The for-real Riviera

Once a year the spotlight shines on this film-fest capital, but its true charms are off-camera

The Vieux Port is one of the three picturesque marinas that hug the curving coast of Cannes. Photo by Adam Batterbee for The National

Why Cannes?

For a town of only 73,000 residents, Cannes manages to pack in 600 boutiques, 300 restaurants and bars and 130 hotels. The reason why, of course, is the annual film festival that draws the stars and hangers-on every May to this stretch of the Côte d’Azur. Cinema is in its soul, evident in festival motifs dotted all around. One of the more enchanting signs is the Murs Peints de Cannes, a series of film-inspired murals painted on otherwise dull façades all over town. You never know when you’ll turn a corner and come across a giant Charlie Chaplin staring wide-eyed from the side of a block of flats.

There’s much more to Cannes than the glitz of the Croisette Boulevard and the Palais des Festivals where the A-listers pose. The medieval old town, Suquet, is a delightful jumble of winding, hilly streets that climb towards the 12th-century Chapelle Sainte-Anne at the summit. There’s a pleasantly laid-back feel to the area around the covered market at Forville and the shopping streets north of the port, where unpretentious real life goes on after the festival circus has left town.

A comfortable bed

Tucked away in a quiet street but only seconds away from the Croisette, the five-star Five Seas Hotel (www.five-seas-hotel-cannes.com; 00 33 4 63 360 505) offers discreet luxury with some funky touches. Take in superb views from the rooftop pool and bar – if you can tear yourself away from the hotel’s patisserie, run by world pastry champion Jérôme de Oliveira. Doubles from €140 (Dh708).

In a prime spot on the western side of the old port and at the foot of the old town is the four-star Radisson Blu (www.radissonblu.com/hotel-cannes; 00 33 4 92 997 300). Airy, modern rooms face either the sea or terracotta rooftops of Suquet. Panoramic views come with meals at the aptly named Le 360 rooftop restaurant, and the hotel has direct access to the Thermes Marins spa.

The four-star Hotel Splendid (www.splendid-hotel-cannes.com; 00 33 4 97 062 222) is in an enviable location, with one side facing the shopping area that joins Rue d’Antibes and most of the rooms facing the port. Doubles start at €88 (Dh440), but sea view rooms start at €122 (Dh610).

Find your feet

Cannes is a compact town with all the sights within walking distance, so you won’t need a car. The steep streets of Suquet, the old town, rise up on the western side by the Vieux Port, one of the three marinas that hug the curving coast.

The Boulevard de la Croisette sweeps along the waterside past the decidedly unattractive Palais des Festivals and towards the grand hotels that face the Mediterranean. Most of the beaches are owned by the hotels, but you can find public beaches farther west beyond Suquet, namely Plage du Midi and Plage de la Bocca. The tourist office (www.cannes-destination.fr) is in the Palais des Festivals.

Meet the locals

The daily market at Forville on the edge of Suquet is surrounded by simple bars and bistros where Cannois meet for coffee after stocking up on the day’s fresh food. Grab a table and a paper at Bar de l’Horloge, one of the most popular.

Book a table

Head to the beach for a leisurely meal by the lapping waves of the Mediterranean. Rado Plage (www.rado-plage.com; 00 33 4 93 942 068) is one of the oldest and friendliest beach restaurants, with plates of giant garlicky prawns for €26 (Dh131).

Seafood lovers make a beeline for Cannes institution Astoux & Brun (www.astouxbrun.com; 00 33 4 93 392 187) for platters of fruits de mer from €22 (Dh111).

If you’re into the trend for gourmet burgers, go to the quieter end of Rue St-Antoine as it veers into Rue du Suquet.

At No 24 is the aptly if unimaginatively named Le XXIV (www.24-suquet.com; 00 33 4 89 025 770), which serves superb burgers in relaxed surroundings. Try Le Savoyard (beef and reblochon cheese) for €13 (Dh65).

Shopper’s paradise

It’s hard to resist a stroll along La Croisette where the top designer boutiques sit elegantly under the swaying palm trees. You’ll find the usual suspects: Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton.

Those on less exalted budgets will enjoy a walk along the parallel Rue d’Antibes, where the top-end French and international brands offer plenty of choice. The next street up is the lively pedestrianised Rue Meynadier, with cheerfully cheap boutiques and souvenir stalls.

What to avoid

Coming in May during the film festival. No, really. It’s fine if you’re involved in the industry, but a nightmare for anyone who wants to get a true taste of Cannes. The crowds, soaring prices and frenetic pace won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Don’t miss

It’s a completely different – and very tranquil – world on the Iles de Lérins, a small archipelago that’s only a 20-minute boat ride from the harbour.

Explore the abbey and peaceful vineyards of St-Honorat, France’s only private island and home to a monastic community for the past 16 centuries.

Its larger neighbour, Ste-Marguerite, has forest trails, swimming lagoons, a 17th-century fort, a maritime museum and plenty of quiet spots for a picnic.

Go there

A return flight with Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dubai to Nice, 30km away, takes six and a half hours and costs from Dh3,925, including taxes.

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