Late summer on the Mediterranean Sea is heaven on earth for my husband and me. So when we set our wedding date for September 2022, it was a no-brainer to find a new coast to try out for our honeymoon. Landing us on La Côte d’Azur in the South of France. And ooh la la, did it not disappoint!
With Nice as our home base, we spent a week exploring its charming old town, discovering nearby villages, and relaxing at various beach clubs. While impossible to fully narrow down everything we loved, here’s a round-up of our top 5 can’t-misses. Amusez-vous!
Lounge by the sea at Paloma Beach Club
Hidden along the shores of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Paloma Beach Club holds our number 1 can’t-miss spot for good reason. Rumored to have pop ins by celebrity guests, this secluded beach club offers up comfortable amenities, delicious F&B, and incredible views of the coastline. You can even see the medieval village of Eze on the cliffs across the bay.
Open from May through September, we definitely recommend reserving your loungers ahead of time, especially if you’re visiting during the busiest months. They typically do offer towels but were out during our visit. I’m grateful I had the foresight to bring my turkish towel, which is also an easy way to save a few euros 🙂
Walk the charming streets of Antibes
When you imagine a coastal French village, it’s Antibes. A short train ride from Nice, this little town gave us exactly what we were looking for: a taste of small town life in southern France. I fell in love with every alley and painted shutter. I got to watch locals hang their laundry on clotheslines and water their window boxes. We hit up any market we see, and Antibes was sprawling with them. Getting to shop with local townspeople is such a cool way to get a taste of their culture and day-to-day.
After Antibes, we continued on the train to Cannes. In hindsight, we 1000% would skip it for a day trip. It was definitely cool to check it off the list, but it was much larger than Antibes and not nearly as charming. Cannes would possibly be a better home base for another French Riviera trip – or perhaps if we chose to park our yacht there 😉
Browse Marche Aux Fleurs Cours Saleya in Old Nice
As I mentioned, local markets are my jam. Food markets, flower markets, antiques markets, art markets, you name it and I’m there. This specific market in the old town of Nice has it all. We grabbed breakfast at Boulangerie Pâtisserie Jeannot before strolling over to the market where we got to see all the beautiful local fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Had we been in a rental home or apartment, I would have probably gone ham on all the freshness. We did purchase a satchel of lavender and other little things, as well as local art. Jay and I love to purchase water colors directly from the artists, which was checked off here by a mother/daughter painting duo. Perfection in every way 🙂
Dine with the locals at quaint Michelin star restaurant, Le Bar des Oiseaux
On one of our first nights in Nice, we walked over to the old town to find a restaurant that struck our fancy. While I often research lots of restaurants for our trips and save them in our Google Maps, we do love to take a gander on a restaurant based on the vibes… ambiance, how full is it, and, of course, the menu. While meandering through the narrow alleys, we stumbled upon a restaurant with lots of locals sitting inside and out, and immediately wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, they were completely full for the night, so we popped over to the Italian spot across from it, which was a great choice nonetheless. But Jay couldn’t shake why this fairly nondescript restaurant was so full on a Tuesday, while every other restaurant had plenty of availability. After a bit of Googling, we were amazed to find out that it was actually a Michelin-starred restaurant with amazing reviews. Our interest was immediately piqued and Jay popped back over to see about a reservation for any evening the rest of the week, securing a Friday night slot.
And lemme tell ya – Le Bar des Oiseaux did not disappoint, mes amis. From start to finish, we were blown away by this meal. With the daily menus placed on easels right at your table, each dish was perfection and would satisfy even the non-foodies. Jay and I tend to split every dish we order to ensure we can experience a variety… it’s the only way, if you ask me. And full disclosure – our level of French fluency is very rusty from our high school years, so we just went for it when it came to ordering. And oh mon Dieu, I died and went to heaven.
Drink with the locals at Bella Ciao
Last but not least, this little Niçoise bar stole our hearts. Recommended to us by a local, Bella Ciao was everything we love in a bar. With cafe chairs lining the street, we grabbed a spot and ended up next to the owner chit-chatting with her friend over wine. Before we knew it, a group of folks starting singing a song and playing their various instruments. To anyone, this would seem like a pre-planned performance. But no – these were a group of strangers who had never played together before. And it was so much fun. 10/10.
Summing up Nice in these few gems is tough, so if you want to learn more about why we love this city and the entire area around it, hit me up. Would love to share the beauty with you 🙂
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