Practical
Cannes in a weekend
Two days is enough for Cannes and one island, if you do not try to do the whole coast.
The mistake most people make with a short stay is spreading it along the coast: Monaco on Saturday, Nice on Sunday, and no sense of anywhere. Two days is enough to know Cannes properly and see one island, and you will remember it better. This is the shape we suggest to guests.
Saturday morning, the market and the old town
Start at Marché Forville before the stalls get busy, then walk up into Le Suquet while the streets are still quiet. The climb to the tower gives you the whole bay. Come down through Rue Meynadier and put together a lunch from the charcuteries and fromageries rather than sitting down.
Saturday afternoon, the water
Either take a beach club on the Croisette for the afternoon, which is the classic version, or walk the port and the Palais end where the boats are. Late afternoon is when the light is best and the Croisette is at its least crowded.
Saturday evening
Eat inland from the Croisette rather than on it. Book, especially in season. Finish with a drink on a rooftop or in one of the wine rooms two streets back.
Sunday, the Lérins islands
Fifteen minutes by boat from the old port to Sainte-Marguerite. Walk the coast path, swim in the clearest water near Cannes, see the fort and the Iron Mask cells, and eat on the island. Check the last boat back before you order a second bottle.
If you have an extra hour
The Musée des Explorations du Monde in the Suquet tower, for the view as much as the collection, or the walk east along the Croisette to Palm Beach at the point.
Common questions
Is two days enough for Cannes?
Yes, comfortably, if you stay in and around Cannes rather than trying to cover the coast. Two days gives you the old town, the market, the Croisette and one of the Lérins islands.
What is Cannes actually known for?
The Film Festival, the Croisette and the beach clubs, but the parts people remember are Le Suquet, the old town on the hill, the Forville market, and the Lérins islands twenty minutes offshore.
Can you visit the Lérins islands in a day?
Easily. The boat from the old port takes about fifteen minutes to Sainte-Marguerite and twenty to Saint-Honorat. Take the morning boat, eat on the island and come back late afternoon.
Do you need a car in Cannes?
No. The centre is walkable and the train runs along the coast to Antibes, Nice and Monaco. A car is only worth it for the hinterland.