Shop till you drop

There are some real shopping gems in this pretty little medieval town of cobbled lanes and Provencal markets—whether you’re shopping for Italian shoes, a new summer dress, gourmet food gifts, or some unique jewellery.

If one was to ‘do’ Antibes shopping in a day, here is the particular route we would recommend.

The Shopping ‘Grand Tour’ of Antibes

Begin on Boulevard Wilson, just past Place de Gaulle, and browse the small number of high-street fashion chains such as Mango and BOSS, before dropping into the apparel section at Monoprix in Place de Gaulle. Monoprix can be a wee bit ‘middle-aged’ at times if you’re after a younger look, but you can still find some beautiful things and great basics, and it’s fairly inexpensive. This is also a good place to come for mid-priced lingerie, lovely baby clothes, and affordable make-up.

From Place de Gaulle, carry on down Rue de la Republique and past the carousel in the square, stopping at Minelli on the right for a beautiful shoe range for men and women, and then a few doors down at Yves Rocher for high-end beauty products. If you love that all-white linen look so often seen in resorts and in beach clubs, then Blanc du Nil will appeal, or you might like to stop for stylish shoes at La Chausseria on the left as Rue Republique narrows back into a street at the far side of the square. (Antibes, like most French towns, is vaguely shoe-obsessed.)

Then take a detour right onto Rue James Close, a gorgeous cobbled pedestrian lane where you can spend a happy hour browsing through the many small boutiques, from the upmarket fashion store Soleiado and luxury men’s shoe store Max Estein 1961, to the sensational toy store Pierrot La Lune, which specialises in wooden toys and is crowded to the brim with fabulous things. There’s also some colourful glass jewellery to be found on this street at the Maria Roxana boutique, and a range of Provencal-themed gifts such as lavender and soaps at several stores along the street.

There are lots of knick-knacks and jewellery on Rue James Close but admittedly little in the way of really great clothes- so if you’re looking for women’s fashion you should turn right off James Close onto Rue de Fersen, where there’s an elegant clothes boutique called Miss Mam a few doors up from the corner offering a well-selected range of elegant, feminine fashion and beautiful jewellery. This is one of the best boutiques in Antibes, yet it’s tucked away on a quiet lane where few people know about it, which seems a bit of a shame.

Once you’ve had your fill of the shopping around Rue James Close, head back to the original route along Rue de la Republique and follow it into into Place Nacionale, where you’ll find an outdoor antique markets on Saturday mornings, the Disini clothes boutique offering flowy light fabrics and silk colourful scarves, and an absolutely fabulous chocolate shop called Real on the far corner of the square (corner of Rue Sade) with giant slabs of chocolate piled up in the windows.

If gourmet food appeals to you, then carry on along Rue Sade to visit the friendly butchers, cheesemongers and gourmet shops that line this street running off the covered market. Cote Gourmet offers all sorts of Provencal goodies like olive oil, honey and jam— and you can also buy your Nespresso pods here if you’re not interested in buying the generic copies available at the supermarket. On this street you’ll also find a little boutique on the left selling designer children’s clothes, with a bargain bin out the front offering cute little specials.

Afterwards, head back onto Rue de la Republique (the street name turns into Rue Georges Clemencau here) for a small strip of clothes shops, which include a funky designer store on the right called Clovis Boutique, a designer boutique, Joia, on the left full of glamorous dresses, and a cheap and cheerful clothes shop, Viktor, down in the corner by the cafes. Those after the latest Pandora charm will love Nephthys, a high-end jewellery store, while Antibes Books offers a great collection of English books to the large tourist and expat population.

When you arrive at the end of Rue George Clemencau, turn left to visit the funky La Madrague boutique next to Le Happy Face bar, and the surf shop Beach Rider down near the ramparts if you fancy a casual summer outfit, new swimwear, or some flip-flops. You can then follow the ramparts along Boulevard d’Aguillon to Rue Thuret, which has a few shops including the swimwear boutique Brazilian Bikini Shop. Rue Thuret then runs back onto Rue de la Republique—meaning you’re perfectly positioned to go back and buy anything along the route that took your fancy!

You’ll notice we’ve left the markets off this list due to space considerations, but never fear— we have a guide to that too! Many a visitor to Antibes has become confused by the moveable feast that is the Antibes market schedule, so we’ve put it in a handy guide format so that you’re not spending your morning wandering around aimlessly only to arrive as they start packing up. (Been there, done that.)

Happy shopping! Please let us know in the comments about any fantastic shops in Antibes that we’ve left off this list.