Menton, France: A Slow Day of Photography, Lemons, and Riviera Light

Our Menton day trip was supposed to happen on a Friday. A market day. One of those perfectly planned highlights you circle on a map weeks in advance and imagine in vivid color. Instead, it became the city we postponed while I spent a long night on the bathroom floor reconsidering every food choice I had made in the last 48 hours. You remember that story.

So Menton waited. Patiently, it turns out.

On Melissa’s final day in France, with her suitcase mentally already half-packed back in Nice, we finally boarded the train east and rolled into Menton, the last stop before Italy and one of the most photogenic towns on the Riviera. I had a feeling it would be special. Menton tends to reward patience.

Getting to Menton from Nice

Getting to Menton from Nice is one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips on the Côte d’Azur. Trains leave frequently from Nice-Ville and take roughly 35 to 45 minutes, tracing the coastline nearly the entire way. If you can, grab a window seat on the right side of the train for uninterrupted views of cliffs, water, and pastel towns slipping by. Tickets are inexpensive, no reservation is needed, and Menton’s main station places you within easy walking distance of the old town, beaches, and harbor. It’s a rare combination of convenience and beauty that feels tailor-made for photographers.

We didn’t waste time once we arrived. From the station we bee-lined straight toward the jetty near Plage des Sablettes, the Instagram-famous viewpoint where the city stacks itself in soft pastels above the Mediterranean. The morning light was generous and clean, the kind photographers quietly hope for without ever admitting it out loud. Blues in the water, warm yellows and peaches in the buildings, and just enough haze to soften the edges. Epic backdrop achieved.

Once the photos were secured, we slowed down and let Menton reveal itself properly. We wandered through the old town, up toward the cemetery perched above the city, where the views stretch back over rooftops and out to sea. From there we looped back down into the main shopping area, ducking into side streets that felt more lived-in than designed.

Menton’s identity is inseparable from lemons. Thanks to its unusually mild microclimate, the town built a thriving citrus industry centuries ago, exporting lemons prized for their fragrance and high essential oil content. Even today, the lemon remains Menton’s unofficial emblem, celebrated annually during the Fête du Citron. On an ordinary March day, that history shows up in quieter ways. Lemon pastries. Lemon crêpes. Lemon soaps, perfumes, liqueurs, and souvenirs that somehow manage to avoid feeling gimmicky.

Outside a café, I spotted a local man reading the paper, perfectly positioned in soft light. I took a few frames, then a few more. Later, the waitress approached me, smiling. She asked if I’d gotten any good pictures of him. She told me he was like her father and had been coming to that café every morning for 50 years. She would love to have any photos I’d taken. I took down her number, promised to text her the images, and then, of course, took a few more just for her.

The lemon pastry she recommended was unreal. Bright without being sharp, sweet without being heavy. After that, we grabbed lunch at another crêperie before Melissa headed back to Nice to pack, while I stayed behind to wander with a camera and no agenda.

My wandering eventually pulled me down toward the harbor and beach, where I stumbled on another perfect viewpoint. That’s when I spotted a familiar trio. A father and his daughters, whom I had photographed earlier that morning as they walked toward the beach. At the time, I hadn’t known where they were headed. Now there they were, in the water, their day unfolding exactly as I had unknowingly documented the beginning of it hours earlier. Closing that loop felt quietly satisfying, one of those small storytelling gifts street photography occasionally hands you.

Thunder rolled in the distance. Dark clouds gathered behind the pastel skyline, adding drama I didn’t have to manufacture. That was my cue. I headed back toward the station, arriving just as the first raindrops began to fall.

Menton, it turns out, was worth the wait.

Photographer’s Tips for Shooting Menton

Light and Timing
Morning light is ideal, especially along the water and at Plage des Sablettes, where the sun wraps gently around the buildings rather than blasting straight on. Late afternoon can also work well in the old town, but shadows get contrasty fast on clear days.

Lens Choices and Framing
I shot Menton with a Fuji X100VI and its fixed 23mm lens, which translates to a 35mm equivalent. That focal length is perfect here. Wide enough for layered cityscapes and street scenes, but still intimate for environmental portraits. The teleconversion lens, which brings the field of view closer to a 50mm equivalent, was especially useful for portraits and quieter moments. It let me isolate subjects like the café regular without stepping into their space or breaking the rhythm of the scene.

Street Photography Etiquette
Menton feels slower and more personal than larger Riviera cities. A smile, a nod, or a brief conversation goes a long way. In cafés and small streets, people notice you, and often they’re curious rather than defensive. That openness led directly to one of my favorite interactions of the day.

Wandering with Intention
Don’t rush Menton. Let yourself double back. Walk from the old town down to the harbor, then circle back along the water. Some of the best moments come from recognizing faces or scenes later in the day and realizing you’re witnessing a story unfold, not just collecting frames.

I have oodles more favorites from Menton, so here is a huge photo dump! All of these images and more can be viewed and purchased as art prints from my travel gallery: Click Here