Local area information

This is the world famous, much envied French Riviera, the very epitome of belle-époque beauty and luxurious lifestyles, firing the imagination.

Perhaps the most sophisticated of all Riviera resorts is Cannes, famed for its luxurious hotels and shops along the Croisette and in the Rue d'Antibes. Glamourised by its film festival, Cannes is the perennial home to the stars.

On either side of Cannes are some fine, less formal but equally sophisticated resorts. Théoule and Miramar on the opposite side of the bay are characterised by their jagged cliffs and reddish sandy beaches, providing wonderful vistas all the way to the Cap d'Antibes. Between Cannes and Nice lie Golfe-Juan, Juan-les-Pins and Antibes, an ancient Greek trading post, today a glamourous world-renowned resort and home to the Picasso museum.

Behind these coastal resorts, in the hills that eventually feed into the Alps, there is a wealth of medieval villages, oozing with charm and beauty. Grasse, with its old town labyrinth of quaint narrow streets and steep steps, is the world perfume capital, supplying the fashion houses of Paris and New York. With its many satellite villages - such as le Tignet, Plascassier, Cabris and St Jacques - Grasse, long known as the balcony of the Côte d'Azur, is built along south-facing terraces with dramatic views across the valley to the sea.

To the east of Grasse are numerous medieval towns and perched villages - such as Chateauneuf, Tourrettes and Vence, where the renowned Chapelle du Rosaire, decorated by Matisse, can be found close by.

To the south-east, Opio, Roquefort-les-Pins and the ever popular Valbonne, with its golf course, many restaurants and arcaded main square, are situated in an area of outstanding beauty.