The French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur, is known worldwide for its glamorous cities, pristine beaches, captivating hilltop villages, and celebrity sightings (especially during the Cannes Film Festival). With so many beautiful places to explore, you’ll want to narrow your trip down to some of the best places to visit on the French Riviera.
A lot of where you choose to visit in this part of Southern France will depend on what you are looking for. The French Riviera has it all – picturesque beaches with neon blue waters, colorful seaside towns, beach clubs where you can relax under an umbrella, working vineyards with stunning sunset views, local markets featuring fresh foods and flowers, and luxury hotels you’ll never want to leave.
If you are looking for places to add to your French Riviera itinerary, don’t miss out on the top places to visit on the French Riviera.
You may also like:
Turkish Riviera Itinerary
What to Do in Menorca, Spain
Places to Add to Your Travel Bucket List
***Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Booking through them earns me a commission at no extra charge to you.
Best Places to Visit on the French Riviera
Saint-Tropez
St. Tropez is an icon of the French Riviera for a reason. It’s an experience woven with luxury, charm, and a touch of star-studded magic. From spotting celebs (we saw Leonardo DiCaprio when we went!) to indulging in crepes recommended by our friends, St. Tropez effortlessly blends its uber-trendy reputation with the quaint charm it still holds as an idyllic seaside village.
Make sure to take some time to wander through the ‘old town’. The sandy beaches in St. Tropez are world-famous for a reason – they are gorgeous! You can’t miss the crepes at Crêperie GM Gourmandise. Our besties @laurandnicolas recommended it, so we headed straight there when we arrived. The crepes were even better than we imagined.
You can’t visit France without experiencing a working vineyard! We tried a few, but our absolute favourite was drinking wine right next to the vines at Chateau des Marres. Of all the beautiful things we did in St. Tropez, I think this was our fav. Nothing beats having a glass of wine in a working vineyard owned by a down-to-earth French family.
They also have an al fresco terrace that cascades down to their vineyard. You can visit during the day, but the sunsets here were unmatched.
Overall, what makes St. Tropez one of the best French Riviera cities isn’t just its glamour reputation and the chance of running into a celebrity; it’s the seamless blend of luxury, authenticity, and natural beauty that resonated so deeply with us.
Nice
Nice is full of vibrant energy and a kaleidoscope of colours to create a destination with a great food scene, buzzing energy, neon blue beaches, local markets, and plenty of beach clubs to choose from. It’s quite busy, especially in the summer high season, but it’s definitely worth a two or three night stay.
Plage Du Centenaire was one of the best beaches in Nice with a colorful sea of umbrellas thanks to the many beach clubs here. The beach is really big, so there is always room but it does stay quite busy. You can choose from the various beach clubs or just lay a towel in the sand before jumping into the Gatorade blue water.
We also stopped by the Marché aux Fleurs, a flower and fresh food market that runs from Tuesday through Sunday in the main square. I totally recommend a stop here, but don’t each breakfast before you go because, wow, the food is amazing!
Eze
Eze’s quaint charm and breathtaking vistas draw you in from the moment you arrive. It’s easily accessed from Nice for a perfect day trip within the French Riviera. This beautiful little French hillside village with narrow streets made of old cobblestone is the perfect spot to spend a morning exploring.
It also has an incredible cactus garden with panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. The Eze Cactus Garden is a must see. The entrance fee is affordable for walking the grounds, and it has the best view in the village.
We visited the garden mid-morning to beat the heat. I really recommend this because it gets very hot, especially in the summer.
We also found a cute little spot tucked down a small alleyway to sit under the vines for lunch. Eze is not a huge town, and it does not have a large selection for food options. However, we loved La Taverne.
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the more popular spots on the French Riviera, Eze is an ideal spot to retreat from the crowds.
Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle is a dreamy French village perched on a hilltop close to St. Tropez. Stroll through the winding lanes of the village, savor a coffee in a cafe, and visit the bakery for lunch at Cafe de L’Ormeau.
This part of the French Riviera was the perfect mid-morning stop for us. We enjoyed iced coffees before finding a cute spot to enjoy a vino. This dreamy town is a perfect 10 and deserves to be one of the spots on your French Riviera bucket list.
Plage Du Centenaire
Right on the foreshore in Nice, this beach is packed with other beach lovers. It’s big enough that there is always room for one more though, and the stunning view makes it worth the effort to find the perfect spot on the beach.
With azure turquoise water and plenty of little beach clubs to enjoy, you don’t want to skip Plage Du Centenaire on your French Riviera itinerary.
The Maybourne Riviera
Situated in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the Maybourne Riviera is an ultra-luxe stay and our favourite hotel in the entire French Riviera. It also has our favorite beach club in the French Riviera, La Plage.
This property is absolutely stunning and a great place to spend a few days exploring the French Riviera. Somehow the sky is more blue and the colours are more vibrant here than anywhere else in the South of France. In just the first five minutes of our stay, I was already in awe and knew I would have to come back one day.
Overlooking Monaco and the French Riviera, you’ll find that the Maybourne Riviera is in a class of it’s own. Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, this luxury hotel has a chic aesthetic, Michelin dining, and infinite ocean views. It is literally a design lover’s dream!
Our room here was perched on a spectacular hillside with views of Monaco, France, and Italy. While the lunch at La Piscine featured great views, our dinner views were next level at Riviera Restaurant. My jaw hit the floor when we walked in, and I couldn’t believe how stunning the restaurant was.
We also dined in the Michelin Star restaurant, Ceto. Here we were treated to a multi-course fine dining experience with paired wines. Ceto plays with delicacies like algae, sea herbs, and sea cucumber to create meals that are heavenly.
The hotel provides you with transportation to our favourite beach club of the trip, Maybourne La Plage. It’s the perfect combination of sea, sun, and salt. Plan to be here for a meal so you can enjoy lunch with the waves of the azure sea crashing around you.
Check current pricing and availability here.
Grimaud Village
When we visited Grimaud Village, we felt like we stumbled into a miniature Venice in the South of France. It’s a super cute down with houses that meet the sea, lots of canals to explore, and four small islands connected by bridges.
While you can walk around the streets, we choose to hire a small boat to explore the canals. It’s the best way to enjoy the village to its fullest! We loved the inner town, but cruising on a boat through the canals was one of our favourite experiences.
Looking for a tour of the French Riviera? Consider one of these top-rated options:
When it comes down to it, exploring the French Riviera is magical no matter where you go. From the iconic glamour of Saint-Tropez where we rubbed shoulders with a celebrity to the dreamy smaller towns lesser known to visitors, each destination offered its own unique charm.
You may also like:
Turkish Riviera Itinerary
What to Do in Menorca, Spain
Places to Add to Your Travel Bucket List
Like this post? Pin it for later and share it with others!
The comments +