A castle on the water, the red Estérel and hills of mimosa running down to the Siagne – the tables, the hotels and the quartiers, in one guide.
In Mandelieu-la-Napoule now
–
Weather
–
MICHELIN
2 ✱ tables · 1 Key hotel
Photo: Mazur Travel/Adobe Stock
In this guide
Every table and hotel the MICHELIN inspectors have chosen in Mandelieu-la-Napoule – 2 starred and 1 hotel – on one map, with our own stories as we write them.
From the Château de La Napoule, follow the Sentier du Littoral past the little beaches of the Château and La Raguette and the hidden Land Art stones to the red porphyry Château d'Agecroft and the beach of La Rague.
End the walk at Baia Plage on La Rague's beach, which the tourist office recommends for a drink at sunset (check it is open – no autumn hours are listed).
One Michelin star in a townhouse with a plane-shaded terrace and fountain: Bessem Ben Abdallah's Mediterranean cooking – small-boat fish with artichoke purée, his own Tunisian olive oil. Friday dinner 19:30–21:30.
Gardens open 10:00–17:00 and the interior by guided tour at 11:30 – but only in the school holidays out of season: the last autumn day is Sunday 1 November 2026. Gardens €4, tour €8, free up to 10.
The tourist office's favourite: a little cabin and deck in the port of La Napoule with family cooking and the château across the water (no autumn hours listed – book ahead).
A 3.4 km path through pine, cork oak and mimosa to the fortress ruins and a 360° view over the bay, the Lérins islands and the Estérel; about two hours there and back.
Walk or cycle the flat riverside path from the tourist office on avenue de Cannes to the beach – 2.3 km, about half an hour on foot – watching for swans and ducks.
✱ MICHELIN star · Bib Gourmand: good cooking at a fair price · ◆ selected in the Guide · € to €€€€: the Guide's own price bands, from «on a budget» to «spare no expense».
03
Sunset and drinks
Where to drink
Beach clubs on the bay, a port-side cabin facing the château and a wine bar on the village square.
Photo: LaraIris/Adobe Stock
Photo: Camille Moirenc
Beach restaurant and bar · Port de la RagueSunsetBaia Plage
Driftwood and beige cushions on La Rague's beach, facing the gulf of La Napoule – the tourist office's pick for brunch, lunch or a drink at sunset.
Beach restaurant and bar · Plage du Sable d'OrSunsetPlaya Chica
Tropical-chic beach club with grilled fish, shared plates and fruity cocktails – the tourist office singles out the aperitif, when the light turns gold and the DJs turn it up.
Port-side beach cabin and restaurant · Port de La NapouleDolce Farniente
The tourist office's 'coup de cœur': a little cabin and private beach in the port, with found-object décor, family cooking and the Château de La Napoule across the water.
Sources: the Mandelieu-La Napoule tourist office and Côte d'Azur France, read 27 October 2026.
04
Where to stay
The hotels worth the trip
The MICHELIN Guide's Keys first – its mark for hotels with character, service and a sense of place – then the rest of its selection and the ones we would book ourselves.
Up Mont San Peyre, along the coast to Agecroft and down the Siagne to the sea.
Photo: Marina/Adobe Stock
Photo: Mandelieu Tourisme
3.4 km · About 2 hours there and back · EasyMont San Peyre
The quickest climb to the best view in Mandelieu – an 18-hectare departmental park topped by fortress ruins.
Past Pines, cork oaks and mimosa on an old volcanic cone, The ruins of the Villeneuve fortress, A 360° view over the bay of La Napoule, the Lérins islands and the Estérel
All year.
'Ideal for families' (Côte d'Azur France); go early in summer to avoid the heat.
The coastal path from one castle to another, along small beaches and red rocks with stone sculptures to find.
Past The beaches of the Château and La Raguette, Land Art – stone sculptures half-hidden along part of the path, The Château d'Agecroft (1918) in red Estérel porphyry and the Plage de la Rague at the end of the customs path
All year.
Shallow beaches for a paddle on the way (tourist office).
Mandelieu's green thread: a gentle riverside stroll from the town centre to the beach without crossing a busy road.
Past Avenue Marcel Pagnol and under the bridge, The riverside path past the Jardin d'Alexia playground and the Parc des Oliviers, Over a footbridge and down the other bank to the sea
All year; the tourist office praises the morning light.
Sources: the Mandelieu-La Napoule tourist office and Côte d'Azur France, read 27 October 2026. Coastal paths close in rough seas – check before you set off.
07
With kids
Mandelieu-la-Napoule for children
Shallow beaches below a castle, a free treasure hunt, zip lines in the park and boats on the river.
Photo: Alexandre ROSA/Adobe Stock
In Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Photo: Camille Moirenc
Museum · Ages Free up to 10; reduced rate under 18. Free self-guided treasure hunt in the gardens for younger visitors.Château de La Napoule
A medieval fortress on the water rebuilt by the American artists Henry and Marie Clews: fantastical sculptures, listed 'Remarkable' gardens over the bay and a free treasure hunt for children.
October–March: open only in the zone B school holidays, Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00 (last garden entry 16:30) – currently the All Saints' holidays, 17 October–1 November 2026.
An 18-hectare departmental park on an old volcanic cone: a 3.4 km footpath through pine, cork oak and mimosa to the ruins of a fortress and a 360° view over the bay, the Lérins islands and the Estérel.
The only navigable river in the département, with a flat, pushchair-friendly path from the town centre to the beach where children can spot fish, swans and ducks.
An easy public beach of sand with a rock breakwater, a snack bar, toilets and free parking, next to a park of big lawns, shade and picnic tables on the banks of the Siagne.
An open-air 'mimosa museum' – about a hundred varieties along a 10,000 m² promenade with information panels – with a ranch-style play area of slides, rope bridges and a lookout tower.
Fine sand that shelves gently into calm water – Côte d'Azur France's pick for paddling and sandcastles – with beach-volley and the town sailing school alongside.
Two small sandy beaches on the coastal path that families love because children can play and still touch the bottom a long way out – with the château's towers right above.
The end of the old customs path, ringed by the red Estérel rocks and the Château d'Agecroft, with a little pontoon for water sports and room for pétanque and volleyball.
The town's French Sailing School–labelled centre on the windiest stretch of water in the Alpes-Maritimes: optimist, catamaran, windsurf, sea kayak and paddle.
Group and private lessons and week-long courses; dates and hours not given on the listing.
To do · Ages Junior academies from 4–5 at Mandelieu's two clubs (Riviera Golf de Barbossi and Golf Old Course), with holiday courses (2024 family brochure).Junior golf at the Riviera Golf de Barbossi
An 18-hole, par-71 course of 5,461 metres between vines and the Riou river, whose academy takes children from the age of four or five with equipment provided.
Sources: the Mandelieu-La Napoule tourist office (mandelieu-tourisme.com and its family brochure), La Napoule Art Foundation, Côte d'Azur France and the places' own pages, read 27 October 2026. Drive times from the town centre without traffic. Check seasons and ages with the place before you go.
08
The atlas
Mandelieu-la-Napoule at a glance
Every restaurant, hotel, sight, beach and shop we know of – 304 places, each with its own page. Choose a quartier, or a kind of place.
Photo: Andrei Antipov/Adobe Stock
09
The directory
Every place in Mandelieu-la-Napoule
304 places, each with its own page – the six nearest the centre of each kind are here; every one of them is in the directory, A to Z.
✱One MICHELIN StarBessemMediterranean Cuisine · Mandelieu-la-NapouleRead the story ✱✱One MICHELIN StarMarelunaCreative · Théoule-sur-MerThe address 
Cannes6 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Antibes16 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Saint-Paul-de-Vence24 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Nice32 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Villefranche-sur-Mer36 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Saint-Tropez37 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Èze41 km from Mandelieu-la-Napoule