The coastal town of Antibes on the French Riviera, has had a long association with the rich and famous. Since 1870 the glamorous Hotel du Cap, high up on the hill above the town, has been one of the most luxurious resorts in the world. Guests who have stayed there included Marlene Dietrich, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who spent many summers in the South of France prior to World War II. The actors, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton conducted an affair and honeymooned there.

 

Antibes is a really special place to spend time on the French Riviera. Pablo Picasso came to the town in 1946 and was invited to stay in the castle. During his six month stay, Picasso painted and started his fascination with ceramics and tapestries. When he departed Picasso left a number of his works for the municipality. The castle has since officially became the Picasso Museum. Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and former owner of Chelsea football club has a palatial mansion in Cap d'Antibes.

 

 

The beaches around Antibes are generally quite small and they get packed out in the summer. With Antibes being so close to Cannes, a lot of people travel out from the city in the late afternoon to enjoy some sun before heading to the cafes, bars and restaurants around the old town. Here is our selection of the best Cap d'Antibes beaches to visit this summer.

 

 

Antibes beaches: La Salis, Plage du Ponteil, Plage de la Garoupe

There are 48 beaches along the 25 km of coastline that surround Antibes and Juan les Pins. The main public beaches are La Salis, on the edge of Le Cap d'Antibes and Plage du Ponteil. But be warned, the public beaches are usually very crowded in the summer time. The bay of La Garoupe has some beautiful soft sand beaches and provides a magnificent view of Antibes.

Plage Keller, Antibes (Photo courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/plage.keller/]

This is also a popular spot for snorkelers, attracted by the clear blue water. Classy (and expensive) beach clubs occupy most of the beach spaces, the coolest ones reportedly being Plage Keller and Plage Joseph.

If you get bored of the beaches when you are in Antibes (especially if you are at the nearby Plage de la Gravette), just head up onto the old fortified walls surrounding the harbour. Here you will find an incredible sculpture by the Spanish artist, Jaume Plensa. The sculpture is called the Nomad and it features a man sitting with his arms holding his legs to his chest. The sculpture is made entirely of letters. You can quite easily spend a good 30 mins just licking an ice cream and trying to find rude words made up from the connecting letters. Well, I did anyway!

 

The Nomad of Antibes by the Sculptor Jaume Plensa

 

 

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Where to next . . . ?

If you are visiting the South of France this summer, then get the inside track on the best Places to see & visit in the South of France in 2026 (written by people who live in Southern France all year around). Read about the best restaurants to eat at, get local information on the best beaches to visit and discover the best tourist sites, markets and festivals to see during your stay.

 

Best beach bars in South France Find the best beach bars & restaurants in South France to visit during 2026. From glitzy private beach clubs on the French Riviera to Oyster shacks on the Languedoc coast	Best restaurants South France Discover our favourite restaurants to eat at in South France from Michelin star restaurants to beach restaurants and local restaurants where you can still enjoy a Plat de Jour for €13 euros.
Best festivals in South France  The summer comes alive in the South of France with crazy festivals. Discover everything from large music festivals to local festivals celebrating the humble apricot and Water Jousting!	Best markets in South of France Search out the best local markets to visit during your stay in the South of France this summer. We cover everything from local village markets to antique fairs and truffle markets in Provence.
Villas with private pools in South France Book a villa in the South of France for this summer through Go Languedoc and avoid all the hefty additional bookings fees of Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com.	Best tourist sites to visit in South France in 2026 Read about the best tourist sites to visit during 2026. Our articles cover Provence, the French Riviera and the old Languedoc region of Southern France.

 

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