Antibes's beaches run (from east to west) from the Gravette, tucked into the ramparts and almost surrounded by rock breakwaters, through to the Garoupe, hidden away in the woods of the peninsula. Just before the main beach in Antibes ends its long crescent, briefly interrupted by the outcrop of a sailing club, you come to the Salis beach. The beach terminates in a port for small craft, mostly runabouts, open fishing boats and the graceful pointus. These traditional half decked fishing boats are double enders, which lie squat in the water (easier to handle nets over the side) and are three times as long as they are in the beam, but apart from that, they are astoundingly varied in conception. Their DNA, though, is quite clearly Italian, and they bear more than a passing resemblance to the gozzo ligure craft one sees on the Ligurian coast. Very few seem still rigged for the lateen sail they once had.
The other notable feature of the Port de la Salis is the built in tiled seat running the length of the main, southern breakwater. Apart from the chance to gaze at all the boats, and to observe old Antibes as if from the sea (a good photo-opportunity), this long seat is a sun trap which attracts afternoon custom from a wide range of people, from nursing mothers to couples bringing a cool bottle of local white (and stem glasses! no plastic cups, please). Great place to read, as we could see.
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