48 hours in Antibes: super yachts, sunbathing, and a soap shop

Everyone talks about the films and the fashion from Cannes, but no one tells you that the festival is just an excuse to soak up the delicious seaside in the South of France. With a dozen towns a quick train ride away from each other, you can scale the Riviera one Aperol spritz at a time.

For starters, you could staycation at Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel where Walt Disney and Princess Grace Kelly holidayed. With news of The White Lotus season four filming in Cannes, there’s a high chance there’s a grisly murder happening in the hotel’s Belle Époque halls at this very moment. But if fitness is more your beat, you can train with Rédouane Asloum, the former Olympic Games boxer, who doubles as the hotel’s coach, or simply sip spritzes and sunbathe at its private beach club.

When you’re finally tired of the plush pampering, don’t give up on the French Riviera. Take a quick train 20 minutes north of Cannes and arrive at Antibes, a seaside town where quaint cobblestone paths sit unassuming beside luxury super yachts. Away from the tourist traps of Nice and the €€€ of Cannes, you don’t have to bank on Instagram for hidden gems—they’re all around you.

Ask me; I recently spent a long weekend in Antibes with my best friends and we didn’t want to leave the sunny coast. To give you a glimpse of what the town has in store, here are 10 things to see, shop, do, eat, and drink over a weekend:

Start strong at Nérèa

Drop your bags at the Airbnb, grab your best credit card, and head to Nérèa, a soap shop that doubles as so much more. Of course, you will see lavender scrubs and pillow sprays straight from Grasse, but don’t fill your cart just yet. Move to the eccentric ear cleaning instruments, the olive oil laundry fixes from Marseille, and the dog-friendly solid soaps that also demand your hard-earned money. Forget magnets—these are the souvenirs you take home.

Catch a swim at Plage de la Gravette

Most people are enamoured by Port Vauban, the first and among the largest yachting marinas along the Mediterranean Sea. But don’t stop at the views of the turquoise water. Walk along the medieval walls until you stumble upon the best-kept secret: the sandy cove of Gravette. On a good day, the golden sand will be covered with beach mats and naked butts. Join them. Pull out a performative summer read, do a little beach photoshoot, or just run into the waves.

Queue up at Gelateria Del Porto

There’s no dearth of dessert in Antibes. You can keep it simple with buttered honey crepes at Les Filles du Micocoulier or be indulgent with tarte tartins and eclairs at Boulangerie Veziano. But if I had one pick, it would be the speculoos gelato at Gelateria del Porto. No matter the time, no matter the day, you will need to queue up, but the deep caramel and toasty nutmeg is so worth the wait.

People-watch at Billionaire’s Bay

As the name suggests, this neighbourhood homes the one per cent of the French Riviera. You can spot a string of luxury waterfront villas built over limestone, while other estates are carefully hidden behind pine trees. If you’re lucky, you will see their super yachts too. Sure, IRL you may be in a different tax bracket, but for a hot minute here you can cosplay the life of the rich and the wicked. It’s very Big Little Lies-coded.

Get! Those! Steps! In!

Everything in Antibes is a walk away. Just make sure you stay in the Old Town and before you know it you would have clocked 20,000 steps. Saunter into Antibes Books, where you will find an extensive collection of Le Petit Prince postcards. Then head to the toy shop next door to see bougie little French kids pining after whimsical Moulin Roty and Maileg mouse dolls. (Actually, Claris the Mouse walked so Aashiq Rat could run.)

Din-din at Pasta e Basta

Who needs Italy when you can have the richest cacio e pepe in a little French town? Imagine tagliatelle al dente, flaky Pecorino Romano, and sharp, salty pepper served in a pan just for you. It’s what dreams are made up of. I stayed in Antibes for three nights and every evening I ate the same meal. If I could do it again, I would change absolutely nothing. Put that on a Google review.

Time travel at Marche Provençal

Kick off day two as the locals do. Nothing screams Europe like an old-school morning market, and this stretch of loud and very convincing flower, fruit, and bread sellers is no different. From here, I bought bags full of salad and pasta spices; think dehydrated red hot peppers, thyme, garlic powder, flaky sea salt, and caramelised onion that give any pot a glow-up. My friends picked up travel bottles of flavoured olive oil and bags of dried and pressed lavender.

Soak in the art at Musée Picasso

If you’re wondering why the Spanish artist has a museum all the way in Antibes, it turns out Picasso spent the 1940s holed up in the south of France. The old Grimaldi castle where he once painted is now an ode to his Mediterranean-inspired art. So, you literally walk the halls where he created the framed artwork. Chills! ‘La Joie de Vivre’ starring dancing nymphs is the standout here but so is the museum gift shop.

Squeeze in a day trip

Pick between the ridiculously snooty Monaco, the vintage fairytale town Eze or Art Deco jewel Juan-les-Pins. As you can tell, I wouldn’t recommend the first unless you have big bucks and a bigger attitude to back you. Instead, hike to Pins for a low-key taste of the bars, casinos, and clubs that Côte d’Azur has to offer. Rumour has it, this beach town was F Scott Fitzgerald’s favourite getaway. And if you’re craving beauty immersion, take a train to the pink Lancôme house in Grasse, where you can make your own perfume and walk amidst the flowers that fill the bottles.

End with big sips at Troquet des Milliardaires

If I were you, I’d first run to Carmen Erna, a second-hand shop a few feet away from the cocktail bar. My friend bagged a gorgeous pair of cherry-red Sézane sandals here. We then celebrated this victory with spirit-forward drinks at Troquet. The tequila cocktail infused with truffle and lime, and the gin, rhubarb, champagne elixir make lovely, bubbly nightcaps.

How to get there: Fly into Nice and take a train 20 minutes away to reach Antibes