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Already famous as a playground for socialites, and for a world-famous film festival, scenes immortalized in French Impressionist and modernist masterpieces, and a bounty of tony cafes, bars, and hotels, Southern France's Cote d'Azur has also developed increased recognition as a favorite gay vacation destination in recent years. Nice, the area's largest city, contains the wealth of the area's gay bars and accommodations, and chichi Cannes attracts artsy types and bon vivants (especially during the world-famous Cannes Film Festival in May), but a welcoming, tolerant spirit pervades the entire coastline.

Nice is at once an ancient Roman city and a thoroughly modern French hideaway, a favorite retreat of Elton John (who owns a stunning vacation pad here), and a former haunt of painter Henri Matisse, who hung out here in the 1940s. In fact, you can examine the latter's works at Musee Matisse in the attractive nearby suburb of Cimiez, also home to the acclaimed Musee d'Archeologie, which details the region's history over the past 3,000 years.

Nice itself has grown to become France's fifth-largest city, but it still feels intimate and easygoing, without the fast pace and occasional mayhem of Paris or other European world capitals. It's a great destination for strolling, whether to browse the many stalls of the local farmers market or to admire the genteel homes set along the city's narrow lanes.

The part of town that has enjoyed the most impressive renaissance in recent years is Vieux Nice (Old Nice), which abounds with charming boutiques and galleries, not to mention dozens of open-air cafes serving up delicious seafood and healthful Mediterranean treats. From here, you can easily stroll to the Promenade des Anglais, a long stretch of scenic beachfront overlooking the spectacular Mediterranean.

Although lying on sandy beaches beneath swaying palm trees ranks among the area's leading pleasures, there's also much to see and do here from a cultural standpoint. In addition to Matisse, painters who have captured the area's beauty include Renoir, Bonnard, Picasso, and Chagall. Among the roughly 25 museums around Nice, the Musee des Arts Asiatiques boasts an impressive collection of Asian art and occupies an ultra-chic minimalist building designed by Japanese architectural star Kenzo Tange. And the Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain contains a fine collection of modern and avant-garde works and presents notable rotating exhibits.

Walk down any of the main streets near the beach, and you'll find dozens of inviting restaurants. Le Long Cours is one of the most reliable among the many lively brasseries along the Cours de Saleya in Vieux Nice; you'll find a nice selection of pizzas, seafood grills, and pastas, and plenty of outdoor seating overlooking this pedestrian street's festive food and flower market. In the newer part of town, Le Tajine d'Or is a cute North African eatery with a cozy stone-wall dining room, serving moderately priced couscous with merguez sausage, chicken, and lemon confit.

Of the several eateries with a gay following, Kf'bis draws a hip crowd for creative Southern French fare, but the big attraction here is the cute boutique and gallery, filled with paintings and alluring home furnishings. Cherry's Cafe consists of a popular bar and restaurant - from the terrace you can watch fabulous types stroll along Promenade des Anglais. Another "family" favorite is Le Millennium Restaurant, which specializes in fondue. Finally, Cafe Borghese is a hip little tapas restaurant in the port area that's also known for its great desserts, after-dinner cocktails, and coffee drinks.

Nice has several fab gay clubs and bars. Although there aren't as many nightspots here as in larger European cities, the energy you're apt to encounter in Nice's clubs is infectious. Note that, generally, bars in these parts don't get going until midnight or so. Definitely try to make it to the city's coolest gay disco, Blue Boy, a small but throbbing industrial-looking space that, despite the name, also draws plenty of lesbians. This is a stylish hangout - it's not every day that you find a gay disco selling Dom Perignon by the bottle (for 260 euros, which translates to about $310US). Of course, here even a very small beer will set you back 5 euros.

Blue Boy is on the west side of downtown, away from most of the gay action, which is centered east of downtown, near Nice's port area. Here you'll find such cozy neighborhood bars as Tip Top, a charming hole-in-the-wall close to several good restaurants, and the more upscale Le Rusca, known for its swank decor. Le Six is a fun, upbeat pub with live music and late-night drag shows, and Le Klub disco pulses into the wee hours with throbbing music.

A dark, super-cruisy bar called Castro Street consists of a bar up front and lots of dark areas for, um, mingling and getting to know fellow patrons - if you're looking for action, short of venturing into a sauna or sex club, this is your best bet. Another dark and sexually charged spot is Block Men's Club. Finally, although it draws a mostly straight crowd, O'Neill's Irish Pub ranks among the friendliest drinking spots in town, and it's a particular favorite of ex-pats and English-speaking visitors.

You'll find perhaps the most opulent accommodation in Nice at the Hotel Negresco, which has hosted countless celebs and notables over the years. Gustave Eiffel created the hotel's distinctive glass dome, and guest rooms are over-the-top stunning. The gay-friendly Hotel Splendid has a great central location, cozy rooms (some with terraces), and attractive, modern bathrooms. There are impressive city views from the rooftop pool. For much more affordable digs, check into the friendly and predominantly gay Hotel Meyerbeer Beach, which is very close to the city's gay beach and whose staff speaks English fluently. Or try the budget-friendly Hotel Gounod Nice, which is near the Hotel Splendid but has lower rates to match the slightly less fancy rooms.

A short train ride west of Nice along the coast, Cannes has been a great place to visit for many decades, long before it attracted acclaim for its wonderful film festival, which has been going strong since the 1940s. It's a charming, manageable-sized town with a posh beach scene. Along the water there are two major thoroughfares, La Croisette and Le Boulevard du Midi, both of them lined with snazzy hotels, see-and-be-seen bars, and (expensive) open-air restaurants serving delicious Mediterranean food.

As with Nice, Cannes has its cultural draws, too. La Malmaision, an ornate 19th-century mansion, holds rotating modern art and photography exhibits. Another attraction worth checking out is Musee de la Castre, set over the remains of the city's 12th-century ramparts. Inside this old castle, you'll find artwork by notable French Riviera painters from the 19th and 20th centuries, plus an exhibit of some 200 musical instruments from around the world.

When the sun sets, head to Zanzibar, a cute gay bar with wood paneling and a few tables on an attractive sidewalk. This place draws a laid-back bunch of men and women, gay and straight. Nearby Vogue usually gets going a bit later and also ranks among the better gay nightspots, along with La Hype, a trendy little bar not far from the train station. There's a restaurant in back serving commendable contemporary French food. Also worth noting among the gay-popular restaurants in Cannes, Le Marais serves excellent home-style, Provence-inspired food.

As for accommodations, if money isn't a big concern, consider staying at the upscale Hotel Martinez or the similarly posh Carlton Hotel, two classic old-world hotels with plenty of beach frontage. The Martinez dates to the 1920s and is renowned for its swanky Palm d'Or restaurant, while the Carlton is famous for its handsome terrace. A more intimate, gay-friendly option in town, Hotel Festival Cannes has just 14 extravagantly decorated rooms with Italian marble accents, custom woodwork, a common hot tub, and spare but modern furnishings. The more budget-minded Hotel Canberra has simple rooms with shabby-chic furniture; there's also a lovely staff, a slick modern lobby with a nice little bar, a cute breakfast sunroom and patio, and off-street parking - it's just a couple of blocks from the beach.

If you have the time, it's worth spending a full week or so exploring both Nice and Cannes, as each gives a different sense of the region. In Nice, you'll find the bustle and energy of a working port city but also the splendor of a tony vacation getaway. In Cannes, it's all about glamour and relaxation. Together, these gems of the Mediterranean offer gay and lesbian visitors a delightful glimpse of life on the fabled Cote D'Azur.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and nine additional travel guides. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutofTown@qsyndicate.com.

The Little Black Book (the country code for France is 33) Block Men's Club (10-12 rue Gilly, Nice, 0699/385557). Blue Boy (9 rue Spinetta, Nice, 0493/446824). Cafe Borghese (9 rue Fodere, Nice, 0492/048383). Hotel Canberra (120 rue D'Antibes, 0334/97069500). Cannes Film Festival (www.festival-cannes.fr). Cannes Office of Tourism (0493/991977, www.cannes-on-line.com). Carlton Hotel (58 La Croisette, Cannes, 0493/064006, www.interconti.com). Castro Street (18 bis rue Emmanuel Philibert, Nice, 0493/264530). Cherry's Cafe (36 rue des Ponchettes and 35 quai des Etats-Unis, 0493/138545). Hotel Festival Cannes (3 rue Moliere, Cannes, 0497/066440, www.hotel-festival.com). Hotel Gounod Nice (3 rue Gounod, 0493/164200, www.gounod-nice.com). Hotel Meyerbeer Beach (15 rue Meyerbeer, Nice, 0493/889565, www.come.to/meyerbeer/gay). Hotel Negresco (35 Promenade des Anglais, 0493/166400, www.hotel-negresco-nice.com). Hotel Splendid (50 blvd. Victor Hugo, Nice, 0493/164100, www.splendid-nice.com). Le Hype (52 av. Jean Jaures, Cannes, 0493/392050). Kf'bis (3rue Defly, Nice, 0493/800222). Le Klub (6 rue Halevy, 0660/552661, www.leklub.online.fr). Le Long Cours (9 Cours de Saleya, Nice, 0493/957-255). La Malmaision (Cannes, 0493/990404). Le Marais (9 rue du Suquet, 0493/383919). Le Millennium Restaurant (10 boulevard Lech Walesa, Nice, 0493/265357). The Martinez (73 La Croisette, Cannes, 0492/987300, www.hotelmartinez.com). Musee d'Archeologie (Cimiez, 0493/815957). Musee d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (Nice, 0493/626162, www.mamacnice.org). Musee de la Castre (Cannes, 0493/385526). Musee des Arts Asiatiques (Nice, 0492/293700, www.arts-asiatiques.com). Musee Matisse (Cimiez, 0493/810808). Nice Office of Tourism (892/707407, www.nicetourisme.com). O'Neill's Irish Pub (40 rue Droite, Nice). Le Rusca (2 rue Rusca, Nice, 0493/892625, www.le-rusca.com). Le Six (6 rue de la terrasse, Nice, 0493/626664). Tip Top (30 quai de Lunel, Nice, 0493/262288). Vogue (20 rue du Suquet, Cannes, 0493/399918). Zanzibar (85 rue Felix Faure, Cannes, 0493/393075).