Super Cannes: The Story Behind One of the Côte d’Azur’s Most Exclusive Hillside Enclaves

 

There are plenty of places around Cannes where you can rent a beautiful villa or purchase a spectacular home, but Super Cannes is something rather different. Sitting high above the city on the hills of La Californie, extending toward the Vallauris side of the hill, Super Cannes combines extraordinary views, large private properties, mature vegetation and a remarkable piece of Riviera history.

It is also one of those places whose name immediately raises a question: why is it called Super Cannes?

The answer has little to do with modern real-estate marketing and everything to do with an ambitious 1920s vision to create an entirely new luxury residential and tourist destination above Cannes.

The Ambitious Idea Behind Super Cannes

The story begins in 1924, when the Société Immobilière de Paris et du Littoral (SIPL) began planning a major development on the heights above Cannes and partly toward Vallauris. The intention was to create a prestigious residential and tourist estate that would take advantage of the extraordinary position overlooking Cannes, the Mediterranean and the surrounding landscape.

 

This was not intended simply to be another collection of villas.

 

The original vision included a luxury hotel, residential properties, an observation tower, restaurants, luxury shops and leisure facilities, all connected to Cannes by infrastructure specifically created for the development. The authorities approved the subdivision in 1926, while roads, water, electricity and other infrastructure were already being developed from 1925.

 

And then there was the funicular.

For a development positioned high on the hill, access was obviously going to be critical. A funicular was constructed to connect the lower part of Cannes with the summit, making it possible for residents and visitors to reach the new resort without having to negotiate the steep hillside roads.

 

The Super-Cannes funicular opened in 1928 and operated for almost four decades, until 1966.

In other words, Super Cannes was conceived as a destination in its own right — somewhere that could offer the glamour and exclusivity of Cannes while being physically removed from the increasingly busy town below.

But Where Did The Name “Super Cannes” Come From?

The name reflected the idea behind the development itself.

The developers were effectively proposing a new, elevated version of Cannes: a prestigious residential and leisure destination above the existing city, with grand views, luxury accommodation and carefully planned infrastructure.

The word Super was therefore not originally describing a particular building or villa. It was associated with the development and estate being created on the heights above Cannes.

It was an ambitious piece of Riviera real-estate branding almost a century before phrases such as “ultra-luxury” and “trophy property” became standard vocabulary in international property marketing.

There is also an interesting geographical wrinkle. Super Cannes is associated with the La Californie/Californie-Pezou hills of Cannes, while parts of the wider development extend into Vallauris. Today, when people talk about Super Cannes, they are generally referring to this elevated residential area rather than a formally separate town or municipality.

The Observatory Was Supposed To Be Part Of The Experience

One of the most fascinating remnants of that original vision is the Observatoire de Super-Cannes, also known as the Observatoire de la Californie.

The first observation tower was built in 1925, initially as a temporary wooden structure while the much larger development was being planned. Its purpose was remarkably straightforward: give prospective visitors and property buyers a spectacular view of the landscape they were being invited to invest in.

That tells you quite a lot about the original concept.

The panorama wasn’t simply a pleasant side effect of building on the hill. The view was part of the product.

The original plans also envisaged a belvedere, tea room and luxury commercial premises around the water tower. Those elements were never fully realised.

The wooden observation tower was eventually replaced in 1953 by the distinctive concrete observatory designed by Cannes architect Georges Sauvan. The Ministry of Culture describes the structure as a remarkable modernist observation tower, positioned at the top of the hill and designed to allow visitors to appreciate the surrounding landscape.

It has since become one of the most recognisable pieces of architectural heritage associated with Super Cannes.

The Grand Hotel That Never Happened

Perhaps the biggest indication of how ambitious the original project was comes from the proposed Grand Hôtel de Super-Cannes.

Plans were drawn up for a luxury hotel of approximately 200 to 300 rooms, positioned at around 232 metres above sea level and served by the funicular. The hotel was intended to help make the enormous investment in roads and infrastructure financially viable.

But the project never came to fruition.

The death of architect Édouard-Jean Niermans in 1928 contributed to the abandonment of the hotel project, while the wider development ran into serious financial difficulties. Roads and infrastructure works were interrupted and parcels were subsequently resold.

The original dream of creating a complete luxury resort on the hill therefore never entirely materialised.

Ironically, that failure helped create much of what makes Super Cannes so interesting today.

Rather than becoming another intensely developed resort, the hills retained a considerable amount of space, vegetation and privacy.

From Grand Development To Exceptional Residential Enclave

Although the original development struggled, villas began appearing on the hillside, including some substantial residences built from the late 1920s onward.

Eventually, Super Cannes evolved into something slightly different from what its developers originally imagined.

Instead of becoming a self-contained mountain resort packed with hotels, restaurants and commercial activity, it became predominantly a low-density residential area, characterised by villas and substantial private properties.

The scale of the original development is considerable. Historical records indicate that the estate eventually incorporated hundreds of residences across the Cannes and Vallauris sides of the area.

And this is precisely where the appeal of Super Cannes lies today.

Why Super Cannes Is So Different From Central Cannes

If you stay in the centre of Cannes, the attraction is obvious.

You have La Croisette, the Palais des Festivals, restaurants, boutiques, beaches and the energy of the city immediately outside your door.

Super Cannes offers almost the opposite experience.

You can be above all of it.

The city, the bay and the Mediterranean become part of the panorama rather than the immediate environment. Depending upon the position of the property, views can extend across Cannes, the Bay of Cannes, the surrounding hills and toward the Esterel massif.

And because the properties are generally set within the hills rather than along the densely developed waterfront, many have something increasingly difficult to find around the Côte d’Azur: space.

Large gardens, swimming pools, terraces, mature trees, private driveways and expansive outdoor living areas are all part of the attraction.

That combination makes Super Cannes particularly interesting for buyers looking for a Riviera home that feels genuinely private while remaining within easy reach of Cannes.

Why Buy In Super Cannes?

For someone considering purchasing property on the Côte d’Azur, Super Cannes occupies an interesting position.

It provides the proximity and international appeal of Cannes without necessarily requiring the compromises associated with buying directly in the city centre.

A well-positioned villa can offer:

• panoramic Mediterranean and Cannes views;

• considerable privacy;

• serenity

• gardens and landscaped grounds;

• swimming pools and large terraces;

• generous interior space;

• parking and private access;

• proximity to Cannes and its amenities;

• relatively quick access to the beaches and La Croisette;

• and an environment that feels substantially quieter than central Cannes.

It is particularly attractive for buyers looking for a second home, family residence or substantial Riviera property rather than simply an apartment that happens to have a sea view.

There is another important consideration.

Super Cannes has a distinctive identity. It is not simply “Cannes with a bigger house.” The hillside setting, history, mature vegetation and panoramic position give it a character that is difficult to reproduce elsewhere.

And For A Holiday Villa?

For a family or group of friends, Super Cannes can be particularly appealing.

Imagine spending the morning around the swimming pool, lunch on a shaded terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and then heading down into Cannes for an afternoon on the beach, shopping along Rue d’Antibes or dinner around the old town.

You have the convenience of Cannes without necessarily having to live in Cannes for the duration of your holiday.

That distinction matters.

A villa in Super Cannes can provide the kind of privacy and outdoor space that is difficult to achieve with a centrally located apartment. For larger families or groups travelling together, a private villa can effectively become the base for the entire holiday rather than simply somewhere to sleep between excursions.

And while the area feels secluded, you are not in the middle of nowhere. Cannes is immediately below, while Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Mougins, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Grasse and the wider Côte d’Azur are all accessible by road.

The Views Are Only Part Of The Story

The obvious selling point of Super Cannes is the panorama.

But for me, that isn’t actually the most interesting thing about the area.

The fascinating part is how the history and geography have combined to produce the neighbourhood that exists today.

The original developers wanted to create a glamorous destination above Cannes. They invested in roads, utilities, a funicular, an observatory and plans for a major hotel and leisure facilities.

The project ultimately failed to become the grand resort originally envisaged.

Yet the hillside remained.

The villas remained.

The views remained.

And over time, Super Cannes developed into one of the more distinctive residential areas surrounding Cannes.

That history is still visible today in the surviving infrastructure and, most famously, in the observatory and remnants of the old funicular system. The City of Cannes itself highlighted the centenary of the funicular’s construction in 2025, noting that the little cars transported tourists and residents up the California hill for approximately four decades.

A Riviera Location With A Sense Of Separation

 

Perhaps that is ultimately what makes Super Cannes so special.

It gives you Cannes without quite feeling like Cannes.

You can have the restaurants, beaches, international events, shopping, yachts and glamour of the city within easy reach, but return to a villa tucked into the hills where the atmosphere is considerably more peaceful.

For a property buyer, that can translate into privacy, outdoor space and spectacular views.

For a holidaymaker, it can mean having a beautiful private villa where everyone can spend time together while still being close enough to enjoy everything Cannes has to offer.

And for anyone interested in the history of the Côte d’Azur, Super Cannes provides something particularly rare: a luxury development whose original 1920s ambitions can still be traced through the landscape nearly a century later.

The name Super Cannes may sound like modern marketing.

In reality, it is a reminder of an extraordinary Riviera experiment — an attempt to build a glamorous new world above Cannes, complete with its own transport, hotel, observation tower and luxury residential estate.

The hotel never arrived.

The resort never quite became what its creators imagined.

But the hillside survived.

And today, that unfinished dream has become one of the most intriguing places around Cannes to own or rent a villa, particularly for those who value privacy, views, space and a genuine connection to the history of the French Riviera.

For further information on exceptional properties available for sale or holiday rental in Super Cannes, contact Experience The French Riviera assistance: Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com

Forget Summer — Autumn Is the New Season to Travel

 

With autumn now arriving on the Côte d’Azur, we can finally say what many frequent visitors and locals have been quietly discovering for the past few years: the off-season is becoming the new on-season.

And frankly, we think that is very good news.

For years, September was treated as little more than the tail end of summer, with October and November often dismissed as the months when the Riviera begins to shut down. That perception is increasingly outdated. The smart money — and increasingly the luxury traveller — is discovering that autumn may actually be one of the best times of the year to experience the Côte d’Azur.

The crowds begin to thin, the frantic pace of July and August disappears, temperatures become considerably more comfortable, and the region slowly returns to the people who actually live here. Yet the sunshine, restaurants, cafés, beaches, markets, museums, galleries and Mediterranean lifestyle remain very much alive.

And then there is the other rather attractive word: value.

While peak summer demand can send hotel and villa rates soaring, autumn can offer considerably more attractive opportunities for travellers who are willing to move their holiday a few weeks — or even a couple of months. Instead of competing with thousands of visitors for the same restaurant table, beach club, hotel room or villa, you can experience the Riviera at a much more relaxed pace.

In other words, you can still have the sunshine without having to fight your way through the sunshine-seeking masses.

The Luxury Travel Industry Has Noticed

This isn’t simply something we have been observing locally. The luxury travel industry is now seeing the same shift.

According to the latest trend research presented by Virtuoso, fall travel to Europe’s traditionally summer-focused destinations has more than doubled over the past two years. Travellers are increasingly moving away from the July and August peak, choosing September, October and November instead. Virtuoso has even given the trend a wonderfully simple name: “Fall Is the New Summer.”

And it makes sense.

Travellers are becoming less interested in simply ticking destinations off a list during the traditional high season. They want experiences. They want space. They want better service, fewer crowds, more authentic interaction with the destination — and, increasingly, better value for their money.

The Côte d’Azur happens to be almost perfectly designed for this new style of travel.

The Riviera Doesn’t Disappear When Summer Ends

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Côte d’Azur is that everything stops once August is over.

Quite the opposite.

September brings a remarkable calendar of events across Nice and the surrounding towns, including Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Prestige, the Beaulieu Classic Festival, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, the Maralpine Sails in Villefranche-sur-Mer and the European Heritage Days. Later in September and throughout October and November, the region continues with exhibitions, festivals, performances and cultural events.

Nice alone has thousands of events throughout the year, while autumn brings its own cultural rhythm. L’Automne de l’Image, for example, runs from September 19 through November 29, bringing photography, film and video events to the city.

So yes, there are fewer people.

But there is certainly no shortage of things to do.

And that is perhaps the greatest attraction of all.

Autumn Is Also Prime Time For Property Hunters

For us, autumn has another particularly interesting advantage.

Many of the visitors who come to the Riviera during the summer aren’t simply here for a holiday. They are also looking.

They may spend July or August exploring different neighbourhoods, villages and towns, visiting properties and getting a first impression of what it might be like to own a home here. Then, once the summer frenzy has disappeared, some return (and we highly recommend) that in September or October to experience the area under completely different circumstances.

And that second visit can be revealing.

What does the neighbourhood feel like when there aren’t thousands of tourists wandering around? What is traffic actually like? How easy is it to get to the supermarket, train station or airport? What restaurants remain open? What does the area feel like on a quiet Tuesday morning rather than a Saturday night in August?

Most importantly, does the location still feel right when the holiday atmosphere has disappeared?

That is something no glossy property brochure can answer.

For anyone seriously considering buying on the Côte d’Azur, experiencing a prospective location outside the peak season can be every bit as important as seeing the property itself.

The New Riviera Luxury Isn’t Necessarily About More

Perhaps the biggest change we are seeing is a change in what people now consider luxury.

Luxury used to mean the biggest suite, the most exclusive beach club, the busiest restaurant and being where everyone else wanted to be.

Increasingly, luxury means something rather different.

It means having space. It means more quiet time. It means more privacy.

It means being able to walk along the waterfront without being shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of other people. It means sitting down for lunch without watching the clock. It means discovering a village, gallery or market without feeling as though you’re part of a human traffic jam.

It means having the time to actually experience a destination rather than simply photograph it.

And perhaps that is why autumn suits the Côte d’Azur so beautifully. I personally find it one of the best times of year.

The light changes. The temperatures become kinder. The pace slows. The locals return. The restaurants become easier to enjoy. The sea is still inviting, and the days can remain gloriously Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the region’s cultural calendar continues to offer plenty of reasons to get out and explore.

So perhaps we should stop calling it the off-season altogether.

Because if travellers are increasingly choosing September, October and November, if luxury travel specialists are identifying autumn as the new summer, and if destinations like the Côte d’Azur continue to offer sunshine, culture, gastronomy, events and that unmistakable Mediterranean lifestyle, then perhaps the question isn’t “Why come here after summer?”

Perhaps the question is:

Why were you ever coming only in summer?

The Riviera didn’t get less interesting when August ended.

It simply became easier to enjoy.

Contact: Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com

Free Fetish Brings an Inclusive Night of Fetish to Ramdam Bar

 

Nice’s LGBTQ+ nightlife continues to show just how diverse its community can be, and on Saturday, September 26, 2026, the city’s fetish community will once again have a place to come together as Free Fetish Nice Côte d’Azur takes over Ramdam Bar in the Port district.

The evening runs from 19:30 until 02:00, combining a social aperitif, music, dancing and a fetish-friendly environment. According to the event announcement, the evening will feature DJ R.A.P.H. from 22:00 until 02:00, with a backroom available as part of the venue’s facilities. Entry is free. The event is presented as a social, music and backroom evening rather than simply a conventional club night.

For anyone unfamiliar with the local fetish scene, Free Fetish is particularly interesting because its approach is considerably broader than simply organizing parties. The collective describes itself as a group of friends who came together to create convivial opportunities for people interested in fetish culture, whether they are experienced participants, curious newcomers or simply interested in meeting people in a welcoming environment.

What is Free Fetish?

 

Based in Nice and the Côte d’Azur, Free Fetish describes itself as a fetish collective rather than a traditional commercial club. Its activities include aperitifs, social gatherings, activities and special events, with an emphasis on respect and allowing people to explore their interests at their own pace.

The collective’s definition of fetish is also deliberately broad. Its website references communities and interests including latex, leather, puppy play, military-inspired gear, MX gear and impact play, while emphasizing that people do not need to arrive already equipped or experienced. The group specifically encourages curiosity and conversation, with consent forming an important part of its philosophy.

That makes Free Fetish potentially appealing to someone who is curious about the scene but isn’t quite ready to throw themselves into a highly specialized fetish event. Its own description presents its gatherings as opportunities for conversation, meeting people, activities, drinks and discovering different aspects of fetish culture in a social setting.

And that inclusive approach has become increasingly visible in Nice’s LGBTQ+ calendar. Free Fetish has previously participated in the city’s Pink Parade weekend, including a fetish-themed evening at Ramdam and a fetish contingent in the parade.

Ramdam: More Than Just Another LGBTQ+ Bar

 

The choice of Ramdam Bar is particularly appropriate.

Located at 3 rue Lascaris in Nice’s Port district, Ramdam opened as a distinctive LGBTQIA+ venue combining a bar, music, exhibitions and retail elements. The venue was inaugurated in July 2024 and was created by Robert and Raphaël Bellon, whose background and interest in art helped shape the concept.

Rather than simply being another place to have a drink, Ramdam was conceived as a space where nightlife and art could coexist. The approximately 140-square-metre venue includes a bar, terrace, several lounges and a dedicated gallery, with exhibitions changing over time. It has been described by local media as a particularly unusual concept within the French LGBTQ+ bar scene.

The venue is officially described by the Nice Côte d’Azur tourism authorities as an LGBTQIA+ bar/store/exhibition/music/cruising concept, and it carries the Nice Rainbow Côte d’Azur label. English and Spanish are also listed among the languages spoken.

Ramdam has also developed a reputation for being a place where different parts of Nice’s LGBTQ+ community can overlap. Its programming has included DJs, exhibitions, social gatherings and themed events, making it a natural setting for an organization such as Free Fetish to bring people together.

A Night for the Curious as Well as the Experienced

 

One of the more interesting aspects of Free Fetish’s philosophy is that fetish culture isn’t presented as something that you either completely understand or don’t belong in.

Its own description explicitly invites people who are curious about the world of fetish, even if they have never attended an event before. The emphasis is on meeting people, asking questions, discovering different communities and finding out what interests you — or doesn’t.

That makes the September 26 event something slightly different from a conventional late-night party. The evening begins at 19:30 with an aperitif and social gathering, giving people time to meet and socialize before the music gets underway at 22:00.

And for those who are already familiar with fetish culture, the later part of the evening provides the music and atmosphere that make Ramdam such a natural home for these events.

Free Fetish at Ramdam 

Saturday, September 26, 2026

19:30–02:00
Ramdam Bar
3 rue Lascaris, Nice
DJ R.A.P.H. from 22:00
Social • Music • Backroom
Free admission

For Nice’s LGBTQ+ community, the evening offers another example of how the city’s nightlife extends well beyond the traditional gay-bar model. For visitors, newcomers and locals alike, it provides an opportunity to discover another part of the Côte d’Azur’s LGBTQ+ social scene — one built around fetish, friendship, self-expression and, above all, community.

For more information about Free Fetish and its upcoming activities, visit the Free Fetish Nice Côte d’Azur website.

Why Monaco Doesn’t Need a Gay District

 

One question I receive surprisingly often, particularly as summer approaches and people begin making their travel plans, or when a major event such as the Monaco Grand Prix or the Monaco Yacht Show is on the horizon, is whether Monaco has a traditional gay neighbourhood.

Usually, that question is followed by another one: “So where can I meet a rich gay man in Monaco?” Or, in slightly less subtle terms, something along the lines of, “Where do I find a sugar daddy?” I have to admit, the latter still makes me roll my eyes when it arrives in my inbox or comes up in conversation. Gurl, puhleese.

The question about whether Monaco has a gay district, however, is actually a much more interesting one. The short answer is no. And honestly, I don’t think Monaco needs one.

Monaco Is Simply Too Small — And Too International

 

To understand why, you first have to understand Monaco itself. The Principality covers just over two square kilometres and, at the end of 2025, had 38,857 residents. Yet its economy supports an employment population vastly larger than the number of people who actually live there. IMSEE recorded 65,680 salaried employees in 2024, while total employment, including salaried and non-salaried positions, was more than 78,000.

That tells you something important about Monaco. It isn’t really a conventional city. It is a tiny, densely populated international Principality that functions economically as part of a much larger Côte d’Azur metropolitan area.

People live in Monaco, but they also live in Beausoleil, Cap-d’Ail, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Menton, Nice and throughout the Alpes-Maritimes. Others commute from Italy. They arrive for work, business, events, holidays, conferences, yacht season and major sporting events, and then they leave again.

More than 17,000 people living in Nice alone now commute to Monaco for work, according to figures reported from the Principality’s employment statistics. That is one reason why trying to define Monaco’s social life entirely by its resident population can be misleading.

So when someone asks me where the “gay neighbourhood” of Monaco is, my first thought is that they are applying a very traditional big-city model to a place where it simply doesn’t fit. Monaco isn’t London, Paris, Berlin or New York. There isn’t the physical space, population structure or necessity for an LGBTQ district in the traditional sense.

There Isn’t A “Gay Monaco”

 

There is no particular street, neighbourhood or quarter of Monaco that you can point to and say, “That’s where the gays live.” And I actually like that.

LGBTQ people in Monaco are not confined to one part of the Principality. They are professionals, business owners, hospitality workers, entrepreneurs, residents, visitors and people who simply happen to be passing through.

You may meet someone at a restaurant, at a café, on the beach, at an exhibition, at a private party, at an event, on a boat, walking around Port Hercule, at the Grimaldi Forum or, just like anywhere else, through someone you already know.

That last point is particularly relevant in Monaco. The social world can be remarkably interconnected. You don’t necessarily need a gay bar to meet gay people when your social circles overlap through work, friends, events, sport, business and the wider Riviera community.

That is probably the biggest misconception about LGBTQ life in Monaco: the community exists, it just isn’t geographically concentrated.

The Community Has Its Own Places — Just Not A Gay District

 

That doesn’t mean LGBTQ life in Monaco is invisible. Quite the opposite.

Mon’Arc-en-Ciel has played an important role in giving LGBTQ people a visible community presence in the Principality, advocating for equality while creating opportunities for people to meet and socialise.

By 2026, Monaco had held five editions of Monaco Pride, creating something that I personally find rather special. It isn’t simply an attempt to replicate the enormous street Pride celebrations found in cities elsewhere. There is something much more intimate about the Monaco model.

To me, it often feels less like a parade taking over an entire city and more like the community coming together in one expansive room that has effectively been created for us. And perhaps that suits Monaco. It is smaller, more intimate and more personal, and people actually have the opportunity to talk, laugh, and relationship build with each other. That matters.

Monaco’s LGBTQ Progress Is Real — But It Isn’t Finished

There is another side to this conversation that shouldn’t be ignored. Monaco has made progress on LGBTQ rights, but it would be inaccurate to suggest that the Principality has reached full equality.

The 2019 law on civil solidarity contracts created the contrat de vie commune, providing a legal framework for couples living together. However, it was deliberately designed as a civil arrangement rather than marriage and does not simply reproduce every right associated with marriage.

There has also been continuing discussion around family and parental rights, while the wider legal framework concerning discrimination, gender identity and LGBTQ equality still has gaps.

That isn’t just an opinion. In its 2026 report on Monaco, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance called for stronger legislation addressing discrimination and specifically recommended a comprehensive legal framework covering discrimination, hate speech and hate crime. It also called for a legal framework explicitly regulating legal gender recognition. The report highlighted concerns about LGBTI-phobic bullying in schools while also noting areas where Monaco has made progress.

So there is a distinction worth making: Monaco can be socially welcoming while its legal framework continues to evolve. Those two things can exist at the same time, and they do. Overall though, recently it feels as though more positive steps have being slowly coming to light because of the efforts from Mon’Arc-en-Ciel.

Why I Don’t Think Monaco Needs A Gay Nightclub

 

Every so often someone asks why Monaco doesn’t have a dedicated LGBTQ nightclub, gay café or permanent gay venue. My answer is usually that economics and geography don’t particularly make sense.

Monaco has almost no spare space. Property is extraordinarily expensive, commercial premises are expensive and operating costs are high. A dedicated venue would also have to draw from an audience that isn’t confined to Monaco’s resident population in the first place.

Could a successful LGBTQ business operate in Monaco? Of course. But I wouldn’t automatically assume that putting the word “gay” on the front door makes it commercially viable.

There is another consideration, too. There are already plenty of restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs, beaches and other social spaces where LGBTQ people can go without anyone particularly caring whether they are straight, gay, bisexual or anything else.

Sometimes the most inclusive place is the one that doesn’t need to announce that it is inclusive.

So Where Do The Gays Hang Out?

 

Anywhere they want. We go to restaurants, have coffee, go to the beach, go for casual walks around, attend events, meet friends, go to private parties, use dating apps, travel and work. In other words, Monaco residents live their lives.

There isn’t a magic pink door somewhere in Monaco that opens into a secret gay universe. And perhaps that’s precisely the point. You don’t have to segregate a community in order for that community to exist.

And About That Rich Gay Man...

 

Now we get back to the question I receive with remarkable regularity: “How do I meet a rich gay man in Monaco?”

I genuinely find this one entertaining.

First, Monaco isn’t a vending machine where you insert a good-looking tourist and receive a wealthy boyfriend. Second, wealth doesn’t necessarily announce itself.

People who actually live in Monaco tend to know that there is a considerable difference between someone who has money and someone who wants everyone else to know (or think) that they have money.

Monaco is full of people who arrive believing that every expensive car, yacht, restaurant and hotel represents an invitation. It doesn’t. Thanks for coming.

There are wealthy people in Monaco, obviously. But there are also thousands of people working extraordinarily hard in a very expensive place, and tens of thousands of people commuting into the Principality every day.

If your entire reason for coming to Monaco is to find someone wealthy to finance your lifestyle, you may be walking into the Principality with the wrong expectations. And word has a way of getting out about those intentions without you having to say anything.

People who have live in and around Monaco for a while develop something of a sixth sense. You start to recognise who is genuine, who is pretending, who is simply enjoying themselves, who is visiting for three days, who is here for the season and who actually lives here.

Monaco’s social circles can also be surprisingly interconnected. You may be only one or two degrees of separation from somebody. Friends know friends, people notice who has arrived and, yes, dating apps are used in Monaco just like everywhere else.

But there is something else worth remembering. If somebody is willing to pay for everything, there may be a reason. The more important question isn’t necessarily “What can I get?” It might be “What is going to be the ultimate price?”

Because sometimes the bill doesn’t arrive at the restaurant.

What I Actually Love About The LGBTQ Community in Monaco

 

This is obviously based on my own experience of people I have met and friendships I have developed over the years, rather than some scientific assessment of the Monaco LGBTQ population. But many of the people I know in Monaco are genuinely some of the most interesting, charitable and loving people I have ever met.

What I also appreciate is that many don’t seem particularly interested in proving anything. They aren’t necessarily walking around covered in luxury logos, and they don’t need to tell you what their apartment cost or explain which yacht they were invited onto last weekend. They simply get on with their lives.

Many are incredibly well travelled, knowledgeable, articulate, curious and empathetic. Perhaps because Monaco attracts people from so many different backgrounds, you quickly realise that there is no single definition of what an LGBTQ person in Monaco is supposed to look like.

Some people were born into privilege. Others weren’t. Some built businesses, some built careers, some came from extraordinarily difficult backgrounds and some arrived with very little and built completely different lives for themselves.

Those stories are the ones I find most fascinating. I’ve heard stories from friends in Monaco about where they came from, what they overcame and how they eventually built their lives here. For some, the journey has involved considerable hardship.

What strikes me isn’t the money. It is the resilience. And perhaps more importantly, the generosity that often comes with it from experiencing hardship.

Some of my friends have beautiful homes, expensive cars or other things they worked incredibly hard to obtain. But the people I respect most aren’t interested in making you feel inferior because they have them. They simply enjoy their lives.

There is an important distinction: having something isn’t the same as needing everyone else to know you have it.

Monaco Doesn’t Need A Gay District

 

Could Monaco support a traditional gay neighbourhood? Theoretically, perhaps. But geographically, economically and socially, I don’t see the necessity.

Monaco is simply too small, too international and too interconnected for the traditional concept of a gay district to make much sense. What it does need—and what it increasingly has—is community, visibility, events, advocacy, friendships, places where LGBTQ people can meet and people willing to keep pushing for equality where the law still has catching up to do.

That is a much more important measure of LGBTQ life than whether there is a rainbow flag permanently hanging over one particular street.

So if you’re coming to Monaco and wondering where the gay neighbourhood is, I have some bad news: there isn’t one.

But if you’re asking where the LGBTQ people are, they’re pretty much everywhere.

And if you’re asking where the rich gay men are?

Well... that’s where I’m going to leave you to do your own homework. Bon chance.