Le Suquet — The Old Town
While the Croisette dazzles below, Le Suquet — Cannes' original medieval fishing village — climbs steeply above the Vieux-Port on a rocky promontory that most day-trippers never reach. Narrow cobbled lanes, geranium-draped stairways and a 12th-century watchtower make it feel like a completely different city.
The Tower, the Church & the Museum
The Tour du Mont Chevalier, built by the monks of Lérins in the 11th century, is the oldest structure in Cannes and anchors the hilltop alongside the Chapelle Sainte-Anne and the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance, whose construction spanned the 16th and 17th centuries. The views from the small esplanade beside the tower are arguably better than those from the Croix des Gardes because you're looking directly down into the Vieux-Port.
The Musée de la Castre occupies the medieval castle complex beside the tower and holds an eclectic collection of pre-Columbian artefacts, Himalayan musical instruments and Oceanic ethnographic objects — the legacy of eccentric 19th-century collector Baron Lycklama. Entry is cheap and the rooftop terrace is free to enjoy.
Evening Dining in Le Suquet
Rue Saint-Antoine, the main artery of Le Suquet, is lined with restaurants that range from reliable Provençal bistros to a handful of genuinely excellent tables. La Brouette de Grand-Mère at the top of the street has been serving hearty daube de boeuf and bouillabaisse-style fish stew to locals for decades — book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Come at dusk: the golden light on the honey-coloured stone, the sound of the Vieux-Port below and the first lights of the Croisette hotels flickering on make Le Suquet the most atmospheric corner of Cannes.
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