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 California
The California quarter has preserved its areas of beautiful greenery. On a
small hill the Mediterranean vegetation is in bloom all year long: aloe,
mimosas, pine and cork oak trees. In fact, the quarter owes its name,
California, to this flora which evokes the west of America. Beautiful
houses and hotels were built here during the Belle Epoque, and although
little of them remain today, this is still a high-class area. The villas
are splendidly luxurious, even though sometimes it is difficult to get a
glimpse of them as they are usually hidden behind vast gardens. A little
California dreaming!
Le Cannet
You will come to the peaceful and pleasant suburb of Cannet, by going up
the long Boulevard Carnot. We recommend a tour in the tiny old Cannet
area. With its picturesque architecture, you would think you were in a
small inland village. In this quarter you will find many art and crafts
galleries, a chapel decorated by Tobiasse and a bunch of good, small
restaurants.
The Town Centre
From the end of the nineteenth century, the location of the Rue des
Antibes in the middle of Cannes, made it the town's business centre.
Fashion boutiques abound, and you will find something to suit all budgets
(the big-name labels however, are located on the Boulevard de la
Croisette). In this quarter you will find everything you could possibly
need: food, the train station, libraries etc. It is a pleasant place to
shop. Visit the Galerie du Gray d'Albion, a beautiful shopping arcade
which juts out onto the Croisette.
The Croisette
A visit to Cannes is not complete without a stroll along the Croisette,
the splendid promenade which runs along almost the whole length of
Cannes's coast. Before ten in the morning when the town is still quiet the
atmosphere is reminiscent of the Belle Epoque. In fact the atmosphere at
the Croisette changes with each hour of the day. Sometimes you will come
across a crowd of tourists, while at other times you will see people from
Cannes walking their dogs, or wealthy elegantly dressed residents, or even
eccentrics and poseurs trying to catch the eyes of the passers-by. Many
sandy beaches stretch out to sea from the foot of the Croisette. Most of
them are private, so you have to pay to go, but by doing so you have the
comfort of a sun lounger, parasol and bar. On the other side of the
Croisette you will mostly find prestigious fashion boutiques sandwiched
between the big names in haute couture and jewellery: Christian Lacroix,
Hermès, Chanel, etc. There are also a lot of sunny café terraces. The
Malmaison museum, a former casino, looks out onto the sea. Here you will
also find the town's most prestigious palaces, of which the most famous
are: Hotel Carlton and the Hotel Martinez, where most of the film stars
stay during the international film festival. Fans of the silver screen can
see the stars and directors make their mark on the famous steps of the
Palais des Festivals, at the bottom of the Croisette.
The Îles de Lérins
Cannes and its islands, the Sainte-Marguerite and the Saint-Honorat. Far
from the hustle and bustle of the town, the islands look on Cannes with an
assured and peaceful air. A jaunt through the natural beauty of the
islands is very popular during the summer months. To get there, take one
of the boats which makes the trip near the Palais des Festivals. It was at
the island of Saint Margueritte that the Iron Mask, made famous by the
novel by Alexandre Dumas, was kept for eleven years (the mask was in fact
made of velvet). The monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat is well
worth a visit.
The Port and Suquet quarter
The port of Cannes and the adjoining Suquet quarter are the most
picturesque places in town. They make you forget for a moment the luxury
and modernity of Cannes. It is easy to lose your way among the back
streets, the quaint passageways and the pretty little squares. These small
narrow streets also make excellent places for cooling down in summer. By
climbing the streets, you will come to the top of Suquet, a point which
offers a wonderful view over Cannes and its surrounding area. It also
makes for a great view in the evening, when the town is lit up. Just
behind this point is one of Cannes rare museums, the Musée de la Castre.
It is housed in an old twelfth century castle which belonged to the monks
of the Lérins islands. Here you will find a beautiful collection of
objets relating to the Mediterranean (ethnography, archaeology), as well
as many musical instruments from all over the world. Its is also at Suquet
that you can visit the Notre-Dame d'Espérance church, which dates from
the seventeenth century. It is especially renowned for its naïve
thanksgiving plaques, created by people who played the role of artists, in
order to pay homage to the 'holy mother', who had the goodness to grant
their wishes. As for the old port, it only houses yachts and small fishing
boats. But Cannes is a master at combining opposites: the old and the new,
the luxurious and the modern, the town and nature.
La Bocca
Situated just to the west of Cannes, close to the motorway and the
Cannes-Mandelieu airport, the Cannes-La Bocca area has very little to
offer the tourist. Having said that, it has a large number of superstores
selling sports gear, furniture and the like. |