The town of Menton, located approximately 7 km from the French-Italian border, has all the beauty of the better-known coastal villages of the French Riviera, but suffers only a fraction of the crowds. On average, Menton receives over 316 days of sunshine a year, has exceptional gardens, abounds with awesome French-Italian cuisine and has some of the most pristine beaches anywhere on the Cote D’Azur.

UNDERSTAND

Menton is located just off the French-Italian border. Due to this, the town has an excellent hybrid culture, with many residents speaking both French and Italian, and many restaurants serving up an excellent fusion of both national cuisines. Located on a harbour, and close by to some very, very nice beaches, Menton is known not only as being a beautiful town, but also as the proud location of the annual ‘lemon festival’, which occurs every February.

Menton is located a short distance up the coast from Monaco, and is about an hours drive from Nice. The town is also connected by the french railway system, and is serviced regularly by trains travelling along the coastline from Cannes and Nice.

WHY GO?

Despite easily being the prettiest town that we came upon on the Cote D’Azur, Menton remains relatively undiscovered by tourists. While the big towns of Marseille, Cannes and Nice continue to attract well-heeled tourists all year round, Menton is known as a sort of refuge in the area. While Menton does get busy during the summer months, in the off season, it is practically dead. As I write this, I am seemingly one of the few tourists in town. The sun is shining, the water is still (fairly warm), and yet these is nobody here. Menton then, is truly a hidden gem on the French Riviera, just waiting to be discovered.

The weather in Menton is unusual; firstly, the place has its own microclimate, which is pretty cool. However, the average temperatures in summer hover around the 30°C mark, while in winter they tend to sit at a balmy 14°C on average. The sea temperate usually sits at around 21°C in summer, and never drops below 13°C in winter, which is pretty excellent, all things considered.

Menton is extremely beautiful. From the gorgeous, ramshackle waterfront buildings, to the stunning waterside promenade, the town is genuinely stunning. In its own way, I’d argue that Menton easily rivals any of the big resort towns for beauty, and is considerably less pretentious and more traveller friendly than its neighbours back along the coast.

The beaches around Menton are truly stunning. Whether it be Plage des Sablettes, Plage Rondelli, Plage du Borrigo or Plage de Fossan, you are sure to find a beach that suits your fancy. While the beaches are generally the pebble-standard of the French Riviera, they are way quieter than the beaches around Nice or Cannes, and offer up water as beautiful. Whats more, there are far fewer private beaches around Menton, making going for a swim a much nicer experience for those who don’t count themselves millionaires.

Finally, Menton is cheap. Cheap by French Riviera standards at least. While a plate of the day will set you back (at least) 25 euros in Cannes or Nice, we were consistently finding restaurants offering up amazing Italian food for between12-15 euros a plate - much more affordable for the budget conscious traveller.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

• Jean Cocteau Museum: This museum, located just by the port, houses an incredible modern interactive display of drawings, ceramics, tapestries and a large mosaic by the artist. Well worth checking out. More information over here.

• Salle des Marriages: A civic wedding hall that is completely decorated completely in murals by Jean Cocteau.

• The old town: Definitely worth a wander, especially after checking out the foreshore. The old town is easily walked, and is quite pretty.

• Cimetière du Vieux Chateau: Located right by the Russian Orthodox chapel, and it contains the grave of William Webb Ellis - founder of Rugby football. Better yet though, the cemetery also has an awesome view of the town.

WHERE SHOULD YOU EAT AND DRINK?

Let’s start with the obvious. The much celebrated, and extraordinarily expensive French restaurant, Mirazúr is located in town. Awarded 3 Michelin stars in 2018, you can safely assume that the food served up by the Argentine, Mauro Colagreco is going to be awesome. Did I eat here? Unfortunately no, but if you have the money, you absolutely should, and tell me about it. I will be forever jealous. For those with less money, but still keen to eat, I’d recommend the following;

• Pizzeria le Vulcano: Easily some of the tastiest Italian food I’ve ever eaten, and I was still in France! Located in the heart of the old town, Pizzeria le Vulcano serves up amazing Italian food for Bistro prices; expect to pay 14 euros for a menu of the day. Heartily recommend.

• Le Balico: Serves up local Menton Cuisine, the menu ranges from €20-€50 plus à la carte. Expect a very seafood heavy menu, but comes with some serious strong recommendations from locals we spoke to.

• Le Nautique: Strong focus on seafood. Like La Balico, the menu ranges from €20-€50 plus à la carte.

Any questions about visiting Menton? Hit us up in the comments below! Have you been to Menton? Tell us more, drop us a line in the comments below!