Cannes

La Croisette

seafront

A three-kilometre promenade along the bay, lined with a double row of palm trees, the 1920s Carlton, Majestic and Martinez hotels, and sandy beaches the whole way. The pavement is set with the handprints of film stars, known as the Allée des Étoiles, starting at the Palais des Festivals.

Tip: Most beaches along the Croisette belong to hotels, with a sunlounger costing from €30. The public Plage du Midi begins west beyond the harbour and is just as sandy and free. Benches shaded by palm trees line the whole promenade — the best spot for a snack from the Forville market.

Admission:

free

Time needed:

2 h

Palais des Festivals and the Steps

by the old harbour

The 1982 convention centre where the film festival is held, fronted by 24 steps covered in a red carpet each May. Nearby is the Allée des Étoiles with the handprints of 300 filmmakers and actors, and a replica Palme d'Or stands on the terrace.

Tip: For the rest of the year the red carpet is gone and the steps are freely accessible — anyone can pose for a photo, with no one watching. Behind-the-scenes tours of the festival auditorium can be booked at the tourist information office inside the building, and only run on certain days.

Admission:

outside free, tour from €8

Time needed:

1 h

Le Suquet

Le Suquet

The oldest quarter, on a hill above the harbour, site of the original fishing village: steep cobbled lanes, a 22-metre square tower from the 12th century and the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance. From the terrace below the tower you can see the whole bay, the harbour and the Lérins Islands.

Tip: Rue Saint-Antoine, the street you descend on, is full of restaurants with menus posted in four languages and is the most expensive place to eat in Cannes. Climb up for the view, then head down to eat near the Forville market. The climb up takes 10 minutes on steep steps.

Admission:

free

Time needed:

2 h

Musée de la Castre

Le Suquet

A collection in a former castle at the top of Le Suquet, made up of ethnographic objects from Oceania, Asia and the Americas, plus one of Europe's finest musical instrument collections. Admission includes the climb up the medieval tower's 109 steps.

Tip: The collection itself is interesting, but the main reason to visit is the tower — the highest accessible point in Cannes, with views stretching across the whole bay to the Estérel massif. The museum is open until 7pm in summer, and an hour before closing it's quiet with the best light.

Admission:

from €6.50

Time needed:

1.5 h

Île Sainte-Marguerite

Lérins Islands

The larger of the two Lérins Islands, 15 minutes by boat from the harbour, covered in eucalyptus and pine forest with paths around its edge. Fort Royal holds the cell where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned for 11 years, along with a museum of finds from Roman shipwrecks off the seabed nearby.

Tip: There's no shop on the island and almost nowhere to eat besides one restaurant near the pier — bring food and water. The best swimming is in the coves on the north side, a 20-minute walk from the pier, where the water is cleaner than anywhere along the coast. The last boat back leaves around 6pm.

Admission:

boat from €16 return

Time needed:

full day

Île Saint-Honorat

Lérins Islands

The smaller of the two islands, belonging to a Cistercian monastery since the 5th century — monks still live here today, tending 8 hectares of vineyards to make wine and liqueur. A path circles the island past a fortified 11th-century monastery, built as a refuge during Saracen raids.

Tip: A different boat, from a different pier, serves Saint-Honorat than Sainte-Marguerite, run by the monastery — the only way to combine the islands is to return to Cannes in between. It's peaceful here, since camping and swimming outside designated spots are banned. Wine is sold only at the monastery shop.

Admission:

boat from €18 return

Time needed:

half a day

Forville Market

Marché Forville

below Le Suquet

A covered market below Le Suquet, open Tuesday to Sunday, selling vegetables from inland, cheeses, olives and fish caught in the bay that same day. On Mondays, food gives way to an antiques and flea market that fills the whole hall.

Tip: Several stalls around the market let you eat right there — a sharp contrast to Croisette prices. The market winds down around 1:30pm, and fishmongers sell off the last stock cheaper from around noon. It's the cheapest place in Cannes to buy lunch.

Admission:

free

Time needed:

1 h

Old Harbour and Rue d'Antibes

town centre

The Vieux Port, with fishing boats moored beside 50-metre yachts, is the sharpest snapshot of what Cannes is. Two blocks up and running parallel to the Croisette is Rue d'Antibes, the main shopping street, with shops a notch more accessible than the boutiques on the promenade.

Tip: Boats to both Lérins Islands and sightseeing cruises to the Estérel leave from the harbour. Restaurants along Quai Saint-Pierre are expensive, but places in the side streets behind Rue d'Antibes serve a set lunch menu for €18, frequented by people who actually work here.

Admission:

free

Time needed:

2 h

Villa Domergue and Gardens

Croix des Gardes

An Art Deco villa built in 1936 by painter Jean-Gabriel Domergue, now owned by the city and used as the jury's residence during the festival. Terraced gardens with cypress trees, water cascades and sculptures descend the hillside in complete quiet above the town.

Tip: It's open only in summer and only a few days a week, so check the hours in advance at the tourist office — it's the most common wasted trip in Cannes. It's a 20-minute uphill walk from the centre, or take bus route 9. Garden entry is usually free.

Admission:

gardens usually free

Time needed:

1.5 h