Mandelieu-la-Napoule sits at the western end of the bay of Cannes, where the river Siagne meets the sea, and behind it rise two very different massifs. To the south-west, the Esterel is a jagged range of red volcanic rock, plunging into the sea along one of the most dramatic stretches of coast in France. To the north, the Tanneron is a softer range of hills famous for its mimosa, which blooms in brilliant yellow in late winter.
On the seafront stands the Château de la Napoule, a medieval fortress restored in the early twentieth century by the American artist Henry Clews and his wife Marie, who filled it with his strange, fantastical sculptures. Today it is a museum and art centre, with gardens overlooking the sea.
For riders, the Corniche de l'Esterel, running south-west along the coast towards Saint-Raphaël, is a classic, with tight bends, red cliffs and blue water below. The roads inland over the Esterel and the Tanneron are quieter, climbing through cork oak and pine forests with views over the coast. Surfaces are generally good, but traffic on the coast road can be heavy in summer. In dry weather, fire risk can close forest roads.
Fuel and food are plentiful in Mandelieu and Cannes. As a high point, the roads over the Tanneron or the Esterel offer views over the bay of Cannes and the Mediterranean, especially beautiful in the early morning or late evening.