Alpes Maritime, Cotes d`Azur
The department of the Alpes Maritime, famous for its Cotes d’Azur, is located in the far south east of France. It begins in the town of Theoule sur Mer, west of Cannes and ends in Menton which borders Italy. This area, where mountains meet the sea, is without doubt one of the most stunning landscapes in France.
Rent a holiday villa in this beautiful area and you will be totally spoiled with choice and where all tastes are catered for; small ports, lively sea-side resorts, charming medieval hill top villages, or the beautiful inland areas with fields of lavender, olive and vineyards, forests, river gorges, lakes and ski resorts.
From Cannes to Nice, Antibes and Menton the coastline is dotted with sandy and pebble beaches with both ancient mansions and modern luxury holiday homes in the hills behind.
Activities
Alpes Maritimes offers a wealth of choices of water sports, fishing, sailing, ice karting, skiing and other snow sports, cycling, hiking and of course golf. The area has more than 21 first class golf courses, 4 of which are in the beautiful mountain areas. Golf Rustique d’Auron, Golf Club de Biot, Royal Mougins Golf Club and Golf Country Club Nice are just a few of the most popular.
Culture and Festivals
From the numerous museums, stunning architecture, art galleries and a wealth of theatrical and classical music events you are spoiled for choice in the Alpes Maritime.
There are a multitude of events from carnivals and parades to summer music festivals in most of the towns in this department.
Cuisine
From mouth-watering fish soups and other numerous delicious Seafood dishes flavoured with the area’s aromatic herbs to the Italian influenced delicious menus using fresh local ingredients, the choice and the variety is simply endless. The choice of delicate and delicious confectionary is equally tempting. As for wine, the best of the Cote wines come from Bandol and around Nice the Bellet wines are worth discovering. Cocktails are a Cote speciality and Pastis is welcome at any time of day in these parts.
Towns
Cannes is one of France’s most important cities after Paris is synonymous with the glamour of the Cannes Film Festival. Cannes’s motto is ‘Life is a Festival’ and it certainly lives up to that, with numerous festivals throughout the year. The old port of Cannes welcomes a host of luxury cruise ships while Le Croisette beach has a lovely promenade lined with gracious hotels, designer boutiques and excellent restaurants offering first class cuisine.
A pleasant and peaceful way to end a visit to Cannes is to take a short boat trip out to the lush and tranquil island of St Honorat where you can visit the ancient monastery where monks still reside. You can easily walk around this tiny island, sit and soak up the sun on one of the green banks at the waterfront or enjoy refreshments in the shady tea garden. Renting a holiday home in the hills above Cannes gives you a wonderful view of the bay.
Nice is the capital of the Alpes Maritime, a sea port and also the main airport for this department. For art lovers, a visit to The Mattisse Museum will prove rewarding and the Chagall museum contains the largest collection of the artist’s work in one place. This sunny city with its Promenade des Anglais, numerous shops, markets, water front and pavement cafes has many lively carnivals and festivals throughout the year. Nice is an ideal base from where you can explore the stunning areas of the beautiful Cotes d’Azur when renting a self catering apartment in the city or a holiday villa in the hills above Nice.
Mougins is a delightful inland village well known for its first class restaurants and excellent golf course.
St Paul de Vence is home to many artists both past and present. The views are just stunning in this whole area, which makes it well worth a visit.
Antibes- Juan Les Pins has many beautiful beaches along the 25km coastline that surrounds this area, each with its own unique character; many small and ideal for families with young children, while others offer excellent water sports. Antibes Aquasplash is very popular with families.
The old port of Antibes has a charming little harbour full of fishing boats and Yachts and a distinction all of its own. For art lovers, The Picasso Museum is a rewarding visit. Antibes has a wide choice of self catering holiday accommodation and is a good base from which you can explore this beautiful department of France.
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a beautiful picturesque little harbour with delightful waterfront cafes and restaurants. It was built on a wooded slope, has a walled 15th century citadel and delightful pink and orange shuttered houses.
Menton is the last coastal resort before the Italian border. The cliffs behind Menton allow it to benefit from a mild and sunny climate which is ideal for the cultivation of lemons tangerines and olive groves. The town is famous for its tropical gardens; in particular the Serre de la Madone. The Baroque basilica of St Michael the Archangel with its bell tower is one of the most beautiful spots in the town.
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