With its world-famous movie festival and superyacht marinas, the French Riviera is no stranger to the limelight. The Mediterranean playground of celebrities, billionaires, and European royalty boasts prime real estate—miles of white-sand beaches, sparkling ocean, sweeping corniche—and 300 days of sunshine a year. The best things to do in the French Riviera start with a boat cruise, hopping off to walk in the footsteps of the stars in Cannes and St. Tropez, getting your culture fix in Nice, or crossing the border to Monte Carlo in Monaco.
The annual Cannes Film Festival in May draws the most prestigious names in showbiz. Further along the coast, pastel-hued Menton becomes even more vibrant with its annual lemon festival in February when 140 tons of oranges and lemons are used to create statues up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall. Summer season on the French Riviera starts at Easter and lasts into October—or for as long as you can drink rosé outside without a coat.
There’s no shortage of transportation options in the French Riviera. The main ports of arrival are usually Nice or Marseille, which both have large, international airports. For ultimate freedom, rent a car. The coast road between Nice and Menton (a drive of around 30 minutes) is iconic, with bird’s-eye views over the Mediterranean, but be aware that during the summer months it’s a tight-packed thoroughfare of tourists, sports cars and sweating cyclists.
Cap d’Antibes is home to the famous Bay of Billionaires, and kayak tours take you right into the bay to explore the caves under the houses of the rich and famous. The secret underwater world of Cap d’Antibes doesn’t stop there. Underneath the striped lighthouse, La Fourmigue, lies an underwater city. Built as a film set in the 1960s, it was abandoned after filming was completed and is now the hidden playground of divers.
