Overview
Two neighbouring communes share the western end of the Alpes-Maritimes coast. They could hardly be more different. Mandelieu-la-Napoule is a town of 21,640 people (INSEE, 2023) spread across 32 km² of river plain, golf courses and wooded hills where the Siagne reaches the sea. Théoule-sur-Mer, with 1,477 inhabitants on 10.7 km², is a narrow strip of coves, headlands and steep hillside between the sea and the Esterel massif, whose red volcanic rock gives this stretch its colour.
Both lie on the railway from Marseille to Ventimiglia and both are a few minutes' drive from Cannes. Beyond Théoule the road continues along the Corniche de l'Esterel into the Var.
Mandelieu-la-Napoule
La Napoule is the seaside quartier, a former fishing village that many residents still treat as a village in its own right. Its landmark is the Château de la Napoule, a fourteenth-century castle bought in 1918 by the American artists Henry and Marie Clews, who restored it and laid out its gardens. Marie Clews created the La Napoule Art Foundation in 1951 and it still runs artist residencies and a museum there. Beside the château are the marina of La Napoule and, further west, the port of La Rague, now run by the town. The beaches here, among them the Plage du Château, La Raguette and La Rague, look across to the red rocks of the Esterel.
Capitou, inland, is the historic quartier of the mimosa growers. At the start of the twentieth century the commune counted around 80 mimosa growers, almost all of them there. The Fête du Mimosa, first held in 1931, still fills the town each February; the 2027 edition is scheduled for 10 to 14 February. Above Capitou the Tanneron massif is covered with mimosa forest, reached on foot by the GR51.
Golf shapes much of the town. The Old Course of Golf de Cannes-Mandelieu dates from 1891, when Grand Duke Michael of Russia sponsored a first nine holes designed by Harry Colt; it is planted with umbrella pines and players cross the Siagne on a small ferry. The Riviera Golf de Barbossi, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1991 on the former polo grounds. To the east, the Cannes Marina district and Cannes-Mandelieu airport, used by business aviation, sit along the boundary with Cannes.
Théoule-sur-Mer
The village centre has a small harbour and sandy beaches such as the Plage du Suveret. Further along the coast, Miramar has a public sand beach of about 300 metres in the bay of La Figueirette. The Pointe de l'Aiguille is a departmental natural park with marked paths, small pebble beaches and an underwater discovery trail.
Beyond it is Port-la-Galère, a private residential estate built to an organic design. Begun in 1968 by Jacques Couëlle and completed by Léopold Vitorge between 1969 and 1979, it groups around 400 apartments in sculpted, organic buildings around a private port, with clubs and beaches for residents. It holds the national label for remarkable contemporary architecture. At the western edge of the commune, where it meets Saint-Raphaël and the Var, Le Trayas has villas set into the red rock high above the sea.
Property and prices
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 147 | €6,040 | €730,000 | 43 | 11 |
| Flats | 1347 | €4,780 | €226,000 | 17 | 1 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 52 | €8,640 | €738,000 | 25 | 14 |
| Flats | 154 | €6,690 | €274,000 | 14 | 2 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025 DVF recorded 147 house sales in Mandelieu-la-Napoule at a median of €6,040 per m² and a median price of €730,000. It also recorded 1,347 flat sales at a median of €4,780 per m². The highest house sale was €3.1 million and none passed €5 million. Théoule-sur-Mer is a much smaller and more expensive market: 52 house sales at a median of €8,640 per m², of which 25 passed €1 million and 14 passed €2 million, with a highest sale of about €7.5 million. Its 154 flat sales had a median of €6,690 per m².
The difference follows the landscape. Mandelieu offers family villas, apartments in marina-side and golf-side residences and houses on the wooded slopes of Capitou and the Tanneron. Théoule's homes are fewer, often on steep plots with direct sea views. The per-m² price reflects how rare those views are. Both communes fall under the loi littoral, which restricts building along the shore. Hillside plots near the Esterel and the Tanneron also carry a fire risk: check the PLU, the natural risks statement and the brush-clearing obligations before you buy. Our guides on planning and diagnostics explain each document.
Who buys here
Mandelieu suits golfers, sailors and families who want space and services close to Cannes at a lower price per m². Théoule draws buyers who put the sea first: people who want to swim from the rocks below the house and walk straight into the Esterel. Those comparing coastal options may also look at Antibes and Juan-les-Pins or Cannes.
Schools and services
Mandelieu has primary schools in its quartiers and two public collèges, Albert Camus and Les Mimosas. There is no lycée in the commune; the nearest public lycées are in Cannes. International schooling is in Mougins and Valbonne; see our international schools guide.
Getting around
Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Théoule-sur-Mer and Le Trayas each have a station on the TER line between Les Arcs, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes and Nice. Measured by road distance, central Mandelieu is about 31 km from Nice Côte d'Azur airport, roughly 30 to 35 minutes outside peak hours; it is about 18 km from Sophia Antipolis, roughly 20 minutes. Théoule is about 36 km from the airport (roughly 40 minutes) and 24 km from Sophia (roughly 25 to 30 minutes). Le Trayas, at the far end of the coast road, is about 45 km from the airport.
Homes for sale
Any home we present in Mandelieu-la-Napoule or Théoule-sur-Mer appears below. Sea-view houses in Théoule and Le Trayas rarely come to the open market, so the off-market register is the best way to hear of them.
No home in this selection is presented publicly at the moment. Many of the finest houses on this coast change hands without public advertising.
Join the off-market registerFrequently asked questions
Is Théoule-sur-Mer more expensive than Mandelieu?
Yes, on DVF figures for 2024 and 2025. Houses in Théoule sold at a median of €8,640 per m² against €6,040 in Mandelieu; flats sold at €6,690 per m² against €4,780.
What is Port-la-Galère?
A private residential estate in Théoule-sur-Mer, begun in 1968 to designs by Jacques Couëlle and completed by Léopold Vitorge, with around 400 apartments, a private port and residents' clubs. It carries the label for remarkable contemporary architecture.
Can I get to Cannes and Nice by train from Théoule?
Yes. Théoule-sur-Mer, Le Trayas and Mandelieu-la-Napoule stations are all on the coastal TER line, with trains to Cannes and Nice in one direction and Saint-Raphaël in the other.
When is the Mimosa Festival in Mandelieu?
Every February. It has run since 1931. The 2027 edition is scheduled for 10 to 14 February.
Is there a lycée in Mandelieu-la-Napoule?
No. The commune has two public collèges, Albert Camus and Les Mimosas; for lycée, pupils go to the public lycées in Cannes.
Is it difficult to build or extend near the sea here?
It can be. Both communes are subject to the loi littoral and to fire-risk rules on wooded hillsides. Check the PLU and the risk documents with the notaire before signing.
Last updated: 11 October 2026