Holidays in Menton on the French Riviera

Menton is a town at the far eastern end of the Cote d'Azur near to the Italian border. It has been a traditional holiday resort for decades and is still popular with French tourists today. Beaches, historic buildings, gardens and museums provide plenty of entertainment for visitors no matter what your interests. Menton is a great base for exploring the region with trains running along the French coast and into Italy regularly. You can also take boat trips from the town along the Cote d'Azur.

Historic Menton

The town of Menton is filled with old buildings, many around the Place Ardoino painted in bright colours. The old town itself is pedestrianised with lots of winding streets full of craft shops, cafes and restaurants. The Medieval centre of the town is on top of the cliffs, which overlook the town and this stretch of the coastline. In particular, there are two churches, the Eglise St Michel and the Chapel de Pénitents Blancs, are well worth the climb up the steep steps to get to the top. If you are struggling with the climb you can always take the motorised Petit Train trip around the streets of Menton, which includes the climb up to the oldest part of the town.

Beaches and Gardens

Beaches line the coast either side of Menton's headland, with the majority to the west heading towards to Cap Martin. The closes public beach to the old town is the Plage des Sablettes right at the foot of the hill. You can splash out and treat yourself to a day on one of the many private beaches in the area with sun loungers, parasols and facilities like toilets and showers. If you prefer your sun without sand involved, Menton is home to a number of gardens. Some, like the Hanbury Botanical Gardens, are more for looking around than sunbathing in, but you can take along a picnic to the large Parc du Pian, which also has a sea view through the trees. Behind the beaches there is a large promenade, complete with palm trees and restaurants, which gets lively on evenings during the summer.

Museums

There are several art galleries in Menton including the Galerie d'Art du Palais de l'Europe and the Galerie d'Art du Palais de l'Europe, which exhibit traditional and contemporary French art respectively. The Musee Jean Cocteau is a 17th century fort that has been converted into a museum by Jean Cocteau himself to exhibit his work while the Regional Prehistory Museum features exhibits discovered in local caves at Vallonet, Lazaret and Grimaldi.