Weather
The Riviera has a unique micro-climate which in general gives several hours of blue skies and warm sunshine a day, even in January. However, in the Winter, the early mornings and the evenings can be chilly and warm clothing should be taken. In July and August, it is very hot. In February it can sometimes be rainy.

Places Of Interest
Situated on the coast between Nice and Cannes, Antibes is an ideal base for exploring the French Riviera. Next door to Antibes, you will find lively Juan-Les-Pins, with long sandy beaches, bustling town and street cafes, where you can sit and watch the world go by.

July brings the famous Jazz Festivals to Juan-Les-Pins and Nice, where you can listen to Jazz from artists all over the world, under a Mediterranean sky.

Nice, the capital of the Cote d’Azur is a fascinating and historic city. Old Nice, the Port and the Chateau hill are particularly worth exploring.

Cannes, famous for the film festival in May/June time. See for yourself where the rich and famous congregate each year. It has a long sandy beach (quite a bit of which is owned by the hotels, but some is public).

St. Laurent du Var is a mini-resort near to Nice Airport. It has water sports and safe swimming areas in individual mini lagoons, protected by an outer reef where there are many seabirds. St. Laurent du Var also has a port and marina, with restaurants, bars and shops.

Monaco is another haunt of the rich and famous. It is worth going to see the casino and the palace. On the way, call into Villefranche (recently voted the most beautiful harbour on this stretch of coast). Cruise liners visit here and there is often one (or more) moored off the coast (passengers come ashore in Tenders).

The Provencal Alps, with good skiing, are only two hours drive away.

Visit Grasse, a short drive inland, home to several perfume factories, where perfume and soaps are made from the herbs and flowers grown in the fields around.

A few miles west of Antibes, Saint-Tropez is worth visiting (best off-season) and there are pleasant walks in the pinewoods of the Isle de Saint-Tropez (not a real island). This is a whole-day trip. Port Grimaud, sometimes called Little Venice, is close to Saint Tropez. Visit the old chateau and town at Grimaud, a striking contrast to the new, modern development on the waterways of Port Grimaud .

Explore the Gorges du Verdon, with their breathtaking scenery and hairpin bends. Take a canoe on the river which runs along the bottom of the gorges or swim in the waters of the lake. Visit Gourdon, high up in the Alpes Maritimes, but just half and hour or so drive away from Antibes; pass through St.Paul de Vence, with its many artists' boutiques in cobbled streets inside the village wall.  See quaint Mediterranean villages clinging to the sides of steep rocky slopes. Suggested route Antibes - Grasse – Castellane – Lac de Ste Croix – Banjols – Draguignon – Frejus – Cannes – Antibes.

Esterel isworth a half-day trip to see the reddish coloured mountains of the Massif de l’Esterel which run behind the coast between. Some of the roads are hair-raising.