Cannes holidays
A petite, yet chic, coastal city, Cannes offers some of the French Riviera’s best white sandy beaches. It also boasts stunning vistas of the yacht-packed harbour and the Esterel mountains. Of course, the city comes alive each May for the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, but there’s bling here year-round. Spot glamorous celebrities, sizzling sports cars and dazzling superyachts. Fancy being fancy? Shell out at the upscale shops or delight in delectable finds at the local markets.
Where the red carpet meets the azure sea
Unlike its pebbly neighbours, Cannes offers a wealth of white sandy seafronts. Strike a pose on your lounger at a high-end ‘see and be seen’ beach club on Plage de la Croisette. Otherwise, stroll past scores of upmarket hotels and designer bars on La Croisette seaside promenade. It’s lined with Belle Epoque buildings which host Dior, Chanel and Yves-Saint Laurent.
Pause for a tempting slice of tarte Tropezienne or freshly opened oysters from the stalls at Marche Forville. Then slow down and soak up the atmosphere around the Old Port, where sailboats moor alongside fancy yachts. For sun-soaked holidays in Cannes, book your flights to Nice today.
Carefully selected Cannes hotels
Best hotels in Cannes for all types of traveller
We offer a great selection of good quality hotels in Cannes, starting with Villa Garbo, offering 12 spacious apartments within a gorgeous Belle Epoque building. It’s also just a few minutes’ walk to La Croisette.
Nearby, Le Cavendish also has a lovely sense of style beyond its Belle Epoque exterior. Their hospitality even includes an array of local wines and drinks during set hours each evening.
If you’d rather be closer to the beach, JW Marriott Cannes is for you. Contemporary and inviting, it shouts luxury in a sophisticated way.
Cannes holiday FAQs
- Take a ferry to visit the two Lerins Islands, just a few miles offshore. Hike your way through the scented pine and eucalyptus forests and visit an ancient abbey where the resident monks oversee the secret recipe for the local Lerina liqueur. Want to uncover more mysteries? Learn about local shipwrecks at the Museum of the Sea and visit the fortress prison which once held the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask.
- Although there are multiple Cannes festivals, the Cannes Film Festival is the most renowned. Visit the striking concrete edifice of Palais des Festivals et des Congres, where it is held, and snap a selfie on the steps of its Lumiere Theatre. You can get exclusive access to the building, its stage and auditorium on a guided tour run by the tourist office. Later, stroll along the Allee des Etoiles du Cinema to see handprints of 46 stars, starting with Meryl Streep – and look out for 15 fabulous film-themed murals around the city.
- The Bonnard Museum, in the hillside suburb of Le Cannet, gives a fantastic overview of the work of neo-impressionist Pierre Bonnard. Bonnard painted most of his defining pieces in Cannes, including intensely coloured landscapes of St-Tropez, Antibes and other key Cote D’Azure towns. Admire some of his masterworks within the renovated Belle Epoque villa. They occasionally offer workshops for families and adults.
- The red-roofed Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Esperance and its bell tower sit high in the Old Town, next to the castle. This 16th Century church built in Provencal gothic style is perhaps the city’s finest, with its vaulted ceiling, 17th Century Madonna, Renaissance porch and sizable organ. Each July the square outside becomes a magical outdoor venue for the classical music festival the Nuits Musicales du Suquet.
- Right next door to the church, you’ll find the Museum of World Explorations. Housed in a charming 11th Century chateau where the Lerins monks once lived, this small museum displays an eclectic range of exhibits, including Riviera paintings, musical instruments, weaponry, ceramics and ethnic artefacts. Climb the 12th Century tower to catch the breeze and enjoy panoramic views of the town and sparkling bay below.
- Le Suquet is Cannes’ charming historic quarter, famed for its winding cobbled lanes, narrow staircases and pleasant courtyards. This area dates back to the 11th Century, when fishermen built their higgledy-piggledy homes on hills overlooking the port. The former residential area is now a peaceful, pedestrianised zone – largely occupied by inviting restaurants, cosy bars and independent shops. Scale the ancient Tour du Mont Chevalier watchtower for prime views of the beach, bay and Lerins Islands.
- Seek out La Croisette if you’ve got your heart set on sheer indulgence. The luxurious two-mile-long boulevard runs from the eastern side of Cannes to the city centre. Venture here to spy many of the city’s most exclusive hotels, bags of designer shopping (especially along Rue D’Antibes) and a host of ritzy casinos, many with nightclubs that pulse long into the wee small hours. It’s the perfect place to go celeb spotting. You’ll find some stunning sandy beaches nearby, too.
- A more affordable and family-friendly option is La Bocca. This quieter area, three miles west of Le Suquet, has fewer shops, bars and restaurants, but there is the Plage de la Bocca beach, with a handful of beach clubs. Kids will love the playgrounds and escape rooms, while Mores Park and the Croix des Gardes nature reserve offer more sedate charms. The location also proves handy for its proximity to the main train station and airport, which makes hopping to other enticing towns along the French Riveria convenient.
- Don’t mind staying a little further out? Consider Mougins, a hillside village around five miles away, which offers a quiet escape from glam Cannes. It’s surrounded by beautifully serene forests, and Pablo Picasso lived here for more than a decade. The village also offers some fabulous restaurants and even hosts an annual gastronomic festival, Les Etoiles de Mougins, which attracts Michelin-starred chefs aplenty (and upwards of 25,000 visitors) with its demonstrations, cooking classes and competitions.
Why choose British Airways Holidays?
The British Airways experience is more than a flight.
We’re one of the UK’s largest holiday companies offering carefully chosen hotels and resorts in the most amazing places, and car hire with no hidden extras. Our access to the extensive British Airways global network and oneworld® alliance puts us in a unique position to create holiday packages with convenient flights across the globe. From start to finish consider your holiday taken care of.
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