Guida turistica di Antibes e Juan-les-Pins

Mentre guidi lungo la costa, la prima vista di Antibes toglie il fiato. Un'imponente fortezza medievale si protende nel profondo blu del Mediterraneo sullo sfondo spettacolare delle Alpi innevate. In passato, il resort ha attratto pittori tra cui Picasso, Monet e Renoir. Oggi, è una folla mega-ricca del jet set che ormeggia i propri yacht su quello che la gente del posto chiama Millionaires' Quay.

If you’re looking at a map, it’s hard to know where Antibes ends and Juan-les-Pins begins. These Riviera neighbors are lumped together in brochures, giving the impression that it’s all one big cohesive sprawl along the Cap d’Antibes peninsula between Cannes and Nice. It isn’t, of course – not when you’ve got ancient Antibes with its Greek origins and 16th-century ramparts sitting next door to the art deco elegance of beach-lined Juan-les-Pins. They couldn’t be more different, nor would you want one without the other.

Antibes è in realtà composta da tre parti: il centro storico di Antibes, l'idilliaca penisola di Cap d'Antibes e le spiagge, le ville Art Déco e la vita notturna della sempre affascinante Juan-les-Pins. Molti si riferiscono all'intera località turistica come Antibes-Juan-les-Pins.

Antibes is a popular seaside town in the French Riviera, with beaches and natural bays. It’s known for its old town enclosed by 16th-century ramparts with the star-shaped Fort Carré overlooking luxury mega-yachts moored at the Port Vauban marina.

Capo d'Antibes è una penisola boscosa è costellata di grandi ville e separa Antibes da Juan-les-Pins.

Juan-les-Pins is brashly commercial, in contrast to Antibes, which is all about highlighting its Provençal heritage. Still, it’s considered to be a chic resort with buzzing nightlife, albeit a smaller version of Miami.

Antibes si trova nella parte sud-orientale della Francia, tra Cannes e Nice, and has a population of around 75,000 citizens. Cannes is 10 kilometers away, while Nice is 25 kilometers. It has a clima mediterraneo of dry summers and mild, slightly wet winters.

The Antibes region has it all: landmarks full of historicity and modern combined with the upbeat nightclubs, beaches, and casinos. But we won’t sugar-coat the reality of the area.

To the east, between Antibes and Nice, there’s a 4-km stretch of sandy beach, which looks inviting on Google-Earth—but reality is harsher. The old coast highway lines the beach, sitting barely 15 meters behind the towels, funneling commuters and Riviera delivery vans at 50-70 km/h; when the traffic lights back-up you breathe pure exhaust. On the other side of the highway are rows of ugly big-box stores—not exactly palm-frond paradise.

To the west, between Antibes and Cannes, is Golfe-Juan . Reviews on booking sites flag the area as “cheaper than Nice or Cannes”, and budget hotels along Avenue de la Gare start under €50 a night, so the crowd skews local working-class families, backpackers and festival-goers who trade glamour for price and proximity. Expect packed picnic coolers, bluetooth speakers, and plastic mats instead of €40 day-beds.

Antibes

It’s easy to see why artists like Monet, Bonnard, Chagall, and Picasso, not to mention writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Graham Greene, couldn’t get enough of Vieil Antibes (old Antibes).

Dietro il lungomare Amiral-de-Grasse e le mura marittime del XVII secolo di Vauban si trovano un labirinto di negozi, ristoranti e colorate casette di pescatori piene di fiori che conducono al medievale Château Grimaldi , sede del Musée Picasso (e un tempo lo stesso Picasso). Troverai anche caffè informali e piccoli ristoranti dove puoi sederti all'aperto e guardare il mondo che passa.

Il nome originario della città, Antipoli, significava “la città di fronte”, così chiamata dai Greci nel IV secolo a.C. Il suo nome era un cenno alla sua città gemella, Nice, poiché esistevano rotte commerciali lungo la sua costa. I greci focesi fondarono un'acropoli nell'area nel IV secolo a.C.

Later, Antibes flourished under the Romans’ aristocratic rule, with an amphitheater, aqueducts, and baths. The early Christians established their bishopric here, the site of the region’s cathedral until the 13th century.

It was in the Middle Ages that the kings of France began fortifying this key port town, an effort that culminated in the recognizable star-shape ramparts designed by Vauban. The young general Napoléon once lived with his family in a humble house in the stronghold of the Old Town.

È possibile ripercorrere la storia greca e romana attraverso il castello e la chiesa. Ci sono ancora resti di acquedotti costruiti dai romani. Ville e case a schiera dei tempi antichi sono state scavate e mostrano la vita lussuosa dei suoi abitanti.

Vieil Antibes ha un'atmosfera quasi italiana, il che forse non è una grande sorpresa considerando che il grande forte di Antibes ha segnato il confine tra Italia e Francia fino al XIX secolo.

Con i suoi ampi bastioni di pietra che smerlano dentro e fuori sulle onde e sostenuti da smussate torri medievali, è facile capire perché Antibes (pronunciato "Awn-teb“) inspired Picasso to paint on a panoramic scale.

Monet fell in love with the town, and his most famous paintings show the fortified Vieil Antibes against the sea. He arrived in January 1888 and expected to stay only a few days; three months later, he had shipped off 39 canvases to be exhibited in Paris at the gallery of Vincent van Gogh’s brother.

Per vedere Antibes come Monet - e Picasso, Cross, Boudin e Harpignies - una volta, recati all'ufficio turistico per un opuscolo (disponibile in inglese) sul Sentiero dei pittori (completo di mappa) o registrati per una passeggiata guidata lungo la traccia.

Juan-les-Pins

Juan-les-Pins is a popular holiday destination for blue-collar French people, and known for its sandy white beaches. Administratively part of greater-Antibes, Juan-les-Pins nevertheless has a much different vibe than its neighbor. Founded in 1882, this seaside resort town expanded in the 1930s, largely thanks to the American billionaire Frank Jay Gould, after whom the local park La Pinède Gould is named.

Peace is something you won’t find a lot of in Juan-les-Pins, but perhaps that’s what makes it such a good neighbor for Antibes. Juan-les-Pins has everything a young budget-traveler might want in a destination: beaches, night-clubs, casinos, festivals (like Jazzà Juan), and plenty of boutiques. Juan-les-Pins buzzes during the summer season, its long beaches and pontoons blazing with the colors of thousands of sun loungers and parasols. Live-DJ decks on the private beaches can thump until 4am, and even double-glazing won’t save your REM cycle if you’re staying in the area. It gets even noisier every July during Jazzà Juan, che è il festival jazz più antico d'Europa. Ma anche quando la musica non riempie l'aria estiva, le strade si affollano di gente che mangia sulle terrazze dei ristoranti all'ombra delle palme fino alle prime ore del mattino. È come una versione civilizzata di Ibiza.

If you’re looking for something more elegant, enjoy an afternoon drink at the waterside terrace of the Art Deco Hotel Belles Rives , once a private villa rented by F Scott Fitzgerald. Stroll the promenades and picnic under the groves of pines that grow abundantly in the area. It’s a great place to people-watch during the summer. In the evening, have dinner with a chilled glass of local rosé and watch the sun set over the sea. Late-night, you can exhaust your remaining energy dancing and partying until dawn.

Capo d'Antibes

It is one of several millionaire’s paradises in the French Riviera. Similar to Cap Ferrat, but less expensive, it’s also filled with luxury villas and has a picturesque seaside walk around it. Amongst the palatial villas of many extremely wealthy individuals is the famous Hotel du Cap, Eden Roc , where many celebrities spend time during the Cannes Film Festival.

Much like Cap Ferrat, at the Cap d’Antibes’ summit is a lighthouse, the Phare de la Garoupe . You can reach it via the stony road of Chemin du Calcaire, which is good for una passeggiata al mare di mezza giornata. The postcard fantasy is a breezy ramble around the Cap on the Sentier du Littoral, but reality bites: the path now closes several times a year (sometimes for months) thanks to rock-fall repairs, storm surge damage or simple bad weather alerts. When it is open, long stretches are squeezed between villa fences and sheer drops with zero shade, so your sea-view stroll can feel more like a single-file evacuation drill.

Le migliori attrazioni di Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins

Avoid the over-built and rather ugly residential and commercial areas surrounding Antibes and focus on visiting these spots:

Spiagge di Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins

Ad Antibes-Juan-les-Pins non mancano le spiagge con i suoi 25 chilometri di costa. Ci sono 48 spiagge private e pubbliche in tutto.

A differenza di molte altre spiagge del sud della Francia, molte delle spiagge di Antibes sono sabbiose, non rocciose. Anche se troverai difficile trovare un po' di solitudine qui, specialmente durante l'alta stagione estiva, vale la pena ritagliarsi il tuo pezzo di sabbia e rilassarti mentre ti godi il sole del Mediterraneo. Un'altra alternativa è pagare per l'accesso a una spiaggia privata, spesso ospitata da un ristorante. Puoi noleggiare una poltrona e goderti il ​​pranzo mentre ti rilassi.

There are several sandy beaches like La Gravette, Ponteil, and Salis where the water is shallow. Juan-les-Pins has public beaches, while Cap d’Antibes has private beaches and sometimes hidden resorts complete with umbrellas and parasols. They also have water activities like snorkeling and diving.

Assicurati di controllare la nostra guida alle migliori spiagge per ulteriori dettagli.

Centro storico di Antibes

Be certain to spend some time strolling through the cobblestone streets of this historic and enchanting old town, admiring the beautiful facades inside the medieval walls. Stroll Promenade Amiral-de-Grasse along the crest of Vauban’s sea walls, and watch the sleek yachts purring out to sea.

Ancora più inebriante, appena fuori dal lungomare, è il labirinto di vecchie strade simile a un souk, con il suo mercato pieno di pesce fresco e formaggio di capra, erbe selvatiche e spezie esotiche. Sede di innumerevoli piccoli negozi e ristoranti, questo affascinante quartiere offre colpi di scena e tesori nascosti come l'anticolavoro(fontana della lavanderia pubblica) nel centro storico dove la gente del posto, come la madre di Napoléon, lavava i propri vestiti prima di appenderli come ghirlande nelle stradine.

Marche provenzale: il famoso mercato all'aperto di Antibes

Questo mercato , in Antibes’ old town, is a covered iron-framed structure where you can find fresh Provencal products. Locals, as well as tourists, can enjoy buying tempting fruits and vegetables, cheeses, tapenades, herbs, olives, olive oils, and dried sausages. There is also a craft market in the summer. Shops and cafés are on one side. It’s easy to get carried away by the produce here: olives, cheese, tapenade, fresh fruit and veg, plus the wonderful charcuterie brought in by Corsican traders.

Se ti piacciono i mercati, dai un'occhiata al nostro guida ai migliori mercati della Costa Azzurra, e il nostro guida ai mercatini delle pulci e dell'antiquariato.

Museo Picasso

The old town of Antibes is home to one of the more evocative Picasso museums . Quite a few towns along the Côte d’Azur lay claim to being a former home of the great man (well, he did get around a bit), but few match the grandeur of Chateau Grimaldi. It’s a former Greek acropolis and then a Roman castrum. The chateau was, for a time, home to the Grimaldis, who served as governors in the town’s historic times. Picasso worked here in 1946 and it now houses one of the world’s largest collections of Picasso’s art. It has a collection of 24 paintings, 4 drawings, 32 lithographs, and 11 oils on papers. There are also 80 pieces of ceramics, two sculptures, and five tapestries.

The imposing 16th-century chateau fell into the artist’s hands for a mere six months in 1946, but he left behind a decent number of works in what became the first museum dedicated to the artist. It also houses his La Joie De Vivre, which he painted here. The joy captured in the painting is evident when you walk out into the sculpture-strewn garden and take in the sea view he woke up to every day.

Check out our guide to the Picasso Museum and its history and our guide to the best places to see art on the French Riviera.

Villa Eilenroc

At the tip of Cap d’Antibes, on a superb plot of 11 hectares, you will find ‘Villa Eilenroc’ . This Belle Epoque villa was built in 1867 by Charles Garnier (the architect of the Paris and Monte Carlo opera houses). For a long time, Villa Eilenroc belonged to an American couple, who restored the magnificence of the gardens, and in 1982, Hélène Beaumont willed property to the city of Antibes, provided that the gardens would be open to the public. The city began a large-scale restoration and added a public rose garden, creating an amazing collection with hundreds of varieties of roses. Guests of the city appreciated these efforts, and Antibes was anointed “the rose capital of France”. The gardens are located at a height of 30 meters above the sea and offer another beautiful view of the bay.

Il 1° piano di Villa Eilenroc è aperto il mercoledì e il sabato dalle 10:00 alle 16:00 per un biglietto d'ingresso di € 2 (ma chiuso dal 19 agosto al 21 settembre e per eventi speciali, quindi controlla in anticipo). I saloni di ricevimento conservano l'atmosfera Louis Seize-Trianon della nobile facciata. Il Winter Salon ha ancora il suo1.001 nottimurale del soffitto dipinto da Jean Dunand, il famoso designer Art Déco; le vetrine sono piene di cimeli donati da Caroline Groult-Flaubert (residente ad Antibes e figlioccia del grande autore); e il boudoir haboiserie(elementi decorativi in ​​​​legno) dal Marchese di Sévigné's palazzo di Parigi.

Port Vauban: porto principale di Antibes

Porto Vauban has the largest marina and yachting harbor in all the French Riviera and even in Europe. It can moor more than 2000 ships and crafts. The port can also accommodate crafts that are more than a hundred meters, so it’s a popular spot for the world’s billionaires to dock their superyachts. The breakwater promenade is still public, but most of the harborfront cafés have given way to yacht-broker showrooms.

Église de l'Immaculée Conception

La Chiesa dell'Immacolata Concezione , una chiesa cattolica romana, è un monumento nazionale. L'altro nome è Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Platea d'Antibes. Ha una facciata italiana color ocra e rossastro classico. All'interno si trovano opere d'arte sia moderne che rinascimentali, tra cui un dipinto della Vergine con il rosario e una rappresentazione intagliata nel legno a grandezza naturale della morte di Cristo.

Place Nationale: la piazza principale di Antibes

Questa piazza ha caffè all'aperto in estate e a negozio natalizio in winter. You can find and buy antiques, handicrafts, jewelry, and other trinkets on the stalls. At the center of the square is a 5-meter high column that was a gift from Loius XVIII to the royalists of Antibes for not accepting Napoleon Bonaparte after his escape in Elba.

Parco Exflora

Questo parco è al centro di un uliveto di 12 acri. Il suo ingresso principale ha un design tradizionale del Rinascimento italiano con stagni e fontane lungo la terrazza. Un tipico labirinto di arbusti da giardino provenzale è uno spettacolo piacevole. Puoi anche goderti la vista di rose e palmeti.

La Pinède

Questo parco , in the center of Juan-les-Pins, houses the pine grove gave the town its name. On the north is a playground for children. There are also benches good for sitting in the sunshine or under the shade of the pines. Overlooking the beaches there is a large structure that becomes an open-air theater for concerts. It is a venue for Jazzà Juane Jammin'Juan in estate. I visitatori possono anche vedere l'impronta della mano degli artisti jazz che hanno suonato al festival lungo i sentieri.

Le Fort Carré

Forte Carré is a masterpiece of military engineering. It has four pointed bastions and a circular keep at the center. The fort is a prominent feature in the skyline on the far side of the yacht harbor. The rampart walk gives a scenic view. In fact, Fort Carre is located on a cliff at an altitude of 26 meters above sea level, and this is the best place for a 360° panoramic view. Initially, the fort was built for strategic defense, but later it was used as a barracks and military training center. During the French Revolution, Napoleon was briefly imprisoned in this fort, and it also played an important role in 1860, when Nice was annexed to France.

In viaggio verso Antibes