Where do you find some peace and quiet during the Cannes Film Festival, when the streets, beaches and restaurants are overcrowded and the Croisette looks like Hollywood Boulevard. IRMA has found the most beautiful places in and around Cannes where you can relax and get away from all the hustle and bustle.
LE MUSEE DE LA CASTRE
Set above the Palais de Festival is the Le Suquet quarter with the small Musée de la Castre. The former ceramics manufacture is now home to a collection of post-Impressionist works and African art. It also provides a panoramic view across the Bay of Cannes.
DOMAINE DE LA BAUME
Meditating at the waterfall or simply enjoying the former summer residence of artist Bernard Buffet? About a 1.5-hour drive from Cannes, the Domaine de la Baume is a place where you can totally unwind. Perfect for a weekend getaway or simply for a relaxed lunch.
CHATEAU SAINT-MARTIN & SPA
Just outside the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence is this former residence of the Knights Templar from the 12th century. The spa of the Relais & Châteaux hotel from the Oetker Collection is considered one of the luxury spa destinations of the world, and the 140-square-meter wine cellar is where the members of the wine club Les Cathares meet in its imposing rock vault to hear stories about the fine vintages from chef sommelier Geraud Tournier. Château Saint-Martin is perfect for an afternoon spa treatment, since it’s only 40 minutes from the Croisette in Cannes.
MUSEE MATISSE
Set in a 17th-century villa above Nice in the gardens of Cimiez is the Musée Matisse. The museum is exciting not only for Henri Matisse’s works but for the pieces from his own art collection. The view across the city gives you an idea why this place is perfect to live and create art.
ABBAYE DE LERINS
On a trip to the Iles de Lérins in the Bay of Cannes, you can walk through a nature paradise, meditate with the monks or even get a taste of life in a monastery during an overnight stay. The islands are only a fifteen-minute boat ride from Cannes’Old Harbour. When Le Palais de Festival becomes too hectic, simply hop on the ferry at the quay right behind it and visit Île Sainte- Marguerite for a leisurely stroll.
NOUNOU PLAGE
When you are having lunch at the quiet Nounou Plage at Golfe Juan, just ten minutes away from Cannes, you wouldn’t guess that just one bay further the world’s film industry is taking its professional course. Here you can sit back and enjoy a Nounou salad with prawns and avocado and a glass of chilled Rosé Minuti.
LA CALIFORNIE
A walk through California, the hills above Cannes, is perfect for a long walk with plenty of history. Until recently this is where Marina Picasso lived at Villa Picasso, also known as Villa La Californie, and this is also home to Pierre Cardin’s Le Palais Bulles, where Raf Simons presented his last Resort 2016 Show. The streets smell of jasmine and if you make it all the way up to the L‘Observatoire, you will be rewarded with a fabulous view over Cannes.
MARCHÉ FORVILLE
Walking across the Marché Forville in the morning, just like the Cannoise do it, and feasting on a dozen oysters before the Grand Palais — there is no better way to start a day in Cannes during the Film Festival.
Z PLAGE
Lunch at Z Plage of the Hotel Martinez is not just fun but for a good cause, too. In collaboration with cosmetics brand L‘Oreál 1 Euro of each dessert that you order are donated to Sourire et Partage, an organization for sick children and their families in the hospitals along the Côte d’Azur. The desserts shaped like a blueberry ice cream mouth or raspberry lipstick are the perfect refreshment in the afternoon.