In this article, you will find all the information needed about the 12 best things to do in Cagnes-sur-Mer France. City on the seafront, large beach, and small port, the medieval inner city of Cagnes-sur-Mer is perched on a hill. At its highest point, the fortified castle with dungeons of Grimaldi has watched over the town since the 14th century. It now houses several museums. In Cagnes-sur-Mer France you will enjoy so many beautiful places to see, many tourist attractions to visit with so many amazing highlights of a splendid city.
There is the Olivier museum (presses, amphoras: the whole history of this emblem of the South), the Solidor donation (40 portraits of the singer Suzy Solidor painted by artists such as Kisling, Picabia, Foujita, etc.), and remarkable painted baroque ceilings. Leaving the castle, descend through the old medieval town to the city center. Cagnes-sur-Mer is also famous for the stay of Auguste Renoir, the famous impressionist painter who lived there until he died in 1919. His house and its vast garden are open to visitors. Let’s have a look below and see about the 12 best things to do in Cagnes-sur-Mer France.
12 Best Things to Do in Cagnes-sur-Mer France
- The Haut de Cagnes
- Hippodrome Beach
- The Beach Promenade
- Canyon Forest
- The Hippodrome of the Côte d’Azur
- The Grimaldi castle-museum
- The Renoir Museum
- Cros-de-Cagnes
- The Notre-Dame-de-Protection Chapel
- Air balloon ride. Azur Provence Hot Air Balloons
- Make diving
- Beaches of Cagnes-sur-Mer
The Haut de Cagnes
Located on a hill, like the villages of the region, the Haut de Cagnes, a small medieval quarter, dominates the more modern town of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The village is surrounded by medieval ramparts and an old medieval castle overlooks the whole. This is truly the most interesting district of Cagnes. The village has to be earned: to reach it, you must take the Montée de la Bourgade which climbs quite steeply. You also have a year-round shuttle that runs from the Cagnes-sur-Mer bus station to Haut de Cagnes: line 44, free. You enter the village through the Porte de Nice which dates from the 13th century.
Hippodrome Beach in Cagnes-sur-Mer
This is a beautiful beach which nevertheless extends from Villeneuve-Loubet to near the Cagne, a coastal river that gave its name to the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The beach is made up of large pebbles and it is therefore advisable to wear shoes suitable for swimming to avoid injury. Hippodrome Beach is laid out in several groins. It is one of the most beautiful places to see in Cagnes-sur-Mer France.
The Beach Promenade
The coast of Cagnes-sur-Mer offers its visitors 3.5 kilometers of pebble beach (the latter gives this blue color so particular to the Mediterranean Sea in this place). The water temperature is very mild, it is possible to swim there all year round. The area is very lively and many activities and entertainment are offered, especially during the summer season. You can also indulge in water activities if you like thrills. The Promenade de la Plage has enabled the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer to obtain the first national prize in the City Entrance Competition. It is a truly exceptional place of discovery and leisure which shows that the city has succeeded in redeveloping its spaces to offer its visitors sites that are worth the trip.
Canyon Forest
In the neighboring village, Villeneuve-Loubet, you have an adventure park for the whole family! This is an outdoor park that offers ropes courses as well as canyoning. The setting is idyllic and green. At Canyon Forest, 4 tree climbing courses, an outdoor laser game, and some of the most beautiful canyons for canyoning on the Côte d’Azur await you. Whether you’re a thrill seeker or just love spending time in nature, you’ll find what you need at this great adventure park. To enjoy this park, you will have to cover a few kilometers either on foot or by bicycle (which you can rent directly from the park, by the way). This is listed as our recommendation of the 12 best things to do in Cagnes-sur- Mer France.
The Hippodrome of the Côte d’Azur
After the merger in 1952 of the Cannes and Nice racing companies, the Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur was born on the incredible site of Cagnes-sur-Mer. It is all the same the second racetrack in the Province and it hosts nearly 80 horse races a year. Spread over 60 hectares, the racecourse can accommodate 12,000 visitors, including 6,000 in the stands. The racecourse also serves as a training center. In winter as in summer, many races take place there, from December to March and in July and August. More than 1,200 horses live in the boxes of the racecourse.
The Grimaldi Castle-Museum of Cagnes-sur-Mer
Rainier Grimaldi had the building built in 1309. The residence was then refurbished in 1620 when the Grimaldi family moved there and transformed the whole into a typically Mediterranean residence. The city of Cagnes bought the castle in 1937 and transformed it into a museum in 1946. Several collections are exhibited there, all very diverse but concerning the history of Cagnes, the ethnography of the olive tree, modern art, and contemporary art. While visiting the castle, you will see a magnificent double-ramp staircase and a Louis XIII marble portal. The ceilings are painted in the purest Baroque style. The marble decorations, the sculptures, and the trompe-l’oeil are also in a Baroque style. Going to the top of the tower, you can enjoy a splendid view of Cagnes, the sea but also the Alps. The museum’s various modern art collections include 40 portraits of Suzy Solidor, a singer, actress, and novelist who symbolized the liberation of women in the 1930s. She served as a model for many painters of the modern movement. You will therefore be able to see portraits painted by Cocteau, Dufy, Foujita, Lempicka, Picabia, or Van Dongen, among others. The museum also regularly organizes temporary exhibitions.
The Renoir Museum
Cagnes-sur-Mer is a city renowned for its link with the painter Auguste Renoir. In 1907, the painter bought the Domaine des Collettes and had a house built there. It was there that he would spend the last 11 years of his life with his wife and two of his children. The city bought the house in 1960 from Renoir’s last son. The city then transformed the house into a museum. The interior of the house has been perfectly preserved as at the time of Renoir. The various collections exhibited in the museum will allow you to discover the work of Renoir at the time of his life in Cagnes-sur-Mer. You can also discover photographs, familiar objects, and furniture that belonged to Renoir and his family. Some works by Renoir’s friends, including Bonnard and Dufy, are also exhibited. The estate also has a pretty park in which you can stroll and put yourself in the shade of the olive trees. A large bronze, sculpted by Renoir himself in 1914, Venus Victrix, also embellishes this calm and restful exterior.
Cros-de-Cagnes
This former fishing village has retained the authentic charm that once characterized it. The narrow streets, colorful houses, and open-air markets delight visitors and locals alike. Many tourists indeed flock to Cagnes since the place became a seaside resort and it can quickly become quite crowded. But you will still be able to find the picturesque and serene side of the village, especially if you come in the low season. You can then stroll on the port, encourage the boules players in Place Saint-Pierre, and enjoy the entertainment on site. Go to the rue des oliviers or browse the 3.5km of beach.
The Notre Dame de Protection Chapel
Below the Place du Château, you have the famous Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Protection. This Italian-inspired religious building inspired the painter Auguste Renoir, a great lover of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The main interest of this chapel is the apse. It is covered with frescoes that date from the 16th century and are said to have been made by Andrea de Cella, one of the primitive painters of Nice.
Air balloon ride. Azur Provence Hot Air Balloons
The holidays are an opportunity to do something a little inflated. A first flight in a hot air balloon will make you feel like an adventurer. The appointment stalled, on D-Day, at the take-off base. You witness the inflation of the giant balloon. Then boom! Climb into the basket and spread your “wings” for an hour of flight. The calm, the silence (apart from a little bit of the burner from time to time), a 360° view, and the blue of the sky everywhere… So beautiful! On the ground, a team is waiting for you, a glass of champagne in hand to celebrate your baptism.
Make diving
Diving is fun. Your relaxing stay is the perfect time to initiate yourself or to set off again to explore the seabed. If you are already practicing, you can even pass your levels. The Passion Scuba Diving Center is located at the end of the beach promenade, in the small port of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, bordering Cagnes. At the dock, the boat “Plouf 1” is waiting to leave for the Baie des Anges. More than thirty diving spots are on its program, such as La Grotte à coral or Dante’s Inferno.
Beaches of Cagnes-sur-Mer
Near Cros de Cagnes, you have the beaches of Cros and Port du Cros. In the heart of the lively and colorful district, you will also find many bars, restaurants, and shops to allow you to spend brilliant days, and always with your feet in the water or almost! Who says better? You also have the opportunity to enjoy private beaches and have lunch or dinner in front of the sea. On some beaches, you can rent umbrellas or mattresses to enjoy the sun, and the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean, in peace.