Port Vauban

Port Vauban is the yacht harbour of Antibes, and by the number of large boats it can hold it is the biggest marina in the Mediterranean, which is why the town is sometimes called the yachting capital of the Riviera. It lies just below the old town and the walls of the ramparts, on the north side of the headland that forms Cap d'Antibes, and from the quays you can see the snow-capped Alps behind Nice on a clear winter day. The port was developed in its modern form in the second half of the twentieth century, but a harbour has existed on this spot since antiquity, when the Greek and later Roman town of Antipolis used the sheltered cove for trade.

The name refers to the military engineer Vauban, who in the late seventeenth century redesigned the defences of Antibes for Louis XIV. At that time the town stood on the border with the Duchy of Savoy, and the king wanted the harbour protected. Vauban reinforced the ramparts, which still run along the waterfront beside the port, and he built bastions and a new gate. The star-shaped Fort Carré, which stands on a hill at the eastern edge of the harbour, is part of the same defensive system. The result is an unusual contrast, as modern yachts that are among the largest in the world are moored below stone walls from the age of sail.

The best-known part of the marina is the quay where the largest superyachts moor, sometimes called the Quai des Milliardaires, the billionaires' quay, where boats of over a hundred metres may be tied up in the season. Visitors can walk along the quays and look at the boats, which come in all sizes, from small sailing yachts to floating mansions with helicopters on deck, and the sight is part of the entertainment. A walk along the port takes about half an hour to an hour, and the ramparts make a good extension, with a path along the top of the walls looking out over the sea. In the spring the Antibes yacht show draws buyers and visitors to the port.

The port is free to walk around and open at all hours. It is most lively in the evening, when the crews are at work and the lights come on. Summer is the busiest season, and winter brings wind and strong waves but also fewer people and clearer views of the mountains. Antibes is easy to reach by train from Nice or Cannes, and the station is a short walk from the harbour. A coastal path leads along the Cap d'Antibes, passing small coves and villas.

Other places close by include the Musée Picasso, in the Château Grimaldi on the waterfront, the Marché Provençal, the Musée d'Archéologie and the old town. Juan-les-Pins, a short distance away, hosts the Jazz à Juan festival each July. The port suits families, boat lovers and walkers.