Port guide: Cannes, France

Its film festival in May is famous, but you’ll find abundant glamour in Cannes at any time of year. Slip on your designer sunnies and head ashore.

Who goes there Cannes is visited on western Mediterranean cruises and on regional cruises that take in the French and Italian Rivieras. Many of the mainstream cruise lines in all categories of budget visit the city, such as Azamara, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Seabourn and Silversea. A few lines, such as Emerald and MSC, have cruises that start from Cannes.

Sail on in Cannes is wedged into the bosom of plump hills and is flanked by fine beaches and peacock Mediterranean waters, making the sail-in very pleasant, if undramatic. Bag a window seat on the tender for the very charming arrival into the old port.

Berth rites Cannes has no facilities for any but small ships to tie up, so you’ll likely be tendered ashore. The “cruise terminal” – really just a dock at Vieux Port or sometimes at Gare Maritime – won’t detain you more than a minute unless you still care to collect a retro, printed map of the city from the information desk. Most of the attractions are within a walk, so you could save on shore excursions and head out independently.

Going ashore Cannes isn’t about seeing things – even its museums are rather minor – but about soaking up the glamorous, sunny Mediterranean ambiance and eyeing mega-yachts in the harbour and sports cars that purr outside flash hotels. If you’re into designer labels, you’ll overdose on shopping. La Croisette promenade is a good place to strut and gaze down on beach clubs, while Allees de la Liberte is the place to sit on a cafe terrace in the shade. Cannes old town (or Le Suquet) is the original fishing port, whose tangle of bar-lined alleys leads to a defensive tower.

Don’t miss Lovers of movies should follow the self-guided movie trail through town, which will take you past 15 huge murals, painted on the sides of buildings, that celebrate everything from the Lumière brothers to Buster Keaton, Batman and Jean-Paul Belmondo, plus characters from movies such as Pulp Fiction and Taxi Driver. The Palais des Festivals is where the Cannes Film Festival is hosted.

Get active Cannes has 100 kilometres of marked running trails either along the coast or up into the hills behind town, but you may just want to join the chic joggers, rollerbladers and cyclists on the Croisette. Among water sports is kitesurfing, kayaking, paddleboarding and waterskiing. For something different, snorkel through the underwater museum off Sainte-Marguerite Island, where you’ll spot monolithic stone heads rising from the sea floor.

Best bites You’re spoiled for choice whether you’re after a rustic Provencal meal or a Michelin-starred degustation. If you want to blow the budget then posh, movie-themed restaurant La Palme d’Or is the place to be seen. L’Affable is a good choice if you want to get away from classic French dishes and try more contemporary fare. Otherwise, don’t miss Forville Market, where you can pick up baguettes, cheese and other treats, or try ready-made dishes such as a traditional Cannes chickpea omelette.

Further afield If you’ve been to Cannes before, you can easily visit other French Riviera cities such as Antibes and Nice, or even mini-state Monaco by train, all good do-it-yourself options. If you’re going to do a shore excursion, make it one inland to Provence destinations such as walled, cobblestoned village of Saint Paul de Vence or the perfume capital Grasse. Another popular getaway is to the Lerins Islands, which have a historic fort, monastery and pellucid waters for swimming.