Côte d'Azur is headquarter for artists

Côte d'Azur Paris - Arabstoday Nearly 80 years ago, the sleepy Côte d'Azur suddenly became the unofficial headquarters for an international enclave of artists and writers who picnicked and swam together, threw lavish parties to the tune of the latest jazz, and talked endlessly about art. The word was out: head south to a fantasyland of escape, to palm trees and a deep blue sea that promised the renewal of simple pleasures. Today, despite overdevelopment, traffic and skyrocketing real estate, some things about the Riviera never change, such as the dazzling light that attracted so many painters, from Picasso to Bonnard. You can still wander through the cobbled streets, people-watch in a cafe at sunset or bathe in the same turquoise shallows enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans, who were already living it up on this same fringe of coast. Built in 1880 by a Russian Prince, Le Cap Estel (wwwcapestel.com; 00 33 493 76 29 29) sits on a lush, private peninsula just outside of Monaco. The restored rooms and grounds include suites of varying sizes, including cosy on-the-beach nautical double rooms. The Riviera splendour harks back to a different era (everyone from Churchill to the Beatles stayed here in its heyday), but now there's also a gym, a spa, and an infinity pool at the water's edge. Suites cost from €390 (Dh1,911) per night, including taxes. When F Scott Fitzgerald rented the seaside Villa St Louis on the Cap d'Antibes in 1926 (where he wrote Tender is the Night), little did he dream that it would be transformed into the splendid Hotel Belles Rives (www.bellesrives.com; 00 33 493 61 02 79) three years later. This family-run Art Deco hotel has everything from a 1920s-style bar of polished wood and parquet floors to a private beach and a waterskiing school. The starlit terrace restaurant, La Passagère, headed by chef Pascal Bardet, is as romantic as it gets. Double rooms cost from €158 (Dh774) per night, including taxes. For an affordable, artsy experience, the Hotel Windsor (www.hotelwindsornice.com; 00 33 493 88 5925) in Nice's shopping district has whimsical but comfortable rooms designed by a group of international artists as well as more conventional garden-view rooms. Breakfasting by the poolside amid banana trees and palms makes this a real treat for those on a budget. From €129 (Dh632) per night, including taxes. If you want to explore the woodsy backcountry and medieval villages, renting a car is advisable, but it is not a must for getting around the coast. For sun worshippers, even the loveliest secluded beaches in Cap d'Ail (Plage Mala) or Cap Martin Roquebrune (Golfe Bleu) are in walking distance from the bus stops (€1; Dh5) and train stations. Taxis are available at the airport but rates are exorbitant - the 15-minute ride from Nice airport-to the city centre costs about €30 (Dh147). Airport buses run regularly and the more exclusive hotels provide shuttles. To get around Nice's city centre, take the electric tram (€1; Dh5), or rent one of the city's new self-service blue bicycles (Vélos Bleus; €1 for the first 30 minutes), available at 175 stations all over town. No visit is complete without a glimpse of the red cliffs of the Estérel mountains and a stop in St Tropez; take a boat from Nice's Old Port (www.trans-cote-azur.com) that will drop you at Saint-Tropez harbour and get you back in time for dinner (€58; Dh285). Grab a straw basket and stock up on local specialities at the open-air flower and produce market on the Cours Saleya (Tuesday to Sunday) where all the well-heeled shop for vine tomatoes, goat's cheese, olives, and Nice's pride-and-joy, socca - a paper-thin savoury pancake made of chickpea flour cooked in a wood-burning oven. On Mondays, the square turns into an antiques market.