Lérins Islands

The Lérins Islands are the Riviera's great escape, and they are right in front of Cannes. Two islands, very different in character, sit a short crossing from the Old Port. Sainte-Marguerite, the larger, is almost entirely covered in protected forest of Aleppo pine and eucalyptus, crossed by shady paths and ringed by a coastal trail with small rocky coves, clear water and views back to the Croisette and the Estérel mountains. At its northern edge stands the Fort Royal, a seventeenth-century fortress reworked by Vauban's engineers, where for eleven years the mysterious prisoner known as the Man in the Iron Mask was held; his cell can still be seen, along with the cells of later Protestant prisoners, and the fort houses a museum with finds from Roman shipwrecks. Saint-Honorat, the smaller island, has belonged to monks since the fifth century: the Cistercian community of Lérins Abbey still lives and prays here, tends vineyards and produces wines and liqueurs sold at the abbey shop. Visitors can walk the island's loop path past the vines, small chapels and the fortified medieval monastery tower on the shore, and attend services in the abbey church if they wish. The islands feel a world away from the glamour of Cannes: no cars, no hotels, just pines, sea and silence. Ferries to Sainte-Marguerite run every day of the year from the Quai Laubeuf in Cannes, with fewer sailings in winter; Saint-Honorat is served by a separate boat run for the abbey. You can spend an hour or the whole day.

Choosing an island: if you have time for only one, pick Sainte-Marguerite for nature, picnics and the fort, which suits families and anyone who wants to swim from rocks in summer. Choose Saint-Honorat for peace, the monastery and the vineyards, which suit couples and walkers. The two are separated by a narrow channel but there is no regular shuttle between them, so doing both in one day means juggling separate return tickets and timetables. The crossing to Sainte-Marguerite takes about fifteen minutes, with several departures in the morning and afternoon all year; the last return in winter is in the late afternoon, so note it on arrival and do not miss it.

What to bring: water, a picnic and comfortable shoes. There are a few snack bars and a restaurant on Sainte-Marguerite and a restaurant on Saint-Honorat run under the abbey's auspices, but choice is limited in winter and prices are island prices. In summer, the coves are lovely for swimming but get busy at weekends; in winter, the islands are empty and the light is beautiful, ideal for a walk in the pines. Respect the silence near the abbey and keep to paths in the protected forest; fires and smoking are strictly controlled in the dry season.

Getting there: trains from Nice reach Cannes in about thirty to forty minutes, and the Quai Laubeuf is a short walk from the station past the Old Port. The Cannes tourist office lists several operators; the Horizon ferry to Sainte-Marguerite runs every day of the year, with adult tickets in the high teens of euros and reduced fares for children and students. Pair a morning on the islands with an afternoon walk up to Le Suquet and along La Croisette for a full Cannes day.