Cannes is a commune in France, located in the department of Alpes-Maritimes and the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, famous for the International Film Festival and the glitzy hotels, cars, beaches, and visitors.

Cannes is 36 km from Nice, 55 km from Monaco and 60 km from the Italian border. It has an area of 1970 hectares. Cannes has a length of 8.8 km and width of 4.5 km. Its altitude is between the sea level and 260 meters above sea level. The commune of Cannes is the third biggest city of the department by its population.

The climate in Cannes is typically Mediterranean and the city enjoys a good 12 hours of sunshine per day during the summer season (May to September), while in winter (December to February), the weather is very mild. Both seasons see a relatively low level of rainfall and the most significant period of rain is during October and November, when an average of 110 millimetres is the norm.

Winter

As the temperatures drop below 10ºC for only three months of the year (December to February), anytime is a good time to visit Cannes although the summer season is recommended, when temperatures are at their highest but are far from being uncomfortable and are ideal for either a beach or sightseeing holiday. The spring and autumn seasons are also warm enough, although more suited to those who prefer slightly cooler weather. Winters are great if you are fed up of the rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures in the UK or other cool European countries.

Beaches

There are miles of beaches along the Golfe de la Napoule or along "La Croisette" in the Rade de Cannes. The beaches are all sandy here, as in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins.

Park and gardens

A small "square" on the Le Suquet hill, just below the tower and ramparts, and places to sit amidst large oleander bushes and beneath lovely shade trees.

At the west end of "La Croisette", between the Palais des Festivals and the beach, is a shaded grassy park area with playground, including slides and things. You'll find a real carrousel there, or sometimes an even bigger one out on the esplanade in front of the "Palais".

At the east end of "La Croisette", just before the new Port Canto yacht harbor, is another park and playground. This one also has carnival-type rides for the bigger kids.

Beside the playground at the east end of "La Croisette" is the Jardin Alexandre III, a lovely big flower-garden park.

Compagnie Maritime Cannoise

Take a boat tour on the sea with Compagnie Maritime Cannoise and get the chance to visit the famous Lerins Islands plus a variety of other destinations worthy of note such as Monaco and St Tropez. A submarine trip is also available to give visitors the chance to see some of the local sea life.

Parc Zoologique de Frejus

This popular attraction was originally presented as a traditional zoo facility, but has now been redeveloped as a safari park in which visitors can drive around in their cars. The zoo has attempted to recreate the natural habitats of its animal residents in order to encourage them to reproduce and live as they would in the wild.

Galimard

Galimard is a working perfumery offering visitors tours on which they can get an in-depth insight into the country’s multimillion-dollar industry. Tours take in laboratories where scents are mixed and visitors get to find out some of the elusive ingredients used in perfume making. There’s also the opportunity to create your own scent under the guidance of a master perfumier.

Lérins Islands

The "Lérins Islands" is a small archipelago just off the coast of Cannes and part of the commune of Cannes. The archipelago has the two main islands of Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat and the two micro-islands of Tradelière and St-Féréol.

Boat excursions to the islands leave from Cannes (15 minutes to Saint-Honorat and 30 minutes to Sainte-Marguerite). Excursions also leave from Antibes, Golfe-Juan, La Napoule and Nice. The islands are pedestrian-only; no motor vehicles are allowed.

* ÃŽle Sainte-Marguerite

Known as Île Saint-Honorat’s sister island, Île Sainte-Marguerite is bigger and offers visitors a maritime museum containing artefacts relating to the area’s maritime history. Take a walk on the island’s beautiful rocky beaches or amid its shady oak and pine trees, or head to the fort that has stood since the 17th century, when it was built as a fortification against Spanish invaders. Later, head for one of the island’s three restaurants, where you can grab a bite to eat.

* ÃŽle Saint-Honorat

Trips are available to the island that was named after the monk, Honoratus, who was responsible for founding a monastery here in the early 5th century. Notre Dame de Lérins, an abbey built on the island in the 17th century, is one of the most famous sights on the island and offers views of fine architecture, both inside and out. The abbey is still inhabited to this day and has a shop that sells goods made by the monks who reside here. Besides the abbey, the island is home to several other churches and chapels as well beautiful coastal scenery.

Culture

If you visit Cannes at the right time of the year, you can take advantage of the city’s varied selection of cultural events, with the International Film Festival perhaps being the most famous. When the calendar has a blank spot, visitors will find plenty of static attractions to keep them occupied, with historical and natural sights topping the bill. The beach is of course the most popular attraction for many and Cannes’ golden sands are a great place to spend lazy summer days, while the blue ocean waters offer plenty of opportunities to get active.

Theatre and music

Despite its associations with cultural and film-based events, Cannes is not renowned for its traditional theatre venues. There are a number of small venues, however, which stage regular productions and play host to short sketches during the annual International Actors’ Performance Festival. Popular theatres include the Espace Miramar and the Alexandre III.

Museums

For visitors with cultural inclinations, Cannes has an impressive selection of museums and art galleries covering a wide variety of themes and historical periods. The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence, for example, is home to a collection of artefacts that range from prehistoric to present times, and the museum is housed in a classic 18th century mansion, set amid beautiful French gardens. Meanwhile, at the Musée de la Castre, an exotic collection including objects from the Pacific Atolls, Peruvian relics and Mayan pottery is available for viewing in an impressive château, which was previously known as the Castle of Cannes. Other famous venues include the Musée de la Marine, Musée de la Mer, Musée de la Photographie and Musée International de la Parfumerie.

Nightlife

Cannes has night venues of every description and the city is a veritable hotbed of activity after the sun’s gone down. Casinos are a highly popular aspect of the city’s evening entertainment scene and are full seven days a week with addicts, hopefuls and those doing a little controlled dabbling in the gambling scene. The most famous casinos in the city include Casino Croisette at the Palais des Festivals; Palm Beach Casino at Pointe de la Croisette; and Casino des Princes on boulevard de la Croisette. If a more traditional night out is your thing then you’ll find plenty of good bars across the city with boulevard de la Croisette being a good place to head if you want to be guaranteed of finding a busy venue. Nightclubs appealing to all tastes can be found in the city centre and the gay season is especially happening and popular. Most bars stay open until early morning, while nightclubs can still be busy well into dawn

Shopping

Cannes is great for "upper-crust" shopping. You should be in Nice for serious or business shopping, while Cannes is a shopper's paradise for chic and expensive items. Although you might want to buy your yacht in Antibes, the Rolls-Royce dealer is in Cannes, and there's an endless collection of top-of-the-line jewelry shops, haute-couture clothing shops and art galleries.

* Rue d'Antibes

This long street runs the length of Cannes, from the eastern edge to Rue Félix Faure at the port. Shops of all types are along here, including clothing boutiques and many places with fine gift items. Cannes' movie theaters are along the Rue d'Antibes as well.

* Boulevard de la Croisette

Along this famous boulevard and its many side streets are the art galleries, jewelry stores and the most exclusive clothing shops such as Chanel, Cartier, Valentino, Christian Dior and others. If you're not on a budget, your hotel will probably be here as well.

* Zone Piétonne

The Rue Meynadier runs parallel to the port, one block in from Rue Félix Faure. Roughly six blocks long, this street has markets and shops with things like produce, meat, groceries, clothes and gifts. There's a Pier One Imports shop with household items.

Local cuisine

With its coastal location, cuisine in Cannes is naturally based quite significantly around seafood and delectable dishes worth trying include escalope de mérou au citron, which is escalope of sea bass in lime; salmon tournedos with truffles; cod and vegetables in garlic sauce; and skate with capers. Meat dishes on some of the best menus in town include estouffade de sanglier (wild boar) and fillet de beef rossini cooked with foie gras. However, this is but a small selection of a huge number of quality French dishes that are available across the city in both upmarket and small traditional venues. Meal prices vary massively depending on where you go, but mid-price establishments are comparable to UK restaurants; the sky’s the limit however and you can easily pay a hundred euros for a gourmet meal here.

Festivals

There are a number of annual summer festivals that are unique to the city, with highlights including:

* Carnival on the Riviera

is an annual affair that sees a parade through the city’s streets and various festivities to mark the 21-day period prior to Shrove Tuesday. Spectacular torchlight processions and masked balls are among the highlights of the event (February/March).

* The International Festival of Games

is an event that sees visitors converge and indulge their interests in bridge, belote, backgammon, chess, draughts and tarot-reading (February).

* Cannes Film Festival

is the highlight of the city’s event calendar and is a two-week long event that sees the city descended upon by major Hollywood actors and directors as well as a large number of independent film makers. Movies are screened throughout the period (May).

* Festival de la Plaisance

is an event for boating enthusiasts. Held in the Vieux Port, it sees all manner of recreational showboats showcased by various manufacturers (September).

* The International Actors’ Performance Festival

sees various small venues around the city hosting comedic sketches and performances by fringe artists.

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