Parc de la Garoupe

The Garoupe is the sheltered side of the Cap d'Antibes, the wooded headland that separates the old harbour town of Antibes from Juan-les-Pins, and the area has a special place in the history of the Riviera. Visitors come for the beach, the lighthouse on the hill, the old sailors' chapel and the coastal path, and each can be combined into a half-day outing. The cape is mostly residential, with large villas hidden behind walls and pine trees, so these public points are an important way of seeing the place.

The beach, the Plage de la Garoupe, has a famous past. Until the 1920s, the Riviera was mainly a winter resort, and hotels closed in the summer heat. The American couple Gerald and Sara Murphy, wealthy expatriates who lived at the Villa America on the cape, helped change that by taking up summer bathing here, reputedly having the seaweed raked from the sand to make the beach more pleasant. Their friends included writers and artists, among them Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso, and Fitzgerald's novel Tender Is the Night drew on their circle. The idea of a summer season on the Riviera, with sunbathing and swimming, followed, and the beach became fashionable.

Today, the sand is divided between private beach clubs, which rent loungers and serve lunch in summer, and a limited public area, so visitors who want to stay for free should arrive early. The water is clear, and rocks at the end of the bay are good for snorkelling. Outside the main season, the beach clubs close and the shore is quieter and easier to use.

On the hill above, the Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Garoupe is a small sanctuary long beloved by sailors, filled with votive offerings, such as models of ships and paintings, left by people thanking the Virgin for protection at sea. The terrace outside gives a wide view over the gulf, and the nearby lighthouse, a landmark for ships, has recently opened to visitors in season. The coastal path, which follows the rocky shore of the cape, offers a pleasant walk with views toward Nice and the Alps.

Other attractions in Antibes include the Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret, a botanical garden where many exotic trees were first acclimatised in France, the Musée Picasso in the Château Grimaldi, the Fort Carré, Port Vauban with its superyachts, and the Vieil Antibes with its Provençal market. The Musée d'Archéologie recalls the town's Greek and Roman past.

The area suits swimmers, walkers and history lovers, and it is busy in summer, so go early or visit in spring and autumn.