Wondering what cities are on the French Riviera?
It’s hard to define exactly which cities are included in the area of the French Riviera and Cote d’Azur, because The French Riviera is just a name given to the part of the southern France which stretches along the Mediterranean and creates the contrasting coastline along the clear blue waters. In other words, it has no official boundaries.
When talking about the French Riviera, the state of Monaco is normally often included, even though it technically doesn’t belong to France. But that’s just because it is surrounded by French soil, with the Riviera being on both sides of Monaco and Monte Carlo.
In this article, though, we’ll be listing all cities, towns, and villages of the French Riviera, according to the broadest definition, as well as list some of the largest and most popular cities of the French Riviera.
Here’s a complete list of all the towns on the French Riviera, according to the broadest definition, starting from the south-west, all the way north-east to the Italian border. Some of the towns are located inland in France, and not directly along the Riviera, but per definition, they’re included in the French Riviera.
Cassis
Cassis is a commune situated east of Marseille. Cassis is quite a popular place for tourists to visit, and it is famous for its many cliffs, as well as its wines, being mainly white wine and roés
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 7,793 inhabitants.
La Ciotat
La Ciotat is a commune located in the Bouches-du-Rhône area.
It is located just east of Marseille, and its inhabitants are called Ciotadens/Ciotadennes.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 34,271 inhabitants.
Bandol
Bandol is a commune in Var department. The town is built around a military fort and was founded in 1595. Bandol is a wine region in the south of France located near Marseille. In fact, Bandon is aone of the French Riviera’s most famous wine regions. Because of the great soils, together with the ideal french riviera climate, Bandol is the perfect place for the Mourvèdre grape. This grape is used for making both red and rosé wines.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 8,765 inhabitants.
Sanary-Sur-Mer
Sanary-sur-Mer is a commune in the Var department on the French Riviera.
Transporting here can be done from Pris by the TGV train, taking less than 4 hours.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 17,068 inhabitants.
Six-Fours-Les-Plages
Inhabitants of this area refer themselves as “Six-Fournais”. This town is located southwest of Toulon.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 34,779 inhabitants.
Toulon
Toulon is one of the larger cities on the French Riviera, and has a gigantic military harbor, and is a large French naval base.
Because of its size, Toulon is the capital of the Var department. Moreover, it is the fifteenth-largest city in France, and the third-largest French city on the French Riviera
Toulon is known for many things, including fishing, winemaking, and aeronautical equipment
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 163,974 inhabitants.
Hyères Le Lavandou
This is a town on the French Riviera which has its name from the lavender flower. And not unexpectedly, it is a region on the Riviera which has a lot of lavender.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 2,867 inhabitants.
Cavalaire-Sur-Mer
Cavalaire-Sur-Mer is believed to be an ancient Phoenician colony, originally bearing the name Heracles Caccabaria. Remains of a Gallo-Roman occupation in Pardigon have also been found here. In 2929, the town was detached from Gassin.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 6,463 inhabitants.
Saint-Tropez.
Saint-Tropez is a town on the French Riviera that most people know of, famous for its jet-set lifestyle and beach clubs. It is pronounced [sɛ̃tʁɔpe].
St Tropez was once a military stronghold, and a fishing village, something that can still be noticed today, with its small harbors and boats.
St Tropez was the first town on the French Riviera to be liberated during World War II.
After the war, the town got its reputation from being the residing town of celebrities and the wealthy.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 5,612 inhabitants.
Grimaud
Grimaud is a village that has a historical connection to the Grimaldi family, the family which leads Monaco.
In 973 AD, Gibelin de Grimaldi helped William the Good to drive the Saracens of Fraxinet out of the area and was therefore rewarded with the land.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 3,792 inhabitants.
Sainte-Maxime
Sainte-Maxime is located 90 km west from Nice and 130 km east from Marseille.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 3,519 inhabitants.
Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël
Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël have its origins from the Celto-Ligurian people who are known to have settled around the harbor in the area.
Remains of a defensive wall can be found in the area, meant to protect it from any enemies from seas.éjus
Férjus is neighbors with Saint-Raphaël, which together form one town.
In 1959, the Malpasset Dam, located just above Fréjus collapsed, which resulted in over 400 people dying.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 52,389 inhabitants.
Fayence
Fayence is an area that gives a home to a series of villages, bordering the sea between Cannes and Saint-Raphaël.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 1,872 inhabitants.
Les Adrets-de-l’Estérel
Les Adrets de l’Estérel is a small town on the French Riviera, located close to both Fréjus and Cannes.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 2,774 inhabitants.
Tanneron
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 1,471 inhabitants.
Théoule-sur-Mer
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 1,556 inhabitants.
Mandelieu and La Napoule
Mandelieu-la Napoule is a town located on the French riviera, close to Cannes.
Mandelieu-la Napoule is mostly known for its fortified caste from the 14th century by the name of Château de la Napoule.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 22,714 inhabitants.
Grasse
Grasse is definitely in the top ten list of the most famous towns on the French Riviera.
Grassy is mostly known for its perfumes, and it is referred to as the capital of perfume.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 51,021 inhabitants.
Mougins
Mougins is located at the same height a Cannes, just 15-minutes by car from Cannes.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 17,884 inhabitants
the Îles de Lérins – Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat – Lérins islands
The Lérins Islands consists of a group of four islands, located in the Mediterranean sea. The islands are located just outside of Cannes, and can be reached from Cannes with a 15-minute boat ride.
The islands belong to the commune of Cannes, and the island St Honorat is known to be an island where monks live and grow grapes to make wine. St Honorat is also the only island that is inhabited.
Cannes
Cannes is among the most famous cities of the French riviera, known for its glam and manycelebritiws, and especially the Cannes film festival.
It has many luxury restaurants, lixirioues hotes, and if you’re lucky, you might see some celebrities.According to the most recent population measuring, it has 73,603 inhabitants.
Vallauris
Vallauris is essentially ain extension of the town of Antibes.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 26,595 inhabitants.
Valbonne
Valbonne means “the good valley”.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 12,500 inhabitants.
Golfe-Juan
Golfe-Juan is a seaside resort, locatd on the French Riviera.Juan-les-Pins.
Juan-les-pins
Juan-les-Pins is located betwen Nice and CAnnes, and is a popular tourist destination that attracts the jet-setters. It has casinos, bpopular beaches, and nightclubs.
Antibes
Antibes is an old medieval town hat is built behind high wals that were meant to protect its inhabitants from enemies. It has lots of old buildings and beautiful history tied to it which you can watch.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 75,568 inhabitants.
Biot
Biot is located near Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, on top of a hill, which gives the most maginificient view over the mediterranean seea.
Biot is an old pottery centre, somethin that was restarted again In the middle of the 20th century. Now, you can visit Biot for the most beautiful handmade Biot once again became famous for its decorative pottery and glasswork.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 9,160 inhabitants.
Villeneuve-Loubet
Villeneuve-Loubet was, as the name suggests, created from a conjunction of two villages: Villeneuve and Loubet. The inhabitants of Villeneuve-loubet are calledVilleneuvois.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 15,020 inhabitants.
Cagnes-sur-Mer
Cagnes-sur-Mer is mostly known for its pebble beaches and riviera calm.
It is also in Cagnes-sur-mer where the only only horse hippodrome on the French Riviera is locared.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 46,686 inhabitants.
Vence
Vence located on the hills of the French Riviera between Nice and Antibes.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 18,536 inhabitants.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, named Saint-Paul, until 2011.
It is one of the oldest medieval towns located on the French Riviera, and especially known for its art museums.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 3,477 inhabitants.
Saint-Jeannet
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 3,656 inhabitants.
Saint-Laurent-du-Var
Saint-Laurent-du-Var was founded in the 11th century. The town was mainly built to aid passengers to cross the var, whcih was a border between Kingdom of France and County of Nice, when Nice was an own county.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 29,343 inhabitants.
Belvédère
Belvédère is located in the mountains close to Nice.It is part of the Mercantour National Park, whuch is part of UNESCO’s world heritage list.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 685 inhabitants.
Nice
Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera founded around 350 BC by the Greek, and then named Nicaea, which has today become Nice. Different from what you might beleive about its english meaning, the name is actually in honour of a victory over the Ligurians, as a ssalute to the Greek goddess of Victory Nike.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 343,895 inhabitants.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
The Greeks and the Romans used the natural harbour of Villefranche.sur-mer as a stopping point on their way to different Greek settlements on the French Riviera.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 5,471 inhabitants.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is known to have been the inhabited by eth ancient Greeks, and named Anaoe.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 2,085 inhabitants.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Beaulieu-sur-Mer translates to “Beautiful place” by the water, and accordingly, it is a seaside village on the French Riviera, located between Nice and Monaco.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 3,742 inhabitants.
Èze
Èze was first inhabited around 2000 BC .
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 2,961 inhabitants.
Cap d’Ail
Cap-d’Ail borders Monaco, and is a popular luxury seaside vacation place.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 4,997 inhabitants.
Monaco
While Monaco technically doesn’t belong to France, it is normally included in the French Riviera, considering the fact that it is surrounded by French land, and located just along the riviera of France.
Monaco is offically named the Principality of Monaco. It is a microstate on the French Riviera, the second-smallest and most densely populated sovereign state in the world
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 37,308 inhabitants.
Beausoleil
Beausoleil, which translated to “Beautiful Sun”) is a commune on the French riviera which adjoins the Principality of Monaco.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 14,078 inhabitants.
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is located between Monaco and Menton and therefore also othe second last towns on the French Riviera before the Italian border.]
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 13,515 inhabitants.
Menton
Menton is a town on the french riviera mostly known for its exquisiite lemons.
It is said according to a legend that adam and Eve were in Menton and tried the lemons
Menton is the last town on the French Riviera, and nicknamed the Pearl of France.
According to the most recent population measuring, it has 29,073 inhabitants.
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