Towns & Villages in Cannes — 11 of Our Favourites

Blessed with a mild winter climate and a perfect setting on the southern slopes of Montagne de Doublier, Grasse has attracted visitors for centuries. In the early 19th century Pauline Borghese, Napoleon's favourite sister, spent a winter there. Queen Victoria was so taken by Grasse, its climate and surroundings, that she returned several times to winter at the Rothschild's villa. Today, the town has a substantial population of expatriates: the many villas and apartment complexes on the hill sides are witness to the fact.

Its prime location (only 15km from Cannes, 40km from Nice) is not the only attraction of Grasse. What makes the tourists arrive in droves is the scent of flowers, concentrated and powerful - Grasse is the perfume capital of the world. When you approach the town, you'll soon become aware of that fact. Billboards invite you to a free tour of one of the major perfume factories: Fragonard, Galimard or Molinard. These tours are worthwhile and educational about the intricacies of perfume making. They're not a tourist trap, even though at the end the guides will steer you to the factory store where you can buy fragrances, soaps and other local products.

Beyond its perfume connection, Grasse presents a charming old town with winding streets and surprisingly quiet squares and alleys. When in the main streets of the old town and its string of shops, you'll find yourself transported into the scented world. It's impossible to avoid the displays of dried flower petals (create your own mix), soaps, eau de toilette, and other items of fragrance. Indulge yourself in the richness of scent. If it begins to overwhelm you, find your escape to the Mediterranean sea, or the quiet of a Provençal village, just a few miles to the north or west of this perfume centre of the world.

It has an authentic old medieval centre which you can wander around with the help of a free walking map available from the tourist office. You'll find plenty of cafes and restaurants (Place aux Aires), gift shops, and of course, perfume shops.

The harbour still has an ancient tower that enabled protection of the fleet and the town itself is filled with Roman ruins and artefacts. An impressive 10,000 seater amphitheatre still hosts events in the 21st century - bullfighting and theatre are amongst the spectacles that are featured. Roman walls, baths, gates and an aqueduct can also be explored by visitors. A fine Roman theatre hosts concerts during the summer.

Arts and culture are further represented in the town with plenty of decent shops and galleries.

The port offers all things nautical from windsurfing to Scuba diving, and there are several beaches along the seven mile coastline.

Founded by Celts, invaded by Romans, taken over by pirates, ruled by medieval knights and ravaged by the Black Death: the old town of Biot has a rich history spanning over 2,000 years.

Today, Biot is a charming town famous for its glassblowing, ceramics and pottery, as well as its shady cafés, jumble of medieval buildings and pretty hilltop views across the French Riviera. The village has the feel of an artist's colony, with lots of open workshops where you can go in and watch artistes create their pieces. Or just stroll through cobbled streets framed by stone archways and glimpses of the sea.

Lovely French bistros and restaurants line the old town and bars welcome guests in to try the local Provençal wines. Craft shops and galleries invite you to explore their produce and the historical stone buildings demonstrate the history and past of this village.

Biot has so much to explore, from the museums and galleries to the shops and workshops, you can spend days discovering and enjoying all that it has to offer. Being so conveniently located to the coast it makes for a wonderful place to stay or visit whilst on holiday in Antibes.

The jet-setters loss is the family holidaymakers gain, as it's now far more affordable.

Situated in the Var department in the region called Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, it remains an important sailing centre and is also renowned for its diving schools. Saint Raphaël hosts a daily food market, and arts and crafts stalls are on display during the summer.

There are a number (36 in total) of small beaches in the area, and plenty of walking trails and other activities in the countryside behind the town.

Covered with pine and eucalyptus forest and edged with beautiful coves, this is an island to enjoy nature. The waters are crystal clear, with stunning views back to the Riviera coastline. There are only about 20 houses on the island in a small village near the ferry dock; the rest of the island is covered in forest, with an old fort and museum where you can explore the island's Roman and Crusader history, as well as its final days as a notorious French prison and soldier's hospital. The are a couple of restaurants for refreshments, and daily ferries provide access.

The old town (veille ville) is where you should head on a day trip.

Park up and wander into the medieval village. The town is smothered in jasmine, its fragrance is heady on balmy summer nights.

Mougins is totally pedestrianised and is a joy to explore with fountains and sculptures adorning the streets and the plentiful art exhibitions are guaranteed to keep the casual browser enthralled. You can happily wander through the pretty little lanes, and admire the well kept houses and gardens before choosing one of the many restaurants for a long leisurely lunch. Remember to book ahead in the summer months to ensure a table on the terraces.

In the day the beaches are lined with umbrellas and people dotted around the white sand catching the strong rays of the summer sunshine. The promenade is lined with boutique shops selling jewellery, art and handcrafted goods and in July the town comes alive with the famous Jazz festival. When evening rolls in and the sun sets you can often see street performers creating a buzz, restaurants welcoming elegant visitors through their doors and bars filled with chic young fashionistas enjoying luxury cocktails.

The peninsula to the south east is known as Cap d’Antibes and is renowned for its large luxurious villas and estates that can often be seen nestled in the small hills, with fantastic views extending out over the ocean. It's definitely worth exploring these quiet hills and surrounding scenery outside the centre of Juan Les Pins by car, moped or just walking, the private villas and views are worth the adventure.

This island is less touristy than its neighbour Sainte Marguerite. The only occupants are monks that have lived on the island since the 5th century in their very own medieval abbey.

Only 15 minutes by boat, this is a pleasant place to explore and walk to around the pine forest or have a swim in the clear blue water.

It most recently came to prominence when Picasso lived here from 1948 to 1955. He created many sculptures whilst here and encouraged local artisans to embrace ceramics, reintroducing local pottery traditions from the 17th century. Workshops, galleries and boutiques continue the pottery heritage today. The Municipal Museum of Ceramics is housed within the Chapel of the Castle and also contains Picasso's 'War and Peace' fresco.

Golfe-Juan is perfectly located in the Côte d’Azur, in a large bay just a short distance from Juan les Pins and Antibes, in between the beautiful cities of Nice and Cannes. Made up of narrow wonderful sandy beaches this bay is home to many large yachts with its popular marina, Port Camille Rayon, being the hub of this beautiful town.

Full of history, culture and arts, you can discover the beautiful ceramic pieces that Golfe-Juan and Vallauris are famous for. With a host of galleries and museums, beautiful architectural buildings and traditional workshops you can soak up the culture and history of this area.

Wander the streets and enjoy the charm of this French Riviera port. In the daytime the beaches are lined with umbrellas and people enjoying the sun, sand and beautiful blue sea. At night time the town turns into a hub of restaurants, bars and clubs; with the tourists and locals sitting down to enjoy a long leisurely Provençal dinner and the young chic fashionable crowds sipping on cocktails looking out at the port.

The town was built in 1519, based on a grid Roman street plan - a refreshing change from the dark winding streets of many other Provençal villages. As with many towns along the Côte d'Azur excavations carried out in the surrounding hills bear witness to the presence of man going back an extremely long way, even to prehistoric times. While it has quite a lot of boutiques and chic cafes to keep the tourists and resident Brits occupied, it has the feel of a living village rather than being a tourist attraction.

The village is a charming 16th century village of cobbled streets, pastel buildings, colourful shutters and antique markets, all set up around a simply gorgeous central square filled with café tables in the sun. In extreme contrast the neighbouring technology park of Sophia Antipolis, built in the 1970's, has evolved into a highly recognised international community, with more than 1,000 companies hiring more than 25,000 people and specialising in research and development.

The Riviera seems like a million miles away in this natural paradise. The Gorge du Loup provides a spectacular back drop to the winding road that takes you up to Gourdon. If you're driving to Gourdon, you need to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up to the pedestrianised village.

Gourdon is fairly typical of the pretty 'perched villages' of Provence, with its well preserved stone houses, gift shops, art galleries and local crafts on sale. Pottery, perfumes and glassware shops make for interesting gift and souvenir shopping. The little lanes and alleys are fun to wander through (it won't take you long) and the kids will love the plentiful sweet shops.