The cosmopolitan city of Cannes is located on the Golfe de Napoule, a scenic cruise ship port of call on the French Riviera . This attractive coastal resort is only 15 miles west of Nice so it shares the same aristocratic image.
Cruise ships dock in the bay outside of the Port of Cannes. You'll get tendered in to a jetty very close the Festival auditorium where roads will connect you to the rest of the city.
The tourist office (Palais des Festivals, Boulevard de la Croisette), in Cannes is a great place to start. Stop by for maps and brochures along with suggested itineraries.
The Cannes Film Festival red carpet at the Palais des Festival
This is where it all happens: when the Cannes Film Festival is in town, paparazzi jostle for positions in the crowd, popping flashbulbs at the glittering movie stars sashaying up the broad, red-carpeted stairs to find out who has won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm). For 12 days in May the city of Cannes is transformed from a quiet seaside resort into the entire focus of the international film industry. Over 200,000 people - filmmakers, film fans, and star-gazers alike - descend on the La Croisette to take part in the Cannes Film Festival (or more correctly, the Festival de Cannes). For anyone not associated with the event it is probably wise to avoid seeking accommodation in the town unless you are prepared for the high prices that come into play during the period. The festival has become a carnival of celebrity gawkers and all-night soirees. It has also become a celebration of exclusivity, as no one from the public is allowed into any of the screenings.
The Cannes Film Festival was founded in 1946. It was first a private film festival that was held in Cannes. This film festival has gained a lot of fame since then; and today, it is a world event.
The main event of the festival is a competition held for the best movies. Around twenty movies qualify for the competition, and one movie wins the prestigious Cannes award. The movies vie for the Palme d’Or, or Golden Palm Award, which is the most prestigious award out all the awards. All cultural backgrounds and countries are qualified to enter the competition.
Golden Palm Award
Cannes does attract the jet-set and the rich and famous, and the city reflects it. But in reality, there is perhaps slightly less to see and do in Cannes than in some of the other Riviera resorts. So hop up on the Palais steps (sans the red carpet) and have someone take your photo...and walk in the footsteps of your movie hero. Then, on the concrete surface nearby, place your hands in the tiles of the hand prints of famous stars such as Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis.... and it's back to reality.
Actually, "reality" isn't so bad. Cannes is beautiful. It is quite a small town, but it is a town of many faces. You have much to choose from for a day's excursion.
In the same style as Le Suquet, but 2 miles (4 kilometers) or so north of the town, Le Cannet is a delightful little village of narrow, winding streets and old houses belonging to the town's suburbs. Bordering the town to the east is La Californie-Super Cannes, a lush, green haven sheltering luxury villas. On the western side, the suburbs engulf Cannes La Bocca and heading south, you'll reach two green gems afloat in the sea – less than a mile from Cannes' shores, Iles Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat attract thousands of visitors every year.
So let us common folk take a stroll down the La Crossette -- where glamour and beauty is everywhere -- and it doesn't cost a cent to observe and enjoy. (Hopefully, you are finished with your shopping...!)
