Guide of Cannes, France

Cannes Nature, France

Part of what makes Cannes and the Côte d'Azur such a special place is surely its favorable geographic location. Bathed in dazzling light, this area is alive with intense colors that enrich it and make it even more marvelous.

Although filled with high-society, the festival and luxurious mega-yachts, Cannes also has a climate and natural surroundings that are extremely enjoyable and that make it a thrilling destination for water sports, bio-tourism and excursions, to the nearby islands of Lerins and Santa Margherita and the luxuriant countryside. The Bay of Cannes has fantastic beaches with transparent blue waters and the Lerins islands have luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation and pristine, protected sea bottoms.

Between Napoule and St.-Raphaël, which culminates in Monte Vinaigre, at 618 meters above sea level, the Esterel Massif and its peculiar geology offer unique and spectacular scenery: the intense red color of its jagged rocks are an intense and spectacular contrast to the blue sea. There is a fantastic succession of small beaches, bays, woods and rocks in a large nature and resort area that is waiting for you to discover it.

The famous Palm Beach Casino beach, facing the island of Lerins, and Z Plage are really exclusive places, as are the majority of Cannes's gilded bathing establishments that belong to extra-deluxe hotels. Here, sitting under a beach umbrella and sipping a cocktail looking out over the sea or enjoying a massage in a private cabin is certainly not within everyone's reach.

The free beaches (plages publiques), are definitely smaller and more crowded: in addition to the long Plage de la Boca and the Plage du Midi, you can conquer your handkerchief of sand on the very crowded Plage des Palais des Festivals.