The Changing Cote d'Azur

The South of France known as the playground of the rich and famous, is steeped in history of Roman remains and modernist works of art. Discovered in the 1900s and inhabited by artists who took inspiration from the marvellous scenery and land formation that presented them, outstanding masterpieces were created. 

Raoul Dufy, 1928

During the early 1900s prestigious properties were created such as the Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes and the Carlton in Cannes. Luxury villas were developed displaying belle-époque elegance and the French Riviera was setting up ready for the launch of its tourism industry.

Once the artistry had been seen by the world’s most affluent, they were eager to view the pristine coast for themselves. Flocking to the shores were the Fitzgerald socialites with their extravagant expectations and lavish lifestyles the high wealth tourism industry of the South of France was born.

The French Riviera became a desirable destination a mythical paradise for only the affluent to enjoy, and with an aspirational setting comes film. The film industry heard of the wonders, the prestigious backdrop where one can view the snow-capped mountains greeting the sea from Cap d’Antibes or the untouched flora and fauna of Cap Ferrat. 

By 1946 the Cannes Film Festival arrived which brought a whole new celebrity feel to the South of France and it was around this time the coast became known as the Cote d’Azur (Golden Coast) – a timeless tourist masterpiece showcasing glamour, wealth and celebrity living. By the 1950s soon to be iconic films displaying the South of France to the world were released such as God Created Woman starring Bridgitte Bardot in St Tropez.

The iconic coastline has not changed too much in style but has remained a timeless destination of the rich and famous, yachts can be seen lining the ports and glitz and glamour can be seen by the designer apparel draped around the chic ladies.

Here at Elegant Address we are passionate about this fabulous part of the world and truly believe in the French Riviera which is expressed in our bespoke service provided by our Specialist South of France consultants. As regular visitors to the Cote d’Azur we visit our properties ensuring they meet the required standard to be displayed within our public and private portfolios. We are extremely proud of our vast property portfolio and encourage anyone with an interest in renting or buying Luxury properties in the South of France to contact us directly so we can assist you in your search for the perfect property. 

The Beaches in the South of France

The beautiful stretch of coast known as the Cote d’Azur offers tremendous picturesque views of the dazzling Mediterranean, pristine sands and the stunning backdrop of the Alpine mountain range dropping to the sea with snow-capped peaks.

Some of the most incredible beaches Europe has to offer can be found on this prestigious colourful coastline which spans from Monaco to St Tropez. 

There are several Public and Private Beaches along the coastline of the South of France and champagne showers are a regular occurrence. Here at Elegant Address we find our clients prefer to be on the private beaches which can vary in price and facilities, although they are all of a pristine quality.

Paloma Beach – CapFerrat

This is known as the most beautiful beach in Cap Ferrat, east facing it is fabulous for a morning’s sunbathing. The beach is sheltered from wind by the pines covering the hills and the cove is discreet with relatively calm waters. 

Views from Paloma Plage are stunning displaying the cliffs that rise from Beaulieu-sur-Mer Bay. The sand is made from small pebbles and measures 150m long, it is a lovely place for an early morning stroll.

Accessing the beach requires a booking during the summer months due to its high demand and wealth of guests who visit the beach regularly. Umbrellas and Lounge Chairs are available for higher from approximately 25€ pp.

Many choose to dine at the Private Beach Restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner from May-September and only lunch from Easter-September, the restaurant serves exquisite food with a splendid service. 

Passable Beach – CapFerrat

West Facing across from the Rade de Villefranche is Passable arguably the most famous beach on the peninsula. The beach was originally named Letetia beach and was created for guests at the Grand Hotel in the 20^th Century when the hotels guests chose to retreat to the Passable.

The cove is protected and offers its visitors calm waters of which to swim, with both private and public areas. The beach restaurant Passable Plage manages the beaches private section and is open March to September for lunch. 

La Croisette – Cannes

Cannes is a popular area in the South of France partly due to the Film Festival and Lions Festival during which the beaches are full with industry professionals and celebrities. La Croisette offers 7.5 km of beach split into 33 private and 13 public beaches. Private beaches here range from 20€-25€ per day all 33 of which are managed by restaurants. Most of the hotels such as the Carlton lie along this coastline and residents generally use the private beaches throughout the coastline.

Plage de la Garoupe – Cap d’Antibes

Situated on the eastern side of the peninsula in an ideal location between Juan Les Pins and Antibes, the curved white sandy beach provides 3 private beaches each provide fine cuisine, watersports and perfect relaxation areas. The beach became popular in the 1920s when Gerald and Sara Murphy presented their wealthy friends to the glamourous beach. Scenery from the pristine beach displays the town of Antibes with a montage of an Italian and alpine backdrop.

Pampelonne – St Tropez

Soaring St Tropez to fame since 1955, Pampelonne beach is a 5km stretch of beautiful golden sands lined with an array of private beaches offering wonderful beach dining and exciting nightlife with renowned club and bars such as Nikki Beach. In the summer time this is the prime place to sail your yacht, come ashore and soak up the glorious climate, enjoy delicious fresh seafood and try your hand at the spectacular water sports there are on offer.

Club 55 – St Tropez

Club 55 started life as a film crews canteen for Bridget Bardot, Club 55 soon transformed into a famous, luxury, discreet choice for high-end visitors to St Tropez. Spend a relaxing luxurious afternoon reclining on the stylish white sofas on this beautiful private beach.  Club 55 offers an incredibly professional and friendly service providing magnificent lunchtime delights and exotic cocktails at your wish on the beach and also in the world famous beach bar. On arrival you to Club 55 you will be welcomed with sandy floors, inviting you to dine on the incredible fresh seafood beneath sails strung between trees and magnificent views across the golden beach and emerald blue waters. This is a highly sought after private beach with business men, celebrities and politicians all wanting to enjoy this magnificent views and atmosphere so make sure you book in advance.

Nikki Beach – St Tropez

Nikki beach is an iconic part of St Tropez’s Pampelonne beach playing host to many of the world’s wealthiest youth the atmosphere is phenomenal. Events are held here on a regular basis attracting the most desirable of crowds, who drink champagne as if it were water.

It is important to reserve tables and loungers here during the summer months to avoid disappointment. The beach is extremely well-known having other spots in Florida, Ibiza, Morocco and many more destinations.

Elegant Address know these beaches well and can advise our clients on which spot of the FrenchRiviera is right for them due to our 10 years’ experience and the fact that we are regular visitors to the Cote d’Azur. Our passion for the area and our bespoke service allows us to locate for you a villa that meets your requirements.

Experience Shopping on the Cote d’Azur

The South of France provides many fabulous features to behold from pristine white sandy beaches and Michelin Star restaurants to interesting historical artefacts to inform and inspire, although visiting the Cote d’Azur would not be complete without experiencing the renowned shopping opportunities.

Small boutiques, chic and unique couturiers, dazzling jewellery stores and high fashion stores line the streets of Nice, Cannes and St Tropez displaying to passers-by the craft works, Provencal fabrics and renowned labels. 

When in Nice on the Rue de France adjacent to the Promenade de Anglais you can see the exquisite boutiques offering chic haute couture apparel.

As well as the phenomenal haute couture shopping experience you will find a quaint market in The Cours Saleya situated in Nice Old Town. Essences from the flowers fill the air and fresh fruit and vegetables can be purchased, surrounding the stalls are the well-known long standing colourful buildings.

Further down the coastline is Cannes with the renowned LaCroisette this is perhaps one of the most well-known shopping paths to take. The high fashion outlets of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Jean-Paul Gaultier line the street and desirable chic women catch the eye of passers by.

There are a number of streets specialising in Fine Art boutiques where some of the most famous artists began their artistic venture.

In the glamourous region of St Tropez major designer apparel stores can be found offering this season’s most sought-after lines and the signs of last season are long gone. This is the place for trendy, adventurous style for the up and coming to portray their innovation and inspire the next generation of fashion enthusiasts.

To quote Carrie Bradshaw – “Shopping is my cardio” and what better way to wind down after a hard day’s work out than to relax in a Luxury Villa sourced for you by Elegant Address – the Luxury South of France Property experts. We will ensure we find for you the perfect property to meet your requirements, so if you are searching for that phenomenal property on LaCroisette or the chic sophisticated villa in St Tropez we will locate this for you, giving you more time to work out! 

Picturesque Properties

Within our vast property portfolio are some of the most luxurious properties the French Riviera has to offer, so it will come as no surprise that many of our stunning properties are the chosen venues for media photo shoots and videos. With the backdrop providing a glamourous Cote d’Azur setting and the property portraying a lifestyle many but dream of these properties allow for a ready made studio feel. 

One such property that is regularly used for photo shoots is the beautiful VF-VFLOR with its expansive terraces offering a phenomenal sea view and marvellous location in Villefranche Sur Mer it is a truly charming luxury villa. Elegant Address are delighted to have sourced this beautiful villa for the Abbey Clancy You mag, Matalan photo shoot.

Villa CA-452 is a beautiful villa situated in the outstanding area of Villefranche. Built in 1880, it has all the beautiful Belle Epoque features of that period along with stunning panoramic sea views. This Villa was the chosen location for a Pixie Lott music video earlier this year

The following grand chateau is in exceptional condition and its 3750 sqm of landscaped gardens provide some of the most picturesque scenes. The property is highly desirable with its elegant Belle Époque style and extremely convenient location it is one of the most popular Chateau’s in the South of France. Many famous people have fell in love with this sought after property and it is a spectacular venue for photo shoots, filming etc.

Throughout our 10 years of establishment Elegant Address have provided many Luxury properties on the Cote d’Azur from interior design shoots, fashion photo shoots to the filming of popular television series and renowned movies. We have a vast portfolio of properties many of which are not presented via our website, as the UK’s largest Independent Property Search Constancy specialising in the South of France we are able to work with anyone so as to locate the perfect property matching our client’s exact requirements.