Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

There are many reasons to visit the perched mediaeval village of Èze: castle ruins, the picturesque Jardin Exotique and, not least, the bird’s-eye views of Cap Ferrat from the restaurant terrace at swish Château Eza (+33 (0)4 93 41 12 24). In Cannes, walk up to Notre-Dame de l’Espérance, atop Suquet hill, for views east over the Vieux Port and the bay, and west towards La Corniche de l’Estérel coast road, as it wends its winding way along the craggy coast to Saint-Raphaël.

Arts and culture

An impressive roll-call of artists have fallen for the Côte d’Azur: Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Picasso, Chagall, Cocteau and co, inspiring less-garlanded painters and sculptors (and art lovers) to flock here. Saint-Paul-de-Vence is a hilltop village crammed with galleries and arty residents; you can dine among incredible canvases at Picasso’s old haunt, the legendary La Colombe d’Or (+33 (0)4 93 32 80 02). In Nice, head to the starkly striking Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain on the Promenade des Arts, to explore the American Pop and New Realist art collections (www.mamac-nice.org).

Something for nothing

Grasse perfumery Fragonard welcomes visitors to a free guided tour of its premises, both at its original base in the town centre and at the flower factory on the edge of town (www.fragonard.com).

Shopping

Monte Carlo’s fancy retail is found around the Boulevard des Moulins and in the Metropole mall. Cannes is well stocked with labels, jewels, art and Rolls-Royces (you’ll have to head to Antibes to buy your yacht). La Croisette, Rue d’Antibes and the streets between them are the credit-card-flexing centre, where you’ll find Hermès, Chanel et al. Get up early in Marseille and enjoy the spectacle of fish and seafood traded daily at the marché aux poissons at the Vieux Port. Cours Saleya market in Nice is a foodie paradise, except on Mondays, when it’s all antiques.

Daytripper

For a peaceful beach picnic with a pine-forest backdrop, take the boat out from Cannes to the Iles des Lérins. The biggest, Ile Sainte-Marguerite, has quiet sandy coves and a fortress. There’s also a boat service to smaller Saint-Honorat, with its 19th-century abbey buildings; it’s worth venturing to the cliffs behind the cloisters, to find the mediaeval fortress (www. abbayedelerins.com).

Best beach

East of Nice, the coast curves round towards the headland of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, holding an enticing patchwork of navy and azure waters in its rocky embrace. Families can splash around at Plage de Passable or the villa-fringed Plage de Paloma, where Coco Chanel once bathed.

Children

Head 15km out of Grasse and take the tykes underground at Saint-Cézaire caves, where some of the limestone ’tites are at least 150,000 years old (www. lesgrottesdesaintcezaire.com).

Activities

The Verdon Gorge is a winner for rafting and canyoning (www.aboard-rafting.com). Walk the Martel trail, along and above the river – a hardy 14km hike that gives stunning views of the canyons and cliffs (www.lapaludsurverdon.com). Or walk by the coast through the Calanques, between Cassis and Marseille, a riverine landscape of cliffs and coves with 40 marked trails (www.marseille-tourisme.com). Charter a yacht to explore the coast (www.aquacruise. com). In winter, it’s possible to ski at Isola 2000, two hours from Nice; or try ice-karting or ice-driving if you dare (www.sportsloisirs.net). Thanks to clear waters and colourful corals, the Côte d’Azur makes for divine diving. For Padi-certified clubs along the coast, check out www.divazur.com; local sub-aqua treasure include ruined submerged villages, sunken statues and World War II wrecks. (Remember always to leave a day between diving and flying.)

And

The working port (and resort) of La Ciotat stakes its claim on cinematic history, as the home of movie pioneers the Lumière brothers, and as the set of their 1895 motion picture (among the first ever to be shown in public) The Entrance of the Train into La Ciotat Station. Their story is recorded at the Ciotaden Museum on Quai Ganteaume (+33 (0)4 42 71 40 99; closed Tuesdays).