Cannes, La Croisette
Antibes, Fort Carré
Saint-Paul-de-VenceMost visitors know Cannes from television: the steps of the Palais des Festivals, the palaces of La Croisette, the yachts. That Cannes exists, and I enjoy telling its story. But the city I like to show first is the older one, up the hill of Le Suquet, where the fishermen lived long before Lord Brougham stopped here in 1834 and started the fashion for wintering on this coast.
As a state-licensed guide, I walk the old quarter with you, read the market stalls of Forville with you, and put the festival, the grand hotels and the film history in their place. Cannes pairs naturally with Antibes, twenty minutes away, and with Saint-Paul-de-Vence for a full day between the sea and the hills.
What we can see together
La Croisette and the Palais des Festivals
The famous steps, the handprints of the stars along the promenade, the belle-époque palaces and the story of how a fishing village became a film capital.
Le Suquet, the old quarter
Steep lanes climbing to the medieval castle and the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance, with the finest panorama over the bay and the Lérins islands.
The Forville market
Every morning except Monday, the covered market is where Cannes actually eats: fish landed at dawn, Provençal vegetables, olives, cheeses. I explain what to taste and why.
The Lérins islands, as an option
Fifteen minutes by ferry: Sainte-Marguerite and the fort where the Man in the Iron Mask was held, or Saint-Honorat and its monastery where the monks still make wine. Ferry tickets payable on site.
Practical details
A half day pairing Antibes and Cannes costs €450 per group, not per person, and a full day, adding Nice or Saint-Paul-de-Vence, €750. An all-electric vehicle is included for up to 3 guests; for larger parties my partner drives a premium chauffeured vehicle while I guide. I meet you at your hotel in Cannes or Nice, at the Cannes cruise pier or at the station. I guide in English, French and Spanish.