When you hear about Cannes, what do you think about? The Film Festival, expensive and exclusive cars? Champagne and caviar on the beach? Hotel Carlton?
You will of course find all of this but Cannes is so much more. If you are looking for a more affordable alternative, Cannes has something to offer for every budget. Cannes is also a rather small city with a population under 70.000 inhabitants and from many aspects very much like any other french city of the same size. The central parts of Cannes is small enough to make it possible to walk around by foot to all places to visit and see.
If you would like to start your morning with every kind of fresh and regional food you should visit Le Marché Forville, one of the markets in Cannes. Open every day of the week except Monday when can find a flea market and antiques fair at Le Marché Forville.
At the corner of the market you will find Astoux et Brun L'Annex: A bar for all oyster lovers. Well worth a visit. Astoux et Brun has also another restaurang on rue Félix Faure. One of the best seafood restaurang in Cannes.
While you are in that area we would recommend you to walk the narrow and winding streets and steep stairs in La Suquet up to the church, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Cannes and the sea.
Here you will also find Musée de la Castre. Housed in the 12th century chapel of St Anne atop Le Suquet, the Castre Museum displays 19th century paintings by local artists, a good collection of musical instruments, sculptures, decorative arts, and a section on ethnography. Also antiquities from the Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, South America, and Mayan civilizations.
A good start on a visit to Cannes is to visit the tourist information in the Festival Palace, to pick up a map and information material to find out what is going on in Cannes.The architecture of the Festival Palace would not win any beauty contest and the building is at its best when it's decorated for a festival.
The combination of relaxed life on the beaches and lively city with non-stop nightlife, ritzy bars, fine restaurants and shopping makes Cannes a very attractive place for a holiday.
The beaches of Cannes are great, white-sandy, clear green waters, and a great view.
All beaches are cleaned every morning.
You can find the private Hotel beaches, private beaches where you pay entrance fee which covers your deck chair and sun umbrella hire, but also public beaches with no fee. The Plages du Midi boast some of the cleanest and broadest areas of beach.
At the beach there are several bars and restaurangs ready to serve you a drink, a snack or lunch.
You will usually find good weather until mid October.
Compared to other parts of the riviera, Cannes is a city that never sleeps and off season does not really exist, thanks for Cannes position as a festival and congress center.
You can be sure to find something to do even in the winter. Music events, art exhibitions, etc.
An event worth to experience is the International Fireworks Festival in July -August with the display in the water in front of Carlton Hotel. So one of the best locations for viewing the fireworks is from the Carlton terrace.
Now tips for husbands and all men: Either you cut out La Croisette and Rue d'Antibes from your map before your wife or girlfriend finds them, or it's time to get a seat on a bar, order a large drink and hope for the best, that you do not need to sell the house, the car and your dog to pay the credit card bill. Here we talk serious shopping!Well, it may not be that bad. In short. Close to the water front, at la Croisette - Expensive to Mega expensive.
Next street, Rue d'Antibes, running parallel to la Croisette - A fantastic place to shop.
Further up from the beach we have Rue Meynadier - Far from the designer shops and luxury boutiques on La Croisette. Still you can find some good shops and boutiques of every kind. It is also less expensive.
And now a few things to do and see!
- A glass of wine or a cup of tea at Carlton.
- Just a fifteen minute boat ride from Le Vieux Port in Cannes and you get to 'île Saint-Honorat or île Sainte-Marguerite
- Are you traveling with childres who are not amused to walk every street? Take a trip with "the smalltourist and conema train". Starting point : Palais des Festivals, beach side.
- How about walking in a forest? The Croix des Gardes park overlooks Cannes with its beautiful landscape and the flowers smell so good!
- A slow evening walk on the beach to watch the sun set behind the Esterel Mountains.