One of the simplest ways to experience the Côte d’Azur is to start the day in the same places where local life begins. Before heading to the beach or setting out for the day, spend the morning around the neighbourhood where you are staying.

Begin at a boulangerie. A fresh baguette is the obvious choice, but look at what the bakery makes locally as well. Depending on the town, you may find fougasse, breads with olives, pastries and small savoury specialities alongside the familiar croissants and pains au chocolat.

If it is market day, continue to the marché provençal. Markets remain part of daily life in towns across the Côte d’Azur, with fruit and vegetables, cheese, olives, flowers, herbs and regional products sold alongside prepared food. They are also an easy place to put together lunch for later in the day.

Then stop for coffee. Rather than searching for a particular destination café, choose a terrace on a square or along a quieter street and take some time before continuing.

Small errands can become part of the morning too. Buy flowers for your room or holiday rental, pick up bread for lunch or fill a bicycle basket with fruit and a few things for a picnic. It is this combination of ordinary routines and Mediterranean surroundings that gives mornings here their particular character.

Afterwards, the rest of the day can begin: take what you bought to the beach, head into the hills or simply return home with lunch already sorted.

A simple Côte d’Azur morning

Early morning · walk or cycle to the boulangerie
Morning · visit the local market
Coffee · stop at a neighbourhood café
Before lunch · buy flowers and a few local products
Lunch · take everything to the beach or back to your stay

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