Cannes is the famous resort on the French Riviera in the Côtes d'Azur region of south‑eastern France. Located just 25km southwest of Nice, the population is estimated at around 69,700 inhabitants. The town lies within easy reach of the Maritime Alps and is particularly noted for its idyllic, sandy beaches.
While Cannes is most known for the international film festival, it is also host to a number of other arts festivals, trade fairs, conferences and exhibitions all year round. Principle among these is the Cannes Municipal Music and Drama Conservatoire, an organization devoted to the introduction of music and drama to children aged five years and up.The seafront comprises mainly of the palm-lined Promenade de la Croisette, where you'll find some of the more expensive hotels. The harbour area is generally full of luxury yachts and transatlantic liners.
There are also a number of casinos here along the seafront.Most of the beaches in Cannes are private and may cost up to ?30 a day ? this usually includes a sun bed and some form of shade. The public beaches are to be found at the further outskirts of the town, but these can be exceptionally crowded, especially in the summer months.
One good option is to visit one of the two islands out in the bay. Ste Honorat and Ste Marguerite are known collectively as the Îles de Lérins, and you can take a boat trip out to where can find less crowded beaches. A return ticket will cost about ?5 and boats leave every half-hour.
The town of Cannes itself has a number of attractions that are well worth a visit. The old town - known as Le Suquet - has some beautiful narrow winding streets and includes the ruins of an old fortified priory; a good place to stop and can take in a spectacular view of the 12 km coastline. There is also the Chapell Ste-Anne, dating from the twelfth-century.
The Musée de la Castre has an extraordinary collection of musical instruments from all over the world, along with a section on archaeology and ethnology.
.Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some time in Ireland, associated with search engine optimisation in the Irish travel industry. He spends two months a year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now sees it as his second home. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: hotels in Lyon and hotels in Cannes.By: Ronan Menton
