Things To Do In Cannes

If you visit Cannes at the right time of the year, you can take advantage of the city’s varied selection of cultural events, with the International Film Festival perhaps being the most famous. When the calendar has a blank spot, visitors will find plenty of static attractions to keep them occupied, with historical and natural sights topping the bill. The beach is of course the most popular attraction for many and Cannes’ golden sands are a great place to spend lazy summer days, while the blue ocean waters offer plenty of opportunities to get active.

Compagnie Maritime Cannoise:

Take a boat tour on the sea with Compagnie Maritime Cannoise and get the chance to visit the famous Lerins Islands plus a variety of other destinations worthy of note such as Monaco and St Tropez. A submarine trip is also available to give visitors the chance to see some of the local sea life.

Parc Zoologique de Frejus

This popular attraction was originally presented as a traditional zoo facility, but has now been redeveloped as a safari park in which visitors can drive around in their cars. The zoo has attempted to recreate the natural habitats of its animal residents in order to encourage them to reproduce and live as they would in the wild.

The Riviera

This famous sea vessel is now open to visitors who can come aboard and enjoy lunch while the ship takes a brief tour of the area. Live music plays on board and in the summer, there are theme nights with dancing and fireworks. 

Galimard

Galimard is a working perfumery offering visitors tours on which they can get an in-depth insight into the country’s multimillion-dollar industry. Tours take in laboratories where scents are mixed and visitors get to find out some of the elusive ingredients used in perfume making. There’s also the opportunity to create your own scent under the guidance of a master perfumier.

le Saint-Honorat

Trips are available to the island that was named after the monk, Honoratus, who was responsible for founding a monastery here in the early 5th century. Notre Dame de Lérins, an abbey built on the island in the 17th century, is one of the most famous sights on the island and offers views of fine architecture, both inside and out. The abbey is still inhabited to this day and has a shop that sells goods made by the monks who reside here. Besides the abbey, the island is home to several other churches and chapels as well beautiful coastal scenery.

le Sainte-Marguerite

Known as Île Saint-Honorat’s sister island, Île Sainte-Marguerite is bigger and offers visitors a maritime museum containing artefacts relating to the area’s maritime history. Take a walk on the island’s beautiful rocky beaches or amid its shady oak and pine trees, or head to the fort that has stood since the 17th century, when it was built as a fortification against Spanish invaders. Later, head for one of the island’s three restaurants, where you can grab a bite to eat.

Parc Phoenix:

At Phoenix Park, otherwise known as the Phoenix Botanical Gardens, visitors will find stunningly beautiful gardens that have been lovingly tended and are home to a large selection of plants and flowers, many of which are exotic in origin. A greenhouse, hailed as the largest in Europe, also houses a large collection of interesting and unusual plant specimens.

Museums

For visitors with cultural inclinations, Cannes has an impressive selection of museums and art galleries covering a wide variety of themes and historical periods. The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence, for example, is home to a collection of artefacts that range from prehistoric to present times, and the museum is housed in a classic 18th century mansion, set amid beautiful French gardens. Meanwhile, at the Musée de la Castre, an exotic collection including objects from the Pacific Atolls, Peruvian relics and Mayan pottery is available for viewing in an impressive château, which was previously known as the Castle of Cannes. Other famous venues include the Musée de la Marine, Musée de la Mer, Musée de la Photographie and Musée International de la Parfumerie.