Antibes - Juan Les Pins (France)

Antibes and Juan Les Pins are administratively and geographically linked and form a resort that together provides all you will want on an holiday.

Situated on the Baie des Anges across from Nice you are well placed to visit Nice, Monaco or even Italy to the east or Cannes to the west. Saint Tropez is not very far but is difficult to reach other than by what can be a very long car journey and I would certainly advise against the attempt during July and August.

The easiest way to reach Antibes from the UK is by air direct to Nice Cote d'Azur International Airport you will then have the choice of Taxi, bus or train to Antibes ( Juan les Pins has its own railway station 2 mins further down the line ). Taxi's are expensive in this area and best avoided if possible but if you are burdened with small children and baggage it may be the best option.

Antibes boasts some excellent hotels amongst them the renowned Eden Rock often voted the best hotel in the world, unfortunately its prices match its deserved reputation. Much more affordable accommodation will be found at Juan Les Pins. A quick search on the internet will give you plenty of choice. Prices vary dramatically throughout the year and if you can avoid July and August you will save a great deal of money and have a lot more space on the beach.

The beaches of Juan les Pins are better than at Antibes itself and are good sand unlike the large pebbles of Nice. There are public beaches but as is usual along this coast most are private and you will pay for a sun bed and have access to the bar and restaurant with toilet and shower facilities provided. You can expect to be charged between ten and thirty Euros depending on position and the time of year.

Juan les Pins is also where you will find the late night action with a number of discos the best known being the Village which is open every night in the season and at weekends out of season, just across the road is the Whisky A Go Go once owned by the man who invented the discothèque both the concept and name. He now owns the radio station at Cannes and leads a quieter life but still has a twinkle in his eye as he tells his stories of the past.

There are numerous places to eat both in Juan les Pins and Antibes catering for all tastes and pockets there is even an Indian restaurant in Antibes for any of you suffering withdrawal symptoms. One of my favorite places is La Crique which only opened in the spring of 2002. It is beautifully decorated , the food is reasonable and the drinks enormous. The address is 6 Blv. de la Pinède just round the corner from the Village Disco. It stays open to about two in the morning and if you still have a thirst you can go on to a club.

There is plenty of shopping available in both Juan and Antibes the more interesting shops are to be found in the old town of Antibes including one I visit regularly a cutlers where you can watch the craftsman work at his forge and anvil creating custom made knives, a great souvenir. You will have to search him out for yourselves as it would be impossible to give you directions through the narrow backstreets.Heidi's Bookshop is your best bet for a choice of english books.If you have a car there is a large Carrefour supermarket in Antibes more expensive but much more convenient are the numerous Casino shops and supermarkets.

Make sure to visit the Musée Picasso at the Place Mariejol housed in the old Chateau Grimaldi if you don't like the paintings it is worth it for the view. Take a walk along the 16th cent. ramparts and enjoy the sea air and don't miss a walk about the old port. To see the really big yachts keep going to the outer harbor this is where you will find the yachts with their own helicopters or planes. Most of the crews are english and keep the bars busy all year round.

A good walk to take if the sun is not too hot is around the Cap d'Antibes you will be able to admire the luxury houses of the super rich partially hidden behind their high walls and gates. President Putin is said to have recently purchased one for £20 million and his son another along the coast towards Nice. It would be nice if he he is taking an interest in all those Russian girls standing out in all weathers on the promenade d'Anglais at Nice, perhaps he intends to give them somewhere to live.

It was near here that in 1815 Napoleon landed back in France after fleeing exile in Elba, so starting his journey to defeat at Waterloo one hundred days later. There are many museums of Napoleon to be found across the south of France, all that I have visited are poor with third rate collections and unless you are looking for somewhere to escape a thunderstorm are best ignored.

At the Pinede in Juan les Pins there is a small amusement park with a merry go round, dodge'ums, mini-train and a free childrens play area. In the summer months there are also donkey rides which are much enjoyed by my younger visitors.

Marine Land is a short journey towards Nice and is a good if quite expensive day out. If you go and wish to stay dry sit well back from the killer whales, their favorite trick is to soak the front rows of spectators.

This area can be expensive but do not be put off, you do not have to stay at luxury hotels and out of season bargains can be found. It is a great place for a short break in the spring or even in the winter if you just want to escape the english weather. I had a visitor last winter who paid £16 return from Luton he said he saved money as he spent less than he would if he had spent the weekend at the pub.