paradis, a sporty 1½-hour hiking trail along an old mule track that winds up in Gourdon.
Le Pont du Loup is the launching pad for incredible hiking, swimming, rock-climbing and canyoning adventures. There’s also Tourrettes-sur-Loup, the village of violets, which is emerging as the foodie destination of the Côte d’Azur hinterland.
Planning tip: Loup River villages are perfect for gastronomic exploration. Bacho Brewery has the region’s best craft beers, SPELT restaurant serves divine spelt risotto with lobster and Tom’s Glacier is known for delicious violet ice cream. 
12. Mercantour National Park
Best for stunning alpine hikes and ancient engravings
Stretching from the Côte d’Azur into Haute Provence, Parc National de Mercantour is a magnificent national park that encompasses 679 sq km (262 sq miles). From wildlife-spotting opportunities (you can see marmots, chamois and ibex) to dramatic alpine hiking trails, it’s the ultimate playground for outdoor fans.
Within the park are two mysterious valleys (des Merveilles and de Fontanalba) shaped by the glaciers, with numerous crystalline lakes and more than 40,000 engravings from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
Planning tip: Reach the carvings after two to four hours of walking from the car parks in Les Mesches or Casterino, from the end of May to the beginning of October. It’s best to sleep on-site at the nearby mountain refuges Merveilles and Fontanalbe.
13. St-Paul-de-Vence
Best for scenic wine tastings
A 40-minute drive northeast from Cannes, St-Paul-de-Vence is a ridiculously pretty hilltop village that is a particular magnet for tourist buses in summer. Beat the crowds by following the Sentier des Fortifications Henri Layet, a discovery walk around the base of the ramparts that tells of the village’s history as both a military stronghold and an agricultural heartland.
Cast your gaze down the flanks and you’ll notice neat rows of vines. This municipal parcel is cultivated by Domaine des Claus, a biodynamic vineyard in nearby Tourrettes Sur-Loup. The path ends at the southern part of the thick medieval walls. From there, you can head back into the village – but before you do, pay your respects to Marc Chagall, who is buried in the local cemetery.
This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Provence & the Côte d’Azur guidebook, published in May 2024.
