pellsmith

Hello,
I have found very little information on Cap d'Antibes outside of the town of Antibes. (Well, I've found enough info to be interested, but not enough to make specific plans.) We're staying at Hotel La Gardiole. I know it's a fairly residential area. Are there restaurants/shops/public beach access around the end of the Cape? Can we walk to them?

Is it worth going for a drink at Hotel Eden Roc? Do they welcome properly-attired non-guests?

And is the traffic horrific in August even if we bypass downtown Antibes?

The reason we're going is we adore Cap Ferrat and envision Cap d'Antibes as similar.

Any and all info much appreciated!

abbydog

Hi Pellsmith! I just returned from Antibes last week, where my husband and I stayed at Bastide de la Bosquet -- a restored mansion in a residential area between old Antibes and Juan les Pins. Not sure where Hotel La Gardiole is, but we found the whole area very pedestrian friendly. It took us about 5 minutes to walk to the water and beach and 15 minutes to walk into old Antibes or Juan les Pins.

We didn't spend time at the Cap, but my impression of driving around there (and hiking to the light house for the view of both coasts) is that much of it is very private, with secluded homes and hotels. Old Antibes is more active -- we found great restaurants, fascinating museums, and fun shopping (the market too). And although we didn't go to the beach, the public beach there looked lovely (with little showers right by the shore).

Also not sure about August crowds and traffic, but I bet it will be very hot!

Re: Hotel Eden Roc, we never made it there, but we did go for a drink at sunset at Belles Rives, another beautiful hotel on the edge of Juan les Pins. I was very reluctant, based on our appearance (not shabby but certainly not as upscale as their other guests) and our unwillingness to buy dinner. The staff could not have been more gracious (but again, it was May and not terribly crowded). We had the best table on the deck overlooking their private beach, sipping Kir, tasting the olives and bread sticks they brought to our table, and enjoying the pianist playing inside the bar. Great experience!

But I should add, experiences are so random. For example, one of the best things about our hotel was the advice and directions provided by our hostess, but we met a British couple there who had received none of this information -- they probably just caught her at a busy time!

Best wishes!