What to See in Cannes, France

The palm-lined Boulevard de la Croisette is one of the most iconic streets on the French Riviera. Extending along the French Riviera seafront from the new Palais des Festivals to the La Roseraie Park, the boulevard is lined with luxurious Belle Epoque hotels boasting exquisite French Art Nouveau architecture. Between the hotels are designer boutiques, and opulent residential villas with unfettered ocean views. A promenade runs parallel to the boulevard and is a great spot for a languid seaside stroll and soaking up the beautiful views of the Lérins Islands and the Mediterranean Sea. The beaches along this stretch are private and a small fee is required to use them.

Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, 6400, France

Marche Forville is a large covered pedestrianized market and a local foodie institution in the heart of Cannes. Located on the edge of the Le Suquet neighborhood, the famous market sells a wealth of seasonal produce such as fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, as well as fresh meats and charcuterie, handmade cheeses, fresh fish directly off the boats, organic Provençal products, and handmade local delicacies. The market also has a variety of food stalls, selling freshly prepared cuisine from traditional French fare to Italian and fresh seafood. Marché Forville is open Tuesday through Sunday with an all-day flea market on Mondays.

5-11 Rue du Marché Forville, Cannes, 6400, France

Established in 1977, the Cannes Yachting Festival is an annual boat show that takes in the bay of Cannes every September. Showcasing some of the world’s most luxurious and opulent boats, yachts and super-yachts, the show draws an international crowd of wealth boat-owners, potential buyers, and tourists wanting to live out their millionaire fantasies. The Festival takes place in the Vieux Port (the Old Port) and the Port Pierre Canto, and sailing is conducted in the Port Canto. A Luxury Gallery dedicated to lifestyle and luxury is based inside the Palais des Festivals.

Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes, 6400, France

La Croix des Gardes is a 200-acre wide public space featuring exquisitely manicured gardens and grounds, palm-shaded walking paths and hiking trails, tranquil water features, and plenty of shaded picnic areas. The park is home to the Château de la Croix des Gardes, a Medici-style villa built for Swiss industrialist Paul Girod in 1919. The Italianate-style gardens were established when the villa was built and have since been converted into a park for the public to enjoy.

166 Boulevard Leader, Cannes, 6400, France

Built in 1877 by Louis Hourlier, the Mairie de Cannes is a beautifully preserved building in the heart of Cannes and an excellent example of 19th-century architecture. Overlooking the port of Cannes, the Mairie is an important administrative location that plays a vital role in running the town and offers services like registrations for births, deaths, and marriages.

1 Place Bernard Cornut Gentille, Cannes, 6400, France, Phone: +33-497-06-40-00

Situated below the historic Le Suquet quarter, Le Vieux Port (Old Port) is home to luxury super-yachts, beautiful sailboats, chic portside cafés, and bars, and beautiful Mediterranean scenery. Also known as Port Cannes I, the Vieux Port is the starting point for the famous Royal Regatta and is close to the Gare Maritime (Marine Railway Station). The pretty Allées de la Liberté is just north of the port and hosts the vibrant Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market) every morning. Le Vieux Port (Old Port) is great for beautiful sunsets, sipping cocktails, and people watching.

Jetée Albert Edouard, Cannes, 6400, France

Perched high on the slopes of Mont Chevalier with stunning views across the bay, Le Suquet (Old Town) is an ancient Roman settlement and fishing village with Old World charm. Boasting a picturesque hillside setting, the enchanting village has beautifully preserved 18th and 19th-century pastel-colored buildings draped with blossoming bougainvillea, winding cobblestone streets, and quaint family-run restaurants. The Eglise du Suquet church rests at the heart of the town and the 11th-century Tour du Mont Chevalier watchtower offers spectacular panoramic views out to the Lérins Islands from the top. The little streets are lined with designer boutiques and specialty gourmet stores selling traditional French delicacies.

Rue Saint Antoine, Le Suquet, Cannes, 6400, France

Based within a medieval castle on a hill overlooking the Bay of Cannes, the Musee de la Castre features an impressive collection of artworks and artifacts ranging from 19th-century Provencal landscape paintings and Mediterranean antiquities to pre-Columbian primitive art. Other notable items in the collection include exotic objects from Oceania and an extensive collection of musical instruments from around the globe. Once a monastery for the monks of Lérins, the castle is surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens and a 12th-century tower which can be climbed to enjoy breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of Cannes and the Mediterranean Sea.

6 Rue de la Castre, Le Suquet, Cannes, 6400, France, Phone: +33-489-82-26-26

Based on the summit of Le Suquet high above Cannes, Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Esperance is an imposing late-Gothic edifice with panoramic views over the city and the most important church in Cannes. Built in the 14th century, the beautiful church features a blend of architectural styles ranging from Gothic to Renaissance. Serene interiors boast soaring Gothic vaulting and a 17th-century Madonna on the altar and a cemetery behind the church dating back to the 16th century. The Nuits Musicales du Suquet (Musical Nights of Le Suquet) is held in the church square every summer and presents classical music performances under the stars.

1 Rue de la Castre, Cannes, 6400, France, Phone: +33-49-399-55-07

Île Saint-Honorat is a large island off the coast of Cannes that has been home to a community of Cistercian monks since the 5th century. The second largest of the Lérins Islands, a group of isles that lie off the coast of the French Riviera, Île Saint-Honorat is just a mile long and 1,300 feet wide. The island is home to the Abbey of Lérins and a 15th-century fortified monastery in which the 30 Cistercian monks reside. There are also several disused chapels, a Second World War gun emplacement, and the remains of a cannonball oven built by Napoleon. The monastery is closed to the public, but a small monastery shop sells a variety of monastic items, as well as honey and wine produced on the island by the monks.

Île Saint-Honorat, Cannes, 6400, France