In the port town of Antibes, in the Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur region, France

 “The Riviera isn't only a sunny place for shady people”

― W. Somerset Maugham
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(in southeastern France) The port town of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur region, lies on the eastern side of the Garoupe Peninsula across the Baie des Anges (Bay of the Angels) from Nice. Originally known as Antipolis, a Greek trading post established by Phocaeans from Marseille, it became a Roman town, and from 1384 to 1608 it was a fief of the coast-ruling Grimaldi family. The Grimaldi chateau, much rebuilt over the ages, is now a museum featuring works of Pablo Picasso, who painted here in 1946. There is also an archaeological museum displaying the Grimaldi fossils (the remains of prehistoric humans discovered locally).

+ Juan-les-Pins, with its parasol pines and sand beach, is part of the Antibes community, which also includes the luxury resort of Cap d’Antibes. Although Antibes was traditionally the center of the local flower trade, tourism now dominates the local economy. In addition to its attractive beaches, the area offers a series of large yachting harbors. The town’s development was also boosted by the growth of Sophia-Antipolis, a neighboring science park that is one of the largest such parks in France.

+ Although the surrounding coast is largely developed, inside Antibes' 16th-century ramparts the Old Town rambles along a series of narrow streets to sheltered squares, lively markets, and sandy beaches. With its boat-crowded port, 16th-century ramparts, and narrow cobblestone streets festooned with flowers, it is little wonder that lovely Antibes has attracted so many artists and writers. Guy de Maupassant, Claude Monet, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Dorothy Parker and F Scott Fitzgerald all lived or worked here at one time. The town's most famous resident, though, was Pablo Picasso. The 14th-century Grimaldi Castle, a seafront fortress where Picasso once had a studio, is now home to a museum dedicated to the works he created while living here. The collection of drawings, paintings, ceramics, and lithographs is accompanied by photographs of him at work in the town. Only Antibes' attractive Old Town would be recognizable to any of its famous former famous residents. The modern town, like many along the Côte d’Azur, has sprawled along the coast and inland, so the best vantage point is from the sea -- ideally from one of the many yachts that pull into port throughout the summer, or from the long series of beaches south of town.

+ Regardless of your interest in art, a walk along the waterfront is a quintessential Antibes experience with expansive sea views leading all the way to Cannes. In the morning, fishermen sell their catch on the docks, while in the afternoon, cafés tempt you to linger over a lazy seafood lunch. By night the giant contemporary "Nomade" sculpture of a figure looking out to sea glitters on the Bastion de Saint-Jaume against a backdrop of super-yachts.