Marché d'Antibes

The Marché Provençal of Antibes is held in the old town, around the Cours Masséna, in and in front of a covered hall that dates from the early twentieth century. It is the main food market of the town, and a good reason to visit Antibes in the morning. The stalls open early, often by six or seven o'clock, and run until about one or two in the afternoon, with the best choice in the first hours. From Tuesday to Sunday the market is held in the morning, and in June, July and August it runs every day. The streets around it are closed to traffic while the market is on, so the stalls spill out into the open air and the covered hall.

The produce reflects the south of France. Fruit and vegetables are sold in season, from tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines and peppers in summer to citrus fruit, artichokes and chard in winter, and the colours and smells of the stalls are a large part of the appeal. Fishmongers offer the catch of the day from the Mediterranean, and the cheese stalls show goat's cheeses from the hinterland and mountain cheeses from the Alps. Charcuterie, olives and tapenade, jars of honey, jams and olive oils, spices and dried herbs are sold alongside, and bakers offer bread and savoury tarts such as pissaladière, with onions and anchovies. Flowers are sold too, as the area around Grasse, which lies in the hills behind the coast, is a centre of flower growing and perfume making, and some stalls sell soaps and scented products.

The market is a social place as well as a shopping one. Local residents come to do their weekly shopping and to chat with the stallholders, and there are cafés around the hall where you can sit with a coffee and watch. A few French phrases are appreciated. Bring a bag, as the stalls rarely hand out plastic, and it is polite to let the stallholder pick the produce rather than handle the fruit yourself. Cash is useful for small purchases, though many stalls accept cards.

Another market operates in the old town on certain days, with local craftspeople and antiques, and farmers' markets are held on selected Sundays elsewhere in Antibes, so ask at the tourist office if you want to find these. The times vary with the season, the weather and the number of stallholders.

The market lies within the walls of the old town of Antibes, which is among the nicest in the Riviera, with narrow streets, ramparts that overlook the sea and views of the Alps. The Musée Picasso, in the Château Grimaldi on the waterfront, is a short walk away, and the Port Vauban, one of the largest yacht marinas in Europe, and the star-shaped Fort Carré are not far. The Musée d'Archéologie is close too, and beyond the old town the Cap d'Antibes offers coastal walks, the Plage de la Garoupe and the Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret.

The market suits food lovers, early risers and anyone who wants to see how Provençal daily life works.