The next town around the bay from Cannes is this enticing seaside escape under San Peyre, an extinct volcano.
The coast is rocky in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, at the point where the Massif d’Esterel, a strange mountain range of red rock descends to the Mediterranean. For the drive of a lifetime get on the Corniche d’Or, which snakes along the rugged coast south of the town in a rare savage corner of the Côte d’Azur completely free of resorts. In the late winter, the Mandelieu-la-Napoule Hung slopes are burning with mimosa flowers, appreciated by the town and worshiped during the 10-day festival in February. Discover the best things to do in Mandelieu-la-Napoule.
1. Château de la Napoule
In 1918 the American artist and heir Henry Clews Jr. bought what was then a dilapidated castle on a terrace by the sea. Château de la Napoule has an intriguing past, involving the corsairs and a few French kings, but has been devastated since the Revolution.
Clews restored the building and surrounding grounds, infusing plenty of his personality as he went. There are quirky pieces of his sculpture at almost every turn, and the interior has galleries of his painting.
The garden, with its avenues, topiaries, cypress trees and haunting fragments of the old château is recognized as a French “jardin remarquable”.
Source : Top 10 things to do in mandelieu la napoule
