Your guide to the South of France
Where to swim before the crowds arrive and which mornings are worth an early alarm.
August can be crowded and expensive. But locals know quieter, simpler ways to enjoy it. This issue shares their best tips.
By Jacquie
I moved to the Côte d'Azur twice before making it home. Now a local real estate agent, I share what I wish someone had told me.
What's on
From authentic village celebrations to larger public events, here are a few places and experiences I'd recommend checking out this month. These are the ones I'd add to my own calendar:
Fête du Jasmin, GrasseThe 80th edition. Flower-covered floats passing through the old town under a shower of jasmine. Go Sunday evening for the fireworks.
Fête du Blé et de la Lavande, PeilleBack after several years away. A proper hill-village harvest fête, twenty minutes above the coast and noticeably cooler than the seafront.
Les Soirées Estivales, everywhereThe department puts on free concerts, theater and dance in more than 150 communes, from June 26 to August 31. One of the most reliable ways to find a worthwhile evening close to home. Program by village at soirees-estivales.departement06.fr.
Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, CannesThe shows begin at 10:00 p.m. and can be watched free from any beach around the bay. France performs on August 4, Finland on August 15 and the Czech Republic on August 24. Arrive an hour early or park in Le Cannet and walk down.
French Flyair, MentonThe aviation village runs all weekend, with flight simulators and other activities. The aerobatic displays and the Patrouille de France take place on Sunday, August 30. Events are held on the Esplanade Francis-Palmero and Promenade du Soleil. Menton station is 200 meters away, so take the train.
Vide-greniers & brocantes
Here's a selection of vide-greniers and brocantes taking place across the Côte d'Azur this month. Whether you're after antiques, vintage treasures or simply enjoy wandering local markets, these are some of the dates to add to your calendar. This section is put together with the help of my husband, Hervé, co-founder of Azur Logistics: through our house clearance business he travels across the region and knows where the best sales and hidden gems tend to be. His advice: Sunday village vide-greniers are often the best place to uncover unique finds, while weekday professional brocantes generally offer more consistent pricing and a wider selection.
Brocante du Cours Saleya, NiceAugust 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. The east end of the Cours. A reliable professional market, with the best pieces usually gone by 9:00 a.m.
Brocante professionnelle, AntibesAugust 4, 11, 18 and 25, Place des Martyrs de la Résistance.
Vide-grenier, Lucéram · Bourse des collectionneurs, SospelLucéram at the Caserne; Sospel on the esplanade Gianotti.
Vide-grenier, GourdonPlace du Château. Small and the view is the point.
Three at onceThe annual comité des fêtes vide-grenier winds through the lanes of Lucéram. The other two brocantes are at Notre-Dame de Valcluse in Auribeau-sur-Siagne and on Place Garibaldi in Nice.
Auribeau (day two), Saint-Martin-Vésubie, NiceSaint-Martin-Vésubie is worth the drive if you want to rummage in cool mountain air. Nice: parking des Pins.
Vide-grenier, NiceParking des Pins again.
Brocante de la rentrée, Cabris · Brocante annuelle, Cagnes-sur-MerCabris at le Grand Pré; Cagnes along Boulevard Kennedy. The two largest brocantes of the month and the last before September.
Where the locals swim
In August, don't look for an empty beach. Look for empty water. Water shoes often help, especially around the Cap d'Antibes and on the rocky beaches.
Cap d'Ail
Down a long stone staircase from the village, which is precisely why it stays quieter than the more accessible beaches. Clear water, two beach restaurants and a public stretch between them.
Go before ten or after five. The steps are steep coming back up.
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
The path combines a coastal walk with several important modernist landmarks and a dozen small entry points to the water. Shade is scarce; take a hat.
Antibes
Beside the sandy Plage de la Gravette and beneath the old town ramparts is a rocky stretch locals simply call Les Rochers de la Gravette. It isn't an official beach, but it's a favorite with locals for sunbathing and snorkeling in some of the clearest water in town, and it's often much quieter than the sandy beach next door at the height of summer.
There are no facilities or lifeguards here, which makes it feel a little more natural and less crowded. If you swim or jump from the rocks, check the sea conditions first and take extra care.
Cannes
Île Sainte-Marguerite is fifteen minutes by boat from the Quai Laubeuf and has a different atmosphere entirely. Walk twenty minutes past the fort and the coves empty out.
Take water. There is very little for sale on the island.
Théoule-sur-Mer
West of Cannes, the red rocks of the Estérel gradually replace the pale limestone of the coast. Expect small coves, broad red rocks and usually far fewer people than on the beaches around the bay.
Anywhere
Almost every beach on this coast is beautiful at eight in the morning and, in high season, unbearable at two in the afternoon. That is the whole trick and it costs nothing.
The village of the month
Each issue takes one place and tells it properly: what it was, what is genuinely worth seeing and when to go. I am starting with the old town of Antibes because I lived there and living inside those walls is not the same as visiting them.
It is older than almost everything else here. The Greeks of Marseille founded it as Antipolis, the town opposite, somewhere around the fifth century before Christ. There has been a settlement inside those ramparts continuously ever since. Very little else on this coast can say that: most of the famous names were fishing hamlets until the railway arrived.
And it never became a resort. That is the essential thing about Antibes and the reason I stayed. It has a working port, a market that feeds the town rather than the visitors, schools, a hospital and people who have never left. In February it is still a town. Juan-les-Pins, five minutes away on the other side of the peninsula, is the opposite and the contrast between the two is the local joke.
The marché provençal. Set beneath its covered market hall on the Cours Masséna, the marché provençal has been the heart of the old town for generations: seasonal fruit and vegetables from the arrière-pays, fresh fish, artisan cheeses, olives, herbs and flowers. Arrive before nine, when it's residents doing their daily shopping rather than cameras, and the whole market has a quieter, more authentic feel. It runs every morning but Monday, with seasonal hours that vary through the year. One of my own rituals: pick up a few things from the stalls, then take a table at one of the cafés at the far end, next to the socca stand (socca being Nice's chickpea pancake, baked in a wood-fired oven until crisp at the edges and soft in the middle). Order a slice, pour a glass of chilled rosé and watch the morning unfold over your market finds. It's one of the simplest, most authentic ways I know to spend a morning in Antibes.
In the château
Picasso was lent the Château Grimaldi as a studio in the autumn of 1946 and worked there for a few months. He left what he had made behind and the building became the first museum in the world devoted to him.
It is small and sits on the ramparts, with the sea through the windows. Allow about an hour for an unhurried visit and go at opening.
On the peninsula
The coastal path around the Cap d'Antibes, cut into the rock, with the sea against it. Allow about an hour and a half one way. The path closes in rough weather for good reason.
Start early. There is no shade and no water on it. Come back along the Chemin des Douaniers for the villas.
Above the Cap
The sailors' chapel at the top of the peninsula, its walls covered in ex-votos left by people who came back from the sea, some of them painted, some of them very old.
The lighthouse is beside it and the view takes in both bays. Walk up the Chemin de Calvaire from the Salis beach if you want to earn it.
Two beautiful gardens. Just beyond the old town, Villa Thuret and Villa Eilenroc are a peaceful escape from the summer crowds. Villa Thuret, planted in 1857 to test which exotic species could survive on this coast, is now a research garden and free to visit on selected days: many of the eucalyptus, palm and mimosa varieties found across the Riviera were first introduced and studied here. At the tip of the Cap, the Belle Époque Villa Eilenroc is surrounded by magnificent Mediterranean gardens with sweeping sea views. The grounds open on selected days and are especially lovely in spring and early autumn. Check the current schedules for both gardens before visiting.
Juan-les-Pins, a short stroll away. A fifteen-minute walk from the old town, Juan-les-Pins has a completely different personality: long sandy beaches, a seafront promenade, waterfront restaurants, beach clubs and rows of umbrella pines stretching almost to the sea. It is also home to a jazz festival born in 1960 that claims to be the oldest in Europe, held each July under the pines and worth building a trip around on its own. My own rule: don't choose between the two. Spend the day in the charm and history of the old town, then wander over to Juan in the evening for the lively waterfront atmosphere. If you'd rather not walk back, the Petit Train d'Antibes links the two during the season, a relaxed way to make the trip, especially with children or after dinner.
At the table
Not a list of the “best” restaurants. August is the busiest month on the Côte d'Azur and many popular addresses are booked well in advance, so instead here is how many locals eat during the height of summer.
Morning at the market. Visit the markets before the crowds arrive: Nice's Marché de la Libération on a weekday morning, Antibes' Marché Provençal before nine, or the bustling Friday market in Ventimiglia, just across the Italian border. Pick up fresh bread, local cheeses, charcuterie, seasonal fruit and a bottle of rosé, then put together your own lunch by the sea.
The fête de village supper. Ask almost any local about their favorite summer tradition. Village fête suppers are likely to be near the top of the list: long trestle tables, a simple Provençal menu, local wine, live music and neighbors gathering together. It's the cheapest good evening of the month and the only one where you'll actually talk to your neighbors. These evenings are hugely popular and often sell out well in advance. Book as early as you can, usually through the comité des fêtes or at the mairie, at least two weeks ahead.
Head inland for dinner. One of the best ways to escape the August crowds is to drive just twenty minutes into the arrière-pays. You'll find beautiful hill villages and often excellent family-run restaurants, with generous portions, a more relaxed atmosphere and prices around 40 percent below a seafront terrace. Some of my most memorable meals are found far from the sea.
What to see
Vence
Matisse designed this chapel around light. August is when it truly comes alive, as the late-summer sun transforms the stained-glass windows into a constantly changing display of color. Opening hours are limited and can vary, so it's worth checking before making the drive.
Vallauris & Biot
Vallauris is known for pottery, Biot for glassblowing. Rather than museums, these are working craft towns where you can often watch artisans at work. Many workshops welcome visitors throughout the summer, although August schedules can change, so check ahead before setting off.
The Vallée des Merveilles
High above Tende, the Vallée des Merveilles is one of France's most remarkable archaeological sites. Once the snow has melted, August offers some of the easiest access to its network of hiking trails and more than 40,000 prehistoric rock engravings. The protected areas can only be visited with an authorized guide.
The market note
Rather than headlines or national statistics, a quick snapshot of what's happening on the ground here on the Côte d'Azur.
August is traditionally one of the quietest months of the French property year. It can also be one of the most misleading. Many agencies work with reduced teams, notaires take holidays and transaction activity slows considerably during the first three weeks of the month. That doesn't mean the market stops; it simply moves at a different pace.
Buying. If you're searching in August, many of the properties you'll see have been on the market since spring. That doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with them, but it's worth asking how long they've been listed and whether there have been any recent price adjustments. New listings tend to increase once everyone returns after the summer holidays, particularly from mid-September onward.
Selling. For many properties, August is an excellent month to prepare rather than launch. It's the ideal time to complete any small repairs, organize professional photography and have all your paperwork ready, so your property is well positioned to benefit from the renewed activity that typically arrives in September.
The one exception. Every summer there are buyers who arrive for a week's holiday and unexpectedly decide they want to own a home here. It happens more often than you might think. If your property is in a sought-after village or holiday destination, August can still attract motivated purchasers who have fallen in love with the area while they're here.
Jacquie's take. Every market has its rhythm. August isn't necessarily slower; it's simply different. Knowing when to act can be just as important as knowing what to buy or sell.
Thinking about buying or selling here? Use the property page to tell me roughly where you are in the process and I'll send a considered reply.
Vol. 1 The Arrival Guide · Vol. 2 The Property Guide · Vol. 3 Homes in Transition · Vol. 4 Jacquie's Address Book