Antibes: Old Town, Coast and Culture

Antibes brings together the Old Town, several museums and a food market, as well as coastal scenery, protected natural areas and gardens. If you are looking for a destination with a variety of cultural and landscape experiences, you can plan your stay around these interests. The options range from art and archaeology to a coastal walking trail and expansive gardens.

Old Town, art and a Provençal market

The Marché Provençal is a food market held under the covered market hall on Cours Masséna. Opening days and hours vary by season; check the current hours before your visit. The Musée Peynet et du dessin humoristique is in the heart of the Old Town, near the harbor. Its collection includes more than 800 drawings and documents, which make themed exhibitions possible.

The Musée Picasso offers a different artistic focus: it houses 300 works by Picasso that were created in Antibes. The collections therefore differ not only in size, but also in their connection to the city: the drawings and documents at the Musée Peynet make themed exhibitions possible, while Picasso’s works have a direct connection to Antibes through where they were created.

Archaeology and the history of antiquity

The Musée d'Archéologie is housed in the Bastion Saint-André, a military fortification built by Vauban at the end of the 17th century. Its two vaulted galleries house archaeological collections from the city of Antibes, originating from land and underwater excavations. They trace the history of the Antibes area in antiquity, as well as the traces left by the Ligurians, Greeks and Romans who settled there.

The Musée d'Archéologie therefore focuses on very different subjects from the art collections: its emphasis is on archaeological finds and the ancient history of the region. Its location in a military fortification and its collections represent two distinct aspects of the museum.

Coastal trail and nature at Cap d’Antibes

The Sentier de Tirepoil is a coastal walking trail at the southern tip of Cap d’Antibes. Allow about two hours for the roughly five-kilometer route. Weather-related closures may occur; check conditions before your trip.

The Batterie du Graillon offers more than two hectares of natural areas and 400 meters of natural coastline. The Espace Mer et Littoral is also located there. Since 2014, it has offered permanent and temporary public exhibitions, as well as educational workshops about the sea and coast. Specific programs may change. When planning your visit, the difference between the coastal trail, with its approximate length and duration, and the exhibitions and workshops can be a helpful point of reference.

Fort Carré and the gardens of Antibes

Fort Carré is surrounded by a protected, four-hectare park with typical Mediterranean fauna and flora. Its ramparts stand 43 meters high and offer impressive views. Access may be affected by safety-related closures; check current access information before your visit. As a structure, the fort is one of the first bastion forts built during the Renaissance on the orders of the French king Henry II.

The park at Villa Eilenroc covers eleven hectares. Its gardens include rose gardens with hundreds of varieties, most of which were bred in Antibes Juan-les-Pins, as well as an olive grove replanted with 50 olive trees. At Cap d’Antibes, Villa Thuret has been a scientific research center for botany and acclimatization since 1857.

When choosing your destination, consider whether you are most interested in museums and the Old Town, coastal scenery or gardens. These different interests can help you decide whether Antibes is right for your stay before you look for a hotel in the city.

Discover more destinations: Juan-Les-Pins, Roquesteron, Caussols, Bouyon, La Tour, Revest-Les-Roches, Saint-Blaise, Gilette

View the broader travel guide: Alpes-Maritimes.