Hotel Du Clos

Activities

• Walking: Le Camp Romain, a forest famous for its walking trails, rises behind the village
  
  
• Skiing: Believe it or not, you can ski in the mountains behind you in winter. A 45-minute drive will take you up to Gréoliére - the drive itself is beautiful
  
  
• Beaches: Head down to Cannes and Antibes for the best beaches (those at Nice are pebbled). You can hire a lounger on a private beach, be served on hand and foot, saunter down to the clear blue sea and dip in a toe. La Garoupe on the Cap d’Antibes is pretty special and Salis Beach in Antibes is very nice
  
  
• Markets: There are lots of local markets. The best are at Biot and Valbonne, two beautiful old villages very close by
  
  
• Golf: There are 10 courses within 10 kilometers. Those at Opio and Valbonne are closest; Royal Mougins and Cannes country club are the best (and most expensive)
  
  
• Head to Grasse for the perfume factory (you can make your own scent); or Bar-sur-Loup for the sweet factory and the waterfall
  
  
• Nice (photos 3 and 5) for Matisse and Chagall; both have museums dedicated to their work in this region. There’s also the flower market and the old town, both are worth a peek
  
  
• St Paul de Vence (photo 4) – a nearby, picturesque hilltop village – also has a rich art history. Matisse lived here and decorated the ceiling of the Rosary chapel, which is just out of town, but worth the detour. In town, try the famous Fondation Maeght with a large collection of works by Chagall, Braque, Giacometti and others
  
  
• Cannes is excellent for shopping and generally hanging out with the beautiful people. You can take daytrips to the local islands or even nip across to St Tropez on the ferry. It only takes an hour and a half, the journey is great and you avoid the mad traffic jams the other end