Start with a walk through the vielle ville or old town. Begin down by the harbor -- divided into the old port and the newer Port Vauban, for a look at how the other, immensely rich half lives, or floats, in their super yachts. It’s a far cry from the days when Guy de Maupassant moored his boat in the small port in 1886 while staying at La Bastide du Bosquet and writing short stories and the novel Mont Orio.
From here, walk back through an old arch towards the market where stalls overflow with fruit and vegetables. Grab a table and a crepe at La Croustille (4 cours Massena, tel.: 00 33 (04) 93 34 84 83) to watch the action. You can wander through the little streets behind the market or walk along the ramparts on the Promenade Amiral de Grasse where the views out to sea are magnificent.
The picturesque Château Grimaldi dominates the skyline. Today it houses the Musée Picasso; it's a delightful museum with a small but very good collection. Picasso lived here in the autumn of 1946, donating the paintings and drawings he produced to the town.
The medieval church of the Immaculate Conception was once a cathedral. Despite the downgrade, it’s a pretty site with its wooden sculptured façade and well worth stepping inside for its crucifix of 1447, and a Virgin sculpted in 1515.
Head south along the ramparts to the delightful Place du Safranier, the heart of the very small, free commune of the Safranier, created after World War II. It’s known for two things: the place where Nikos Kazantzakis wrote Zorba the Greek (he lived at no. 8 rue du Bas-Castellet), and the excellent bistro, La Taverne du Safranier, (1 rue du Safranier, tel: 00 33 (0)4 93 34 80 50). It's a casual, welcoming place where the fish is the best bet.
A stroll of a hundred yards or so takes you south to the Musée d’Archéologie, which covers 4,000 years of history discovered in and around Antibes. Turn back from here and wander through the little cobbled streets to the covered marketplace. It’s easy to get lost, and just as easy to find yourself again.
