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Tour One: Discovering Cannes: La Croisette promenade, Le Suquet hill & the old town, shopping on Rue d’Antibes
Taking this route will reveal Cannes in all of its different guises. For a piece of Cannes, the city of sun, stroll along La Croisette while admiring the magnificent shoreline. Upon arriving at Le Suquet, climb the hill into the old town to experience its historical heritage, then circle back to the starting point via Rue d’Antibes to uncover the stylish side of the town with its countless fashion boutiques.
Start your walk at the seafront on Boulevard de La Croisette by the Pierre Canto port and the adjoining garden. After crossing over, stroll alongside the beautiful sandy beaches and admire the impressive palatial hotels—Martinez, Carlton, and Majestic—those legendary names which conjure up all the splendor of this magical town during the International Film Festival, a major event in Cannes’ calendar that attracts the biggest names in the acting world.
The end of La Croisette will deliver you to the Palais des Festivals (where you will also find the office du tourisme)–the Tourist Information Office). If you look down you'll see the famous palace steps, climbed every evening of the Festival by sumptuously dressed celebs to the cheers of the crowds. You can also see plaques bearing the hand prints of your favorite stars, including Sharon Stone and Harrison Ford, and directors like Martin Scorcese and Stephen Segal. Just behind the Palais lies the old port. Wander along until you reach Quai St-Pierre, where little streets and stairways lead you to Place de la Castre at the top of Le Suquet hill. On the summit, you can visit the Musée de la Castre, a museum founded in 1877 housed in the old castle and dedicated to ancient civilizations, presenting a beautiful collection of 19th century paintings of the town, as well as the Notre Dame d’Espérance church in Provençal gothic style, dating from the 12th and 16th centuries. Take a moment to enjoy the unobstructed panorama over the town and the stunning coastline.
Meander back down the hill again towards Place de la Castre, taking in the small streets of old Cannes, especially Rue du Suquet which is dotted with great little restaurants and cafés. The window-shopping begins soon after you emerge at Rue Meynardier, which runs into the delightful Rue d’Antibes, the main shopping street. After all that, you’ll certainly deserve a rest, so why not head for one of the café terraces overlooking the sea for some refreshment and relaxation. To get there, rejoin La Croisette by taking one of the streets perpendicular to Rue d’Antibes towards the sea.
Tour Two: The Iles de Lérins
You can reach the two islands, Ile Sainte Marguerite and Ile Saint Honorat, which light up the sea just 1km southeast of La Croisette by the various shuttle boats that leave from the old port. The crossing takes no more than 20 minutes and some shuttles will also take you between the two islands. But whether you take the shuttle or sail over in your own boat, the waters around the islands are beautiful for swimming and diving.
Ile de Sainte-Marguerite is home to a 170-hectare forest, scattered with pathways and picnic areas. Two-hour tours of the island are available to enhance your appreciation of the natural beauty, the astounding flora and fauna, and the history of the island. At the Fort Royal, built between 1624-1627 and later transformed by architect Vauban, you can deepen your knowledge of such heritage by visiting the Musée de la Mer (Maritime Museum). It was created in 1975 to exhibit archaeological collections from land and sea, and the visit begins by entering the old state prisons, which were still in use until the end of the 19th century. It was here that the famous “Man in the Iron Mask” was imprisoned, a name that you may recognize from the film starring Leonardo di Caprio, not to mention the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Next, the Roman water tanks and the interior of the fort will enlighten you as seafarers traveled in antiquity, what type of cargo the ships carried, and how drinking water was brought to the island.
Saint-Honorat, the smaller of the two islands, belongs to a Cistercian monastic order, and you can visit the fortified monastery which was built in the 11th century. The present-day monastery stands in the center of the island, where a community of 30 monks live a peaceful but hard-working life. From the fruits of their labor, products such as home-made honey, liqueurs and wines, are available to buy. You can also visit the church itself and a museum displaying paintings and relics as well as documents charting the history of the monastery. Seven chapels border the island, some of which have been rebuilt from medieval ruins, but entrance is forbidden. The most famous – Saint-Trinité – can be found in the far southwest corner of the island.
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