Information about the Cote d'Azur
area
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Azur Villa
Services Ltd
have been providing quality apartments
and villas for rent on the French Cote d'Azur and Riviera since1988.
Staffed by English-speaking experts, this company can provide
you with superb long and short-term property rentals at competitive
prices.
Our up to date and on-site knowledge
of the properties is provided by our resident-in-area multi-lingual
staff who are available to assist you during your stay.
- You can check availability
on our villas by sending our enquiry form
Or by e-mailing us at:
information@azur-villas.co.uk
You are also welcome to telephone
us in the UK on
- 0207 298 6129 or 01202 741910
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- The much-frequented resort town of Antibes,
built between the bays of La Salis and St-Roch, lies on the west
of the Baie des Anges facing Nice. It has its own harbour, Port
Vaubon, and the Cap d'Antibes, nearby, is a pleasant place to
explore. The Antibes region is one
of Europe's great centres for the commercial production of flowers.
About 800 firms keep some 300 hectares/50 acres under glass frames
or greenhouses. Roses take first place, followed by carnations,
anemones and tulips. Evergreens and spring vegetables are also
grown. The Musée Picasso houses
many of this artist's works in paint and sculpture.
- We have villas in Antibes
from £1650 week and apartments in Antibes from £675
per week
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- Biot (the final "t" is voiced)
is a picturesque village on rising ground some 4 km / 2.5 miles
inland. Cut flowers - roses, carnations, mimosa and anemones
- are grown here for market. Since 1960 its name has been inseparably
linked with that of the artist Fernard Léger (1881-1955).
Biot has long been known for its pottery, as the area is rich
in clay, sand, manganese and volcanic tufa (stone used for ovens).
Amphorae from Biot were very popular until the mid 18th Century
and were exported through the ports of Antibes and Marseille.
It has now diversified and has developed into an important craft
centre.The Musée national Fernard-Léger is Southeast
of the village and contains 348 works by Léger. A Bonsaï
arboretum (Chemen du Val de Pôme) is located near to the
Léger museum and displays a large collection of bonsai
trees against thebackdrop of a reconstructed Japanese garden,
as well as other tropical plants in nearby greenhouses.The evening
is the best time to appreciate the authentic charm of the picturesque
streets, starting from the Tourist Information Centre (syndicat
d'initiative) and following the arrows, through the town gates,
Porte des Migraniers (grenadiers) and Porte des Tines (both 16th
Century), and emerging into the beautiful place des Arcades with
its rounded and pointed arches.
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- Even though well adapted to modern living,
this seaside resort still has the atmosphere ot the leisurely,
friendly, every day life of these history charged villages of
the Cote d'Azur. As does everyone, you too, will fall under the
charm of the Haut de Cagnes (the old city at the top). This medieval
quarter is full of tiny streets, stairs,little restaurants and
old houses that gradually descend down and blend with the modern
lower city. Cagnes is also a city of artists, with such painters
as Ziem, Derain, Cezanne, Renoir, and Modigliani who all helped
to make this city famous. Cagnes is a fishing village and a seaside
resort. Strolling about the old fishing port af Cros de Cagnes
is a must, and while you're there you will surely be tempted
by some grilled fish or to try the local specialty of Poutine.
Beach lovers and sun worshippers will be gratified by all the
water sports available
We have villas in
Antibes from £1650 per week
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- Cannes stands on the shore of La Napoule
Bay, a superb anchorage dominated by the Esterel heights. The
town owes its popularity to the beauty of its setting, its mild
climate and magnificent festivals. From its early fame as the
winter salon of the world's aristocracy, it has developed into
an important resort and conference centre. Boulevard
de la Croisette is where the local residents stroll in. This
elegant promenade, bordered by palm trees and gardens, overlooks
a fine sandy beach. Luxury hotels and elegant shops line the
front and side streets as far as rue d'Antibes. The chic crowd
meets here, in the galleries and antique shops, the cinemas,
nightclubs, cafés and bars. Pointe de la Croisette is
a spit of land that owes its name to a small cross that used
to stand there. It offers splendid views of Cannes, La Napoule
Bay and the Esterel, particularly at sunset. In addition to the
beautiful gardens, modern tourist developments have provided
artificial beaches and the Palm Beach and Mouré Rouge
marinas. Beneath the plane trees in the Allées de la Liberté,
a morning flower market is held, overlooking the harbour where
pleasure craft and fishing boats are moored.
- We have villas in Cannes
from £1855 to £4300 per week and apartments in Cannes
from £795 to £4400 per week
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- Strictly speaking the Cap d'Antibes refers
only to the most southerly tip of land but it has come to mean
the whole peninsula, which is an enchanting garden dotted with
sumptuous hotels and villas catering for summer and winter visitors.
From the viewing table on the Plateau de la Garoupe, near to
the lighthouse and chapel, a fine panorama can be seen stretching
from the Esterel to the Alps
- The lighthouse is one of the most powerful
on the Mediterranean coast at 2,300,000 candelas - it can be
seen from 52 km / 32 miles out to sea and 100 km at 33,000 ft
by aircraft. The former Napoleonic le Grillion battery has been
transformed into a naval and Napoleonic museum.
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- Fréjus, situated just inland from
the Mediterranean, was once an important Roman colony, a key
point on the coastal trading route. It later became an important
bishopric, and substantial monuments remain from both periods.
The remains of the Forum Julii, founded by Julius Caesar in 49
BC, include a huge amphitheatre, parts of an aqueduct, a gateway,
and a theatre. The old Cité Episcopale, on Place Formigé,
comprises the cathedral, the bishops' palace, cloisters, and
a magnificent baptistery from the 5th century, one of the oldest
in France. The lovely two-storey cloisters have white marble
columns topped by a later 14th-century carved and painted wooden
roof.
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- This popular resort lies at the foot of
the Vallauris hills, clad with orange trees and mimosa. The 1km
beach of fine sand extends in a shallow curve and overlooks a
good anchorage protected by Cap d'Antibes and the Îsles
de Lérins.
Napoleon landed here after his escape from Elba and rested at
a nearby inn while attempts were made by his followers to win
over the Antibes garrison but when this move proved unsuccessful,
he marched on Cannes. The 'Route Napoléon' commemorates
his travels and is followed every year by thousands of visitors
to the area.
- We have villas in Golf
Juan from £2600 per week
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- Grasse is renowned for its parfumeries.
Situated 22kms. inland and more tranquil than the coastal resorts,
it rarely suffers from traffic congestion. There are many quality
shops and restaurants to be found hidden away in the old town
centre.
- Grasse has a seductive charm and much
to please the visitor, as it stretches out over the foothills
of the high limestone plateau overlooking the perfumed plains
which have brought it fame and riches. There are broad views
from the modern town with its terraced houses with split-level
gardens, while below in the old Provençal town narrow
alleys are linked by steep ramps or steps which wind between
houses four, or even five, storeys tall.
- Grasse has long specialised in leather
work and glove making when in the 16th Century perfumed gloves
came into fashion. This was the beginning of the perfume industry.
The great perfume houses were born in the 18th and 19th Centuries
and still enjoy an international reputation. One tonne of Grasse
jasmine blossoms yields 1.2kg/2.5 lb of usable concentrated perfume
essence.
- The essences produced in Grasse, which
are the base material of the perfume industry, are used locally
or sent to Paris where the great perfume houses blend them according
to secret formulas to produce the fascinating creations for which
France is famous throughout the world.
We have villas in
Grasse from £1895 per week
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- Juans-les-Pins is an elegant winter and
summer resort, lying at the end of a magnificent bay. A pine
wood slopes down to the 2km beach of fine sand, which is well-protected
from the wind. The town is full of life with its many bars, restaurants,
night-clubs and Casino.
Discovered by American tourists during the twenties, it quickly
became a centre for the new music of the era -Jazz. In the fifties,
it became the European Jazz capital and the annual Festival of
Jazz that was started by Louis Armstrong among others, is still
held during the last two weeks of July.
- We have villas in Juan
les Pins from £3280 per week and apartments from £965
per week
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- On the shores of the Mediterranean sea,
between St Tropez and Menton, Mandelieu-La Napoule offers a rare
diversity of landscapes, a protected natural environment. Winter,
blooming period of the mimosa flower. Foremost center for golf
on the french riviera with its 2 prestigious courses. Mandelieu-la-Napoule
is the capital of the 'mimosa country' on the banks of the Siagne.
Within easy travelling of the other Cote-d'Azur resorts, the
town is well served with shops, supermarkets and inexpensive
quality restuarants and bars. Part of the Mandelieu-la-Napoule
commune, La Napoule, a seaside resort, lies on the shore of the
foot of cliff known as San Peyré or St-Pierre; it has
a large marina and three sandy beaches stretching round the bay;
the view is very beautiful.
- We have villas in Mandelieu
la Napoule from £1995 per week and apartments from £425
per week
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- This elegant resort, with its private
harbour, lies in Figueirette Bay. From the coast road it is only
a 15 minute walk to Pointe de l'Esquillon with its beautiful
panorama of the Esterel heights, the coast, Cap Roux, the Îles
de Lérins and Cap d'Antibes
- We have villas in Mandelieu
la Napoule from £1185 per week and apartments from £775
per week
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- The history of Monaco is pretty much the
history of the Grimaldi family. The country is their private
playground, and they are its raison d'etre - a 1918 treaty with
France states that, should the Grimaldis die out, Monaco will
become an autonomous state of France. The area which is now Monaco
has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Legend has it that during
the Roman era a young Corsican Christian named Dévote
was executed and her body placed in a boat for Africa. The boat
drifted off course and ran aground on the coast of modern-day
Monaco, where a state was founded in her honour.
- We have villas in Monaco
from £3450 per week
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- On an extraordinary hilltop site, clothed
in flowers and bushes, the old village with its narrow lanes
and restored houses is contained within the line of the earlier
ramparts; the 12th Century gateway is known as the "Saracen"
Gate. There is a festive atmosphere in the place de la Mairie
where the solitary old elm and fountain are surrounded by bustle
and restuarants. The town hall used to be a chapel for the White
Penitents. From the village there is a wide view of the Grasse
countryside to the sea. The terrace of the church clocher (bell
tower) gives a superb panorama over the surrounding countryside
and coast. As early as 1935 Pablo Picasso discovered Mougins
in the company of Dora Marr and the photographer Man Ray. Picasso
settled in Mougin in 1961 with his wife Jacqueline, and remained
until his death in 1973. They lived in the Notre-Dame-de-Vie
district in the mas called "L'Antre du Minotaure" (The
Minotaur's Lair), which became a centre for creative arts. Mougins
is a well regarded residential region of Cannes, lying just 5kms.
inland. It is famous for its restaurants and international golf
courses. Mougin is well positioned for excursions to Nice and
Monaco, with Italy only 40 minutes away via the autoroute.
- We have villas in Mougins
from £2000 per week
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- Nice and its region became the Côte
d'Azur, so often painted and photographed. Nice is very proud
of its turbulent past; it preserves its heritage and its language
- the nissart -, it asserts its culinary art and celebrates the
traditional feasts, such as Carnival, Battles of flowers, the
Cougourdons feast, the May feast, the renewal of vows, the Vineyard
feast, the Saint Peter's feast or the Saint Jean feast.
- We have villas in Nice
from £3450 per week and apartments in Nice from £695
per week
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- Peymeinade is a village 5 km West of Grasse, a town renowned for its parfumeries..
The historic heart of the village is grouped around the church
where you'll find a fine array of beautiful 18° century houses.
Peymeinade offers numerous musical and theatrical events and
there are regular antique fairs and markets.
- We have villas in Peymeinade
from £1695 per week
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- A very old fishing port at the north end
of the Gulf of Saint Tropez, Saint-Maxime faces due south and
boasts 300 sunny days per year. Saint-Maxime has all the attributes
of a typical Cote d'Azur village: a typical town center, a port,
seaside promenade, beaches, lively streets, cafes, shops, and
thriving artisanal life. As they have for decades, fishermen
sell their catch of local seafood every morning on the quay opposite
the Café France. With its ideal geographic location and
splendid setting opposite Saint Tropez, the town is sheltered
from both the Mistral and the East wind. Sainte-Maxime is understandably
a favorite port of yachtsmen - as the busy, well-equipped marina
indicates. The town offers sporting activities for every age
and taste: sailing, wind surfing, water skiing, scuba diving,
fishing, swimming, tennis, an 18- hole golf course, petanque,
and cycling - all may be enjoyed in the midst of the most incredible
natural beauty. Galleries, shops, markets, restaurants, museums,
art galleries, children's amusement park, aquatic park, discos
round out the offerings for visitors' delight. Sainte-Maxime
is 14 km from Saint Tropez, 90 km from Nice, 110 from Aix en
Provence, and 130 from Marseille.
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- Nestled in the Esterel massif within an
area of 1,049 ha., Théoule offers inlets and calanques
of red rock and striking views of the sea, coast, and mountains.
Strict urban controls have helped keep the traditional look of
this village. Activities available include beaches at the foot
of the cliffs, sailing, water skiing, scuba diving, marine farm,
sea outings, sea water cures, crafts, horseback riding and hiking
in the scrub or in the forest of cork oaks and maritime pines.
There are 9 hotel restaurants and 21 restaurants.
- We have villas in Tourrettes sur Loup from £4250 per week and apartments from £595
per week
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- This is violet country; the flowers are
cultivated under the olive trees. The unusual fortified village,
its outer houses forming a rampart, stands on a rock plateau
above a sheer drop; Route des Queniréres, the continuation
of Route St-Jean, provides the best view. The weavers, potters,
sculptors, engravers and printers who have come to live in Tourettes
have made it an arts and crafts centre.
- We have villas in Tourrettes sur Loup from £4950 per week
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- The Plateau de Valbonne slopes gently
from the Grasse Pre-Alps to the coast with an average altitude
of 200m/650ft. It comprises some 2000ha/4940 acres of pines and
holm oaks and is drained by the Brague and its tributaries, the
Boullide and the Bruguet.
- This hospitable spot (vallis bona in Latin)
has been occupied since antiquity. In 1199 the Chalais Order
founded an abbey, which came under the control of Lérins
before becoming the parish church. The building in the form of
a Latin cross with a square chevet, has been badly restored on
several occasions but has retained the austere character typical
of Chalais buildings. The village is a curious example of ribbon
development, with its houses with ramparts and chequer board
districts, having been rebuilt in the 16th Century by the Lérins
monks. The main square with its 15-17th Century arcades and old
elm trees makes an attractive sight. Every year around St. Blaise's
Day (3rd February) the Feast of the 'Servan' grape (which ripens
late) is celebrated. There are several golf courses, horse riding
and excellent tennis clubs within a few minutes drive and easy
access to the coast, motorways, airport, and further afield to
Monaco and the Italian border makes for pleasant excursions.
We have villas in
Valbonne from £1885 per week
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- Vallauris lies close to the sea among
rounded hills covered with orange trees and mimosa. The centre
is laid out on a grid plan. The town was razed to the ground
in 1390 and rebuilt and repopulated in the 16th Century by immigrants
from neighbouring regions. The town's traditional craft of pottery
was in decline until Picasso infused it with new life. Vallauris
is now an important French centre for ceramics: its Bienniel
Internatuinal Festival of Ceramic Art (Jully to mid-October)
has a worldwide reputation. The local commercial scene also includes
cut flowers and aromatic plants. The Musée national "La
Guerre et la Paix" is situated in the old Romanesque chapel
of the former priory. Deconsecrated, it was decorated in 1952
by Picasso with a huge composition "War and Peace".
This work evokes the horrors of war; black invaders, trampling
the symbols of civilisation underfoot, attack a knight in shining
armour who is just (his spear forms the arm of a balance) and
peaceful (his shield bears the device of a dove). The figures
on the opposite wall are indulging in fruitful work and the innocent
joys of peace. The end panel symbolises the fraternity between
races.
- We have villas in Vallauris
from £2995 per week
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Azur
Villa Services Ltd
19 Peel Rd. Douglas
Isle of Man
IM14LS/ Co reg No 100520C
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