Cannes

Cannes was a fishing village until Lord Brougham was stopped here by a cholera quarantine in 1834, liked it and built a villa; the British followed and the resort grew. La Croisette runs about two kilometres along the bay with palms, hotels and private beach concessions. The film festival was conceived in 1939 as a democratic alternative to the Venice festival then under fascist influence, was postponed by the war and first ran in 1946; it takes over the town for eleven days each May, and its Palais des Festivals stands at the west end with handprints set in the pavement. Above, Le Suquet is the old quarter with a watchtower.

What you actually see

• La Croisette - a two-kilometre palm promenade along the bay.
• The Palais des Festivals - the festival building with its red steps and handprints.
• Le Suquet - the old hill quarter with a medieval tower and museum.
• The Forville market - a covered produce market behind the port.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the festival in May fills every room at high prices and is not open to the public. Beaches are mostly private concessions with charges.

Honest expectations

Festival week is closed to the public and makes the town impossible for ordinary visitors. Most of the beach is paid concession rather than free sand. Prices are high year-round.

Nearby

The Iles de Lerins lie offshore; Antibes is east.