Juan-Les-Pins Overview

Under the Romans, Antibes was a major port and fishing base. To protect Antibes from the stench of the incoming seafood, Juan-les-Pins (jwahn-lay-pehn; pop. 80,000 including Antibes) was constructed nearby to store and ship the fish. It consisted mainly of sailors’ homes and seafood factories until the 1920s, when it was revamped by robber baron Jay Gould. Hundreds of American tourists were drawn to Gould’s seaside paradise, and decades later little has changed. Today, the sailors have returned to search for work among the thousands of yachts stationed in Antibes, and Juan-les-Pins is flooded with vacationers seeking sun, sea, and sex—not necessarily in that order. In summer, ice-cream stands and boardwalk shops stay open late, and clubs blast music until the sun summons partygoers back to the beach.

Trains: Av. de l’Estérel, at the corner of av. du Maréchal Joffre. Open daily 6:40am-9pm. Ticket window open daily 8:50am-noon and 1:40-5pm. To: Antibes (5min., 25 per day, €1.20); Cannes (10min., 25 per day, €2); Monaco (1hr., 9 per day, €6.40); Nice (30min., 25 per day, €3.90).
Buses: ☎04 93 34 37 60. Bus #1 (10min., every 30min. 6:55am-7:45pm, €1) runs from Sillages to pl. Guynemer in Antibes, where you can transfer to regional buses. #1 Abis Noctantibes shuttles between pl. de Gaulle in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins at night (July-Aug. 8pm-12:20am).
Petit Train: ☎06 03 35 61 35. Runs from rue de la République in Antibes, through the vieille ville, to Juan-les-Pins. Although touristy and more expensive, it also provides a guided tour of Antibes. 30min. July-Aug. every hr. 10am-10pm; May-Oct. every hr. 10am-7pm. Round-trip €8, ages 3-10 €3.50. Buy tickets on train. Cash only.
Taxis: ☎04 92 93 07 07 or 08 25 56 07 07. At the Jardin de la Pinède and outside the train station. From the station to Antibes €12-15.

Orientation And Practical Information

To walk from pl. du Général de Gaulle in Antibes, head along bd. Wilson to the beach (25min.). Follow the beach to the right until you see the tourist office.

Tourist Office: 51 bd. Charles Guillaumont (☎04 97 23 11 10; www.antibes-juanlespins.com). From the train station, walk along av. du Maréchal Joffre and turn right onto av. Guy de Maupassant; the office is 2min. away on the right, at the intersection of av. de l’Amiral Courbet and av. Charles Guillaumont. Open July-Aug. daily 9am-7pm; Sept.-June M-Sa 9am-noon and 2-6pm.
Laundromat: On the corner of av. de l’Estérel and av. du Docteur Fabre (☎04 93 61 52 04). Wash €3.90-9, dry €0.50 per 5min. Detergent €0.40. Open daily 7am-8pm.
Police: ☎04 97 21 75 60.
Pharmacy: 1 av. de l’Amiral Courbet (☎04 93 61 12 96).
Internet Access: Mediterr@net, 3 av. du Docteur Fabre (☎04 93 61 04 03), across from the train station. €2.70 per hr. Open M-Sa 9am-9pm, Su 10am-9pm.
Post Office: Av. du Maréchal Joffre (☎04 92 93 75 50). Open M and W-F 8am-noon and 1:45-6pm, Tu 8am-noon and 2:15-6pm, Sa 8am-noon. Postal Code: 06160.

Accommodations And Camping

Animated beaches and incomparable nightlife make Juan-les-Pins a popular vacation spot; it’s no wonder luxury hotels and upscale apartments are everywhere, while budget lodging is hard to find. The closest campgrounds are two train stops away in Biot (ask the tourist office for more information).

Hôtel de la Gare, 6 rue du Printemps (☎04 93 61 29 96). Small hotel with functional, clean rooms. Breakfast €5. Reserve months ahead. July-Aug. singles and doubles €36; triples €42; quads €62. Sept. and May-June singles and doubles €32; triples €42; quads €52. Oct.-Apr. singles and doubles €29; triples €39; quads €47. MC/V.
Hôtel Parisiana, 16 av. de l’Estérel (☎04 93 61 27 03; hotelparisiana@wanadoo.fr). Bright rooms with A/C, fridges, bath, and TVs. Breakfast €5. Free Wi-Fi. Reception 8am-10pm. Singles €30-45; doubles €42-59; triples €55-71; quads €65-79. Extra bed €11. Prices lower for stays of more than 5 nights. MC/V.
Hôtel Alexandra, rue Pauline (☎04 97 21 76 50; www.hotelalexandra.net). First opened in 1920. Spacious, tastefully decorated rooms, each with A/C, phone, TV, and shower. 1st fl. restaurant serves a Provençal menu. Breakfast €7.50. Free Wi-Fi. Reception 8am-8pm. July-Aug. reserve 1 month ahead. Open Mar.-Oct. July-Aug. singles €55; doubles €85; triples €92-98. Sept. and May-June singles €50; doubles €75; triples €82-88. Oct. and Mar.-Apr. singles €45; doubles €65; triples €72-80. AmEx/MC/V.

Food

The Petit Casino supermarket is on av. de l’Amiral Courbet, across from the tourist office. (☎04 93 61 00 56. Open M-Tu and Th-Sa 8am-12:30pm and 2:30-7:30pm, W 8am-12:30pm, Su 8am-1pm. MC/V.) A Casino supermarket is on av. du Docteur Dautheville. (Open M-Sa 8:30am-8pm, Su 9am-1pm.) Meal prices are typically more affordable the farther you walk from the centre-ville.

La Bamba, 18 rue du Docteur Dautheville (☎04 93 61 32 64). Serves a large selection of wood-fired meat and fish dishes (€13-24). Pizzas €9-13. Menu €23. Open daily July-Aug. 5:30pm-1am; Sept.-June noon-2pm and 7-11pm. AmEx/MC/V.
Ruban Bleu, promenade du Soleil (☎04 93 61 31 02). Beachfront restaurant and boardwalk brasserie. At brasserie: Pizza €8-14. Plats €15-28. Menus €18. Restaurant prices €3-5 more. Open daily July-Aug. 7:30am-2am; Sept.-June 7:30am-10pm. V.
La Bretagne, bd. Charles Guillaumont (☎04 93 67 41 54). Eat with an ocean view on the sand. Chair, mattress, and umbrella €12. Pasta €9-14. Open daily 9am-7pm. V.

Nightlife And Festivals

In mid-July, Juan-les-Pins temporarily abandons its nightclub obsession for the 10-day Festival International de Jazz (Jazz à Juan), which has drawn such performers as BB King. (Jazzajuan@antibes-juanlespins.com. Tickets available at tourist office. €25-66, students and under 18 €12-22. MC/V.) Sunset in Juan-les-Pins draws bronzed partygoers to the casino area. Most discothèques are open only on weekends in the low season. Fortunately, nearby bars pick up the slack and provide a lively and raucous atmosphere of their own.

Bars

Pam Pam Rhumerie, 137 bd. du Président Wilson (☎04 93 61 11 05; www.pampam.fr). Brazilian-themed. Revelers squeeze in between tikis to sip exotic mixed drinks (€14) served in coconut-, monkey-, and tiki-hut-shaped glasses. Showgirls in bikinis take the stage at 9:30pm. Open daily from mid-Mar. to early Nov. 2pm-5am. MC/V.
Le Crystal, av. Georges Galice (☎04 93 61 62 51), across from Pam Pam. Ice-cream mixed drinks (€10) attract a low-key, relaxed crowd. Open daily 8am-2:30am. MC/V.
Ché Café, carrefour de la Nouvelle Orléans. Pays homage to Mr. Guevara with huge photos and camo-print chairs. Try a tempting lineup of rum shots (€9)—including banana, plantain, coconut, and guava flavors—on the terrace. Beer €6.50. Mixed drinks €8-12. Open daily Aug. 3pm-5am; Sept.-Oct. and Apr.-July 3pm-4am. MC/V.
Zapata’s, carrefour de la Nouvelle Orléans. Partygoers pack into the bar and crowd the outside tables to listen to salsa and drink margaritas. Shots €7-9. Mixed drinks €9. Open Apr.-Oct. daily 5:30pm-4am. MC/V.
L’Estérel, 12 av. de l’Estérel (☎04 93 61 31 26), across from rue Jonnard. Escape the overpriced at this laid-back local hangout. Beer €4.40. Mixed drinks €6-7. Shots €2-3; 10 for €18-27. Live music Tu. Happy hour W. Open daily 6pm-2:30am. Cash only.

Clubs

Le Village, 1 bd. de la Pinède (☎04 92 93 90 00). Brave long lines for the Mexican fiestas. Feisty staff literally sets the bar on fire. Ladies free M-Th before 12:30am. Cover €16. Open July-Aug. daily midnight-5am; Sept.-June F-Sa midnight-5am. MC/V.
Milk, av. Georges Gallice (☎04 93 67 22 74). Swanky crowd. Plush sofas make the entirely white interior relaxing. Drinks €11-17. Cover €16; includes 1 drink. Open July-Aug. daily midnight-6am; Sept.-June F-Sa midnight-6am. AmEx/MC/V.
Whisky à Gogo, 5 rue Jacques Leonetti (☎04 93 61 26 40). Black lights and bubble columns. Young crowd grooves to house. Drinks €11. Ladies free before 12:30am. 18+. Cover €16, students €8; includes 1 drink. Open June-Aug. daily midnight-5am; from Sept. to mid-Oct. Th-Sa midnight-5am; Apr.-May F-Sa midnight-5am. AmEx/MC/V.

Beaches

The small beaches are crowded by beach clubs, restaurants, and snack stands. Juan-les-Pins’s second-biggest playground—after the clubs, of course—is the surf, home to every watersport imaginable. Start at the pontoon dock in front of Hôtel Meridien, where Water Sports Services, 15 bd. Baudoin, on Garden Beach, offers water-skiing (€20), wakeboarding (€20), parasailing (€50-60), tubing (€20), and paddle-boat rental by the hour (€20). (☎04 92 93 57 57. Open daily July-Aug. 7am-8pm; Sept.-Oct. and Apr.-June 8am-7pm. Cash only.)