Lifestyle: Cannes, South of France

Cannes, Not just for the very rich and famous though the small port town of cannes, in the south of france, is known primarily for its nightlife and glamour – especially around the time of the annual international film festival – it is also a fabulous, family friendly holiday destination with much to see and do. Wh ether you arrive at cannes by sailing into its world famous harbour or jetting into nearby nice airport, it is a good idea to rent a car for the duration of your stay. Taxis are very expensive and there are some beautiful small towns a short drive from cannes like mougins and st paul de vence that are well worth a visit. We arrived with our two year-old daughter on a hot day in august (though we have also been here in january and september so can attest to the beautiful weather nearly all year round) and once we had settled in to our apartment we decided to take a walk. Undoubtedly the first port of call for visitors to cannes is the world famous la croisette, the beachfront boulevard that runs between each end of the town, book-ended by the palais des festivals et des congrès (where the film festival is held) and several public beaches. The croisette is also home to the majority of private beaches, designer shops (chanel, ysl, jimmy choo, burberry and bottega veneta to name but a few) and top class hotels. This is the place where the residents and visitors to cannes congregate night and day. Walking the length of the pedestrianised croisette, a happy pastime is to just sit and watch the huge variety of people that visit this town. No beer bellied brits here, as the very rich and very beautiful mingle with families and couples enjoying this most romantic of destinations. Most beaches in cannes are private, usually owned by one of the exclusive hotels located on la croisette, like the traditional and grand carlton or the very exclusive martinez or majestic barriere hotels. Anyone is welcome on the beaches but be prepared to pay. On a first come first served basis, expect to see little change from forty euros per person for a bed, umbrella and waiter service throughout the day. It’s an added expense for sure, especially if you have a large family, but as the sun beats down and you’re sipping that first glass of wine of the day, it all seems somehow worthwhile. Also bear in mind that the beaches get extremely full during july and august so it is worth booking ahead once you arrive. And don’t forget there are several public beaches in and around cannes that cost nothing but still allow you access to the warm, inviting and very child friendly mediterranean sea. Alternatively you can take a drive towards nearby antibes where there are many other beaches available. If you and your family enjoy watersports, then cannes ticks all the boxes. Water ski-ing, jet ski-ing, parascending, banana boating, and diving are just some of the sea-based activities available. On our walk, we took our daughter to the festival end of la croisette where there is a mini fun-fair for the children complete with traditional carousel, nicely shaded among trees to escape the scorching august sun. There is a similar park and playground area at the other end of la croisette too, as well as a beautiful mature flower garden. If you keep walking past the festival building and through the harbour you will come to cannes old town, la suquet, where you can walk up the hill to visit the fortified tower and chapel of st anne, as well as see one of the best views of la croisette and the surrounding waterfront. La suquet allows you to wander through tiny streets and stumble across traditional french restaurants and squares and it is true what they say about france – it is very hard to eat a bad meal! We would recommend le caveau for an authentic french dining experience. It is a vast duplex restaurant opposite the harbour, busy all year round and staffed by real french waiters – no-nonsense and businesslike, but nevertheless on hand to help with whatever you need. As with everywhere in france children are welcome but they are accepted as simply part and parcel of life, few concessions are made specifically for little ones so you won’t always find a high chair or Baby changing facilities so it is worth thinking ahead about what you might need to take along. The following day, seeking to walk off our fabulous meal from the night before, we decided to do some shopping and headed for the rue d’antibes. Running parallel behind la croisette, this is the main shopping hub of cannes. While the top-class designer shops are located on la croisette and the market stalls and bargains are to be found in the old town, rue d’antibes offers virtually everything in between – from high-street names like zara and mango for clothes, to darty and villeroy and bosch for homeware and electrical goods. There is an excellent choice of cafes and restaurants along the street too. A particular favourite of ours is le cave croisette, situated at the eastern end of rue d’antibes, an off license (trust me, it is much nicer than it sounds!) That is also a wine and champagne bar. A perfect spot to rest the feet after a hard days shopping, and sample some of the fabulous local wines on offer. If shopping is not for you then there are plenty of other activities in and around cannes to keep even the most active of families busy. Why not take the boat from cannes harbour to île sainte-marguerite (st marguerite island) made famous as the location of “the man in the iron mask” held prisoner on this small island for 11 years in the 1700s? His cell can be visited in the fort of st marguerite, now renamed the musée de la mer (museum of the sea). This also houses discoveries from shipwrecks off the island, including roman (first century bc) and saracen (tenth century ad) ceramics. Also nearby is île saint-honorat (st honorat island) home to cistercian monks since ad410. Medieval vestiges remain in the stark church, which is open to the public, and in the ruins of the 11th-century monastery on the sea’s edge. The monks divide their time between prayer and producing red and white wines. Other nearby places to visit include the tiny village of mougins with its maze-like collection of cobbled streets which house art galleries and restaurants, or the small town of st paul de vence which perches atop a hill looking down across the surrounding countryside in which you will find charming antique shops and traditional french eateries. But, back in cannes and with the evening approaching there is only one place at the moment to watch the sun go down. Bar z, or the beach bar of the chic martinez hotel, is the must-visit location of the summer months – and, crucially, it is as family friendly as they come. Babies and toddlers play on the sand while white haired oligarchs sit alongside europe’s trendy, beautiful fashionistas taking in the unbeatable views as the sun sets behind the nearby hills. You can eat here but as with a lot of cannes it is very pricey so we headed across the road to the fun, family run italian joint, vesuvius instead, for pizza and ice cream. Next door to vesuvius is bar 72, another great spot for people watching, especially the myriad of uber-expensive cars zooming in and out of the martinez hotel driveway opposite. And then its home to bed before another 12 hours of sunshine gets us up and about. A good tip when planning your trip to cannes is try and coincide it with the festival de pyrotechnique. Every summer competing countries in europe put on spectacular firework displays launched from pontoons in the sea. In. You can either stand along la croisette to watch the show, book a table in one of the beach front restaurants who all operate a set meal policy on the firework nights, or be one of the lucky ones taking in the display from the many boats moored just offshore. All in all cannes lives up to it’s reputation of sun, sea and no little glamour. But behind the glitz and ostentatiousness lies a family friendly town with plenty to see and do. It’s not cheap, but then real luxury very rarely is, and for a no-stress, sometimes lavish and above all fun holiday destination, it’s simply in a different class.