Chez Carla-Gite-The towns and villages of the Alpes-Maritimes

GRASSE (10 min by car - 1h30 walk)

A city known throughout the world for perfumery, it deserves to be visited. We particularly appreciate the historic city centre for its alleys that go up and down, its squares, its theatre... It has a lot of charm! Be careful, like many towns and villages in Provence, the streets are cobbled and very often sloping, so bring good shoes and water!

In addition to its International Perfume Museum (where you can create your own perfume!), Grasse is full of captivating places. We recommend a guided tour of the historic centre to better appreciate the richness of its heritage. Contact the Grasse Tourist Office. But you can also stroll through the streets as you wish, you may come across the Notre-Dame-du-Puy Cathedral: magnificent.

If you like chocolate, make a stop at the Maison Duplanteur chocolate factory, it is the only chocolate factory on the French Riviera! Chocolate making will no longer hold any secrets for you. Gourmets, be careful not to overdo the tasting! You can book your visit on their website or by phone at 09 67 56 46 69.
TIP: you can reach Grasse on foot (about 1h30 walk), via the Siagne canal accessible in a few minutes on foot from CHEZ CARLA. Directions to get to the canal, click here. Unfortunately, you won't be able to walk along the canal all the way. You will have to walk along the roads from the Sainte-Anne oil mill.

MOUGINS (17 min by car)

A less well-known city than Grasse, which is worth a detour, especially if you are an art and/or gastronomy lover.

Mougins gained notoriety thanks to Pablo Picasso, who spent his last 12 years there in his home, the Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie: l'Antre du Minotaur. Bought by a New Zealand businessman in 2017, it is no longer accessible to the public. You can however visit the Notre-Dame-de-Vie Chapel which adjoins the house and walk around to soak up the landscapes that rocked the end of Pablo Picasso's life.
If you like photography, consider visiting the André Villers Museum of Photography, this museum is a real source of original photos by Pable Picasso.
It is very pleasant to walk in the pedestrian city center. It is full of restaurants and bars, each one as tempting as the next.
A few hundred meters from the pedestrian center, an esplanade offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding villages.
As always, remember to take a look at the Mougins tourist office website if you want to know more.

CANNES AND THE LERINS ISLANDS (30 min)

I had to talk about Cannes, not by choice, but by obligation! Cannes is essential because of its notoriety.

My advice: if for you, Cannes is an essential stop on your stay, plan to visit it from the first days; otherwise, you may be disappointed! The historic city center of Cannes, Le Suquet, has charm, it's true. But it's tiny, you quickly get around it. As for the rest of the city center, it is a chain of shops and hotels. Ah, I almost forgot to mention the Palais des Festivals, which is only interesting if you imagine the stars posing on the stairs. Do you think I'm a bit harsh? I certainly am, but it's to better prepare you for the wonders that await you on the French Riviera.
The little train of Cannes: pleasant, it allows you to fly over the main tourist points, without getting tired. Because the view from the square in front of the Church of Notre Dame de l'Espérance has to be earned!

The Lérins Islands: real gems off the coast of Cannes, a change of scenery is guaranteed! Embark for Sainte-Marguerite Island or Saint-Honora Island and let yourself be carried away by the tranquility of the place. The crossing takes only 15 to 20 minutes and it costs about fifteen euros for the round trip.

The largest island, Saint Marguerite, is located in the north. Barely twenty lucky people have the privilege of staying year-round on the 2.1 km² island. It is covered with 152 hectares of Aleppo pine and eucalyptus forest. But its greatest treasure is its legendary royal fort, famous for having kept the Man in the Iron Mask within its walls.

Original: the first underwater eco-museum in France is on this island!

To the south is the island of Saint-Honora, six times smaller than its big sister. It is the place where about twenty Cistercian monks live. They still cultivate the vines that surround the sublime abbey where they live today. If you are wine lovers, you can taste their wines during a "Vines and Wines" day, to be booked in advance. At the extreme south of the island, perched on a pebble, is the old medieval fortified monastery, founded by the monk Honoratus, around the year 400.

GOURDON (30 min by car)

Gourdon is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is a real medieval fortress that overlooks the Loup valley. The visit is quite quick if you do it independently. From the Place Victoria, you will discover an exceptional panorama unfolding over 80 km of Mediterranean coast (you have a glimpse of it above and even then, the weather was not very good the day we went there!). If you want to enjoy this view, you will have to choose a day with particularly sunny and clear weather.

SAINT-PAUL-DE-VENCE (45 min by car)

An artist's village perched at an altitude of about 300m, it is known for its many galleries. However, if you are not an art lover, you will enjoy getting lost in the alleys and walking along the ramparts via the interpretation trail of the bastioned Henri Layet fortications. I found a website that talks about the visits to be made in this village, so I'll let you read it: Carnets Voyages.

NB: The village is taken by storm during the summer season making parking difficult and the city's parking is horribly expensive! So if you have the opportunity to go out of season, you will enjoy it more.

ANTIBES (40 min by car)

This city amazes me every time I visit! I like to stroll in the old Antibes and get lost in the cobbled streets, walk along the ramparts, walk on the coast of Juan-les-Pins... In short, as you can see, it's a favorite city!

To fully appreciate the riches of this city, I suggest you book guided tours. I have personally tested 3 of them myself in recent years and I recommend them:

Old Antibes, step by step: as the title suggests, you will discover the historic city center step by step.
Gourmet Antibes (only in summer): a treat for the taste buds and for the eyes! The gourmet side gives another charm to the visit and even children can enjoy it. The tastings change according to the partnerships set up by the tourist office.
Antibes Street Art. The latter is particularly interesting if you are an art lover, but not only! It allows you to see this city with a different perspective. I think we will enjoy this visit better if we already know a little about the place.

The Picasso Museum: whether you are an art fan or not, this museum is worth a visit. You can (re)discover works by Pablo Picasso, who used the Château Grimaldi as a studio in 1946. Also on display in the museum are the works of Nicolas de Staël, Hans Hartung and Anna-Eva Bergman. In addition, there is a very rich collection of modern art made up of exceptional donations made by the artists who have exhibited at the museum and acquisitions representing the major trends in the art of the twentieth century and the first years of the twenty-first century.

The Cap d'Antibes: Far from the urban constructions, the coastal path, called the Sentier de Tirepoil, is located at the southern end of the Cap d'Antibes. This hike, which is paved by paths and stairs in steep areas, is easy, provided you are comfortably shod. It will amaze you for 2 hours (about 5 km).

EZE (1 hour by car)

It is one of the most beautiful villages on the French Riviera. Located in Nice and Menton, it has the particularity of being perched on a rocky peak, where the mountain plunges into the sea. It offers a dizzying view of the coast, it's breathtaking!

You will realize that the alleys are narrow, there are a lot of steps to climb and we quickly went around them!
On the other hand, the botanical garden is definitely worth a visit. Even if you are not passionate about botany, you will be charmed by the many varieties of Mediterranean plants, but not only! They managed to create a "tropical" area in the shadow of the rocky outcrop. Going from a dry climate to a humid climate in a matter of seconds is quite unsettling!
On your way down from the botanical garden, 2 possibilities are available to you: either you drive to Monaco (which is only 1/4 hour away), or you take the direction of the beach of Eze-sur-Mer. A hiking trail called the Nietzsche Trail allows you to reach the beach in 1 hour. Be careful, everything that has gone down, must be brought up so be careful, the climate is harsh in summer, you have to think about bringing water accordingly. For the anecdote, the path was so named because while climbing this path in 1883, the German philosopher found the inspiration to write the third part of his work "Thus Spake Zarathustra": Old and New Tables.
On the way back, I advise you to make a detour to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a heavenly place. If you can, take the opportunity to eat in a restaurant by the sea, or just have a drink! The peninsula has many coves and beaches that will delight you if you plan to take a dip to cool off.

MENTON (1h10 by car)

If Menton is a pleasant city, it is more the nature that amazes us in this place. Wedged between the sea and the mountains, Menton benefits from a subtropical climate that benefits the vegetation. There are many parks and gardens to visit.

We were particularly won over by the Serre de la Madonna garden. Classified as a historical monument, the Serre de la Madonna garden is the work of Lawrence Johnston, a British subject. From 1924 onwards, he developed a tiered garden with multiple landscape architectures. The garden still contains countless rare plants and species.

The Lemon Festival is a unique event in the world, attracting more than 200,000 visitors every year during the month of February. For more than 15 days, you can follow the night corsos and the golden fruit corsos. These parades set in motion floats made of citrus fruits, animated by groups. It is a magical experience that will touch your child's soul. Access to the corsos is paid and you have to book several months in advance if you want a seat. The photo you see above was taken by us during a night parade in 2023.