Antibes to Juan-les-Pins: A Walk Around Cap d’Antibes
Walking Antibes to Juan-les-Pins
As I mentioned in a previous post, Antibes turned out to be one of my favorite places on the Riviera, and after spending two visits in town, on my last visit, I went to walk the Cap d’Antibes peninsula from Antibes to Juan-les-Pins. The weather was perfect; sunny, warm, and just gorgeous. After a delicious breakfast at Les Filles du Micocoulier, just down the street from Le Marché Provençal in old town, I took off on my walk.
I walked down to the Archaeological museum and continued along the sea, just letting the road take me wherever it was going. The views were amazing, and I passed beaches, small coves, and little surprises along the way (hover over the images to see the caption).
Le Marché Provençal
Breakfast at Les Filles du Micocoulier
The Archaeological museum
View of Anbites from Port de la Salis
Les Amoureaux Aux Remparts by Raymond Peynet
Port de la Salis
Plage de la Salis
walk around cap d’antibes
The Dreamy Dock
I hadn’t been walking long when I came across the cutest little dock down a short hill from the road. I went down and hung out there for a while, taking pictures and getting lost in the beautiful view of the sea with that pale blue water and shimmering sunshine.
It was such a happy and peaceful spot, I could have stayed there all day. But I was still at the beginning of my walk, and had to keep moving.
Some places you want to hold onto forever, and this was one of them. When I got home and went through the photos from that day, I was so excited to see that I had managed to capture at least one image where the feeling of that moment in time came through. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, capture a feeling, and I’m always so happy and grateful when I do.
I wanted to preserve that moment, and keep it where I can see it every day, so this image is now a print, titled Cap d’Antibes. I hope it brings you the same sense of peace and happiness as it does me!
cap d’antibes
Stained Glass Water
A bit further down the road, I came across some steps leading down to the sea. I went down and at the bottom was the most gorgeous, crystal clear sea glass-green water. The movement of the small waves created an almost stained glass effect that was absolutely mesmerizing. At that point, it was starting to get really hot, and the water was so cooling just to look at that I ended up staying there for quite a while, shooting and watching the patterns morph and change.
Some of the images I took at this spot are now available as prints. Click on the images for more details on each.
cap d’antibes
Plage de la Garoupe
Eventually, I climbed back up and kept walking, and after a few more curves in the road, I spotted Plage de la Garoupe through the palm trees. Out of all the beaches I saw on the Riviera, it was probably the prettiest. The sand was white and soft, the views stunning and the water absolutely tropical looking. There is a small public spot but most of it belongs to two private beach clubs, Plage Keller and Plage Joseph.
Fun Fact: A few years ago, Plage de la Garoupe banned selfies, saying that “people at this sophisticated beach should be enjoying the moment rather than being preoccupied with taking photos to brag to their friends back home”. Not such a bad idea if you ask me, but it only lasted for a season. 😄
cap d’antibes
Sentier de Tirepoil
Right at the end of the beach is the start of a coastal footpath known as the Sentier de tirepoil, meaning hair-pull, and named so because of the strong winds that are apparently always blowing there.
The wind was certainly strong the day I went, but it felt nice in the heat, so I didn’t really mind. The footpath is well maintained, and it’s an easy walk with stunning views all along the way.
cap d’antibes
Villa Les Chênes Verts
I must have unknowingly veered off the path at some point because I suddenly found myself on a pretty, paved road lined with stone walls covered in bougainvillea and star jasmine and with a really cool mix of architecture.
I also came across the pretty Villa Les Chênes Verts (below), where Jules Verne apparently spent 6 winters rewriting his novels for the theatre. Honestly, you can’t walk for more than 10 minutes anywhere on the Riviera before finding something noteworthy! Also, how cute are those little hot air balloons?!
cap d’antibes
Espace Mer et Littoral
I decided to just keep walking rather than trying to find the path again, and shortly after, passed the entrance to the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, so I knew I wasn’t completely lost. I kept going, walked up a hill, and discovered the Espace Mer et Littoral, a small museum focused on marine wildlife and conservation. There’s also an old military defense tower – Batterie du Graillon – that you can climb, and the views from the top are fabulous. Behind the main building is a small wooded area with aleppo pines and a sea turtle rescue center
After exploring the museum and grounds, I went back out on the road, took a left, and went as far down the hill as I could, then kept following the road along the water.
cap d’antibes
Port l’Abri de l’Olivette
My next stop was the tiny harbor Abri de l’Olivette. It was so pretty and secluded, and filled with pointus, the colorful traditional Provencal fishing boats. As I walked in, a few kite surfers zoomed by, and a couple were sitting on the beach, the guy playing guitar and the girl singing, Edith Piaf among other things. I think they were just practicing, but to me, it sounded great and added the perfect finishing touch to the atmosphere!
After exploring and photographing there for a while, I went back out on the road and started walking towards Plage des Ondes.
Lots of air traffic makes for cool clouds!
cap d’antibes
Plage des Ondes
It didn’t take long to get to Plage des Ondes. It’s on the Juan-les-Pins side of the peninsula and it’s quite a small beach, but so pretty, with gorgeous views and a cute little stone tower.
The tower was built in the 1950’s as a private dressing room for the French actress Martine Carol. According to Wikipedia, she was: “One of the more beautiful women in film, frequently cast as an elegant blonde seductress. During the late 40s and early 50s, she was the leading sex symbol and a top box-office draw of French cinema, and she was considered a French version of Marilyn Monroe. However, by the late 50s, roles had become fewer, partly because of the introduction of Brigitte Bardot. Despite her fame and fortune, Martine Carol’s personal life was filled with turmoil that included a suicide attempt, drug abuse, and four marriages. She was also kidnapped by gangster Pierre Loutrel (also known as Pierrot le Fou or Crazy Pete), albeit briefly and received roses the next day as an apology.” !!
Other cool things at Plage des Ondes include a space invader installation by street artist “Invader” (real name Franck Slama), and a black and red lighthouse which you can barely see in the distance (below).
The lighthouse was built in the mid-60s and beneath it, under the surface, are the remains of a miniature town. It was all built as part of a film set for the movie L’Enfant et la Sirène (The Child and the Mermaid), but never used. The filmmakers ultimately decided that it was going to be easier to shoot the scenes in a studio and left the little underwater town where it was. It’s still there, and a few diving companies organize tours to it. Diamond Diving comes highly recommended.
cap d’antibes
Juan-Les-Pins
I kept on walking along the sea, and soon after arrived in Juan-les-Pins. I’m not sure if it needs an introduction, but just in case: Juan-les-Pins is a smaller town with beautiful sandy beaches, a few famous hotels, lots of bars and restaurants, and a couple of casinos. The town was hugely popular with artists in the 1920s, including Picasso, Marlene Dietrich, Dorothy Parker, Cole Porter, Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote “The Great Gatsby” and “Tender Is the Night.” here. It’s also known for the music festival Jazz à Juan, which, with a couple of exceptions, 2020 being the latest, has been held every year since 1960, and is the oldest jazz festival in Europe.
I strolled along the many beach clubs lining the shore, with views of the Esterel mountains and the Cannes Islands across the turquoise water.
From left to right: Le Provencal Beach Club • Juanita Plage • Hélios Plage • Yolo Beach Club
I did explore the town a little bit too, but at that point, between the heat and the walking, I was starving and exhausted and had really reached my limit, both physically and creatively.
I took a shorter route back to Antibes, and it felt SO good to finally sit down on the train back to Villefranche! The entire walk from Antibes to Juan-les-Pins, with lots of stops to shoot and look at the scenery, took me around 6 hours, and it was worth every minute – all those views and cool discoveries! I couldn’t wait to get back to the apartment and start going through the photos.
cap d’antibes prints
If there’s a particular image in this post that you would like as a print but don’t see in my store, just get in touch and let me know which image it is, and the size you would like. I’m happy to do a custom print whenever possible.
MORE FRENCH RIVIERA TRAVEL posts ON THE BLOG
PS. Looking for a great pair of walking shoes? My favorites are from Xero – the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!