Homes for sale in Antibes

Antibes is a town on the Côte d'Azur, in the Alpes-Maritimes department, between Nice and Cannes. A single commune brings together three very different places: the old town and the harbour, the Cap d'Antibes peninsula, home to some of the most expensive houses in Europe, and Juan-les-Pins, the beach resort on the Cannes side.

For a buyer, Antibes is one of the few towns on the Riviera that works all year round: it has a market, schools, a hospital, a railway station and a technology park next door, and it does not empty out in winter like the summer-only resorts. The trade-off is the price, among the highest in France outside Paris, and building and rental rules that weigh more than foreign buyers usually expect. This page explains the town, what is for sale and what to check before buying.

Where it is and how to get there

Antibes lies halfway between Nice, about twenty kilometres away, and Cannes, a little over ten. Nice Côte d'Azur airport, the third busiest in France by passengers, is about twenty-five minutes by car, with direct flights to most European capitals.

The A8 motorway runs north of the town and links Italy with Marseille. By train, Antibes station is on the coastal line between Marseille and Ventimiglia: regional trains reach Nice and Cannes in under half an hour, and the TGV reaches Paris in about six hours. In the centre and in Juan-les-Pins you can live on foot; on the Cap d'Antibes and in the hills you need a car.

A little history

The town began as Antipolis, a Greek colony founded from Marseille. It was Roman, then a border town of the kingdom of France facing Nice, which belonged to Savoy until 1860 — which explains the sea walls and the Fort Carré, reinforced by Vauban, that still dominate the harbour entrance.

In the twentieth century Antibes became a place for artists and holidays. Picasso worked in 1946 in the Château Grimaldi, now the Picasso Museum, on the ramparts. Juan-les-Pins grew in the 1920s as a summer resort, and the Jazz à Juan festival, held in the pine grove by the beach, has taken place since 1960. On the Cap d'Antibes, the large seafront estates were built from the late nineteenth century onwards, and that is where the luxury housing stock that now defines the peninsula comes from.

Antibes, area by area

The old town and Port Vauban

The historic centre, inside the walls, has narrow streets, the covered Provençal market and apartments in old buildings, many without a lift or parking. Next to it is Port Vauban, one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean, with its own quay for superyachts. It is the area for living on foot, at the cost of noise and crowds in summer.

The Cap d'Antibes

The peninsula south of the town is the Riviera's prestige address: houses on large plots, many hidden behind walls and pine trees, the coastal path around the rocks, Garoupe beach and the garden of Villa Eilenroc, which is open to the public. Prices here run into the millions, and sales often take place off the open market.

Juan-les-Pins

On the Cannes side, Juan-les-Pins has sandy beaches, apartment buildings facing the sea and summer nightlife. It is the most sought-after area for second homes and holiday lets, and also the one that changes most from one season to the next.

The north of the town and Sophia Antipolis

Inland, residential districts such as La Fontonne and the surrounding hills offer houses and apartments with gardens at less extreme prices. Nearby is Sophia Antipolis, the region's large technology park, which brings skilled jobs and year-round rental demand.

Health, schools and services

The town has its own public hospital, the Antibes Juan-les-Pins hospital centre, and the main specialities are in Nice. For foreign families, the reference is the Centre International de Valbonne, in Sophia Antipolis, with international sections, and there are bilingual private schools around Cannes and Mougins. Daily shopping, markets and services are in central Antibes and along the avenues of Juan-les-Pins.

What is for sale

Antibes mainly sells apartments in the centre and in Juan-les-Pins, houses in the hills and, on the Cap d'Antibes, large seafront estates. In our selection, what is published is at the very top: a property on the Cap d'Antibes with nine bedrooms and about 700 m², listed at €22.05 million. The listing dates from March 2026, and in this segment availability changes quickly — always confirm it is still available before going further.

What to check

Floods and natural hazards

In October 2015, violent floods hit the area around the Brague river, between Antibes and Biot, with loss of life. Every property in France is sold with a natural and technological hazards report; read it carefully, especially for low-lying plots near watercourses, and ask the insurer what cover costs at that address.

Building and extending near the sea

The coastal law and the commune's zoning plan strictly limit what can be built or extended near the shore, and parts of the Cap d'Antibes are in protected areas. Anyone buying with works in mind should confirm with the town hall, before signing, what the plan allows on that plot.

Short-term rentals

Letting to tourists requires prior registration with the town hall and a number that must appear in the listings, and the national rules were tightened by the 2024 law on tourist accommodation. Anyone buying for summer rental income should confirm the rules in force for that building and that commune, and read the building's regulations, which may forbid it.

Summer, traffic and parking

In July and August the population multiplies, the coastal roads fill up and parking in the centre is hard. An apartment without a parking space is worth less than it seems. Visit the area on an August weekend and on a February weekday before deciding.

Legal and tax checklist, in France

Before buying: the file of mandatory surveys (energy performance, asbestos, lead, termites, electricity and gas, natural hazards); the minutes of the latest building meetings and any works voted; the amount of property tax and, for a second home, of the residence tax.

On purchase: first a preliminary contract, the compromis de vente, is signed with a deposit, and the buyer has ten days to withdraw without penalty. The deed is signed before a notary, and acquisition costs on a resale property are around 7 to 8% of the price. The notary requires proof of the source of funds.

While owning: property tax every year; the residence tax still applies to second homes, and in tight housing markets the commune can increase it. Above 1.3 million euros of net real estate held in France, the real estate wealth tax applies, to non-residents as well.

On sale: the capital gain is taxed in France, with specific rules for non-residents and exemptions that depend on how long the property has been held. It is worth speaking to the notary and to an accountant before selling.

Who it suits — and who it does not

It suits those who want to live or spend long stays on the Riviera in a town with a life of its own all year round, with an international airport nearby; families who need international schools; and, on the Cap d'Antibes, those looking for an exceptional property and long-term wealth.

It suits less those buying on the assumption of tourist rentals without checking the rules, those planning major works near the sea, and those who run the numbers without including notary costs, annual taxes and, above certain values, the real estate wealth tax.

Final thoughts

Antibes is the Riviera with a real town around it: harbour, old town, beaches and a luxury cape, half an hour from an international airport. What separates a good purchase from a bad one is what the plan allows to be built, the hazards at that address, the rental rules and the annual tax bill.

When you contact us through a property page, we forward your details to the broker responsible for the listing, who holds the full information on that specific property — availability, hazards report, running costs and negotiating terms.