Île-Saint-Honorat and Villefranche-Sur-Mer
(Left) Half a day's worth of exploring one of the Lérins Islands and Cannes Old Town, and (Right) ending the day with a delightful dinner in Villefranche-Sur-Mer
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| View of the coastline of Île-Saint-Honorat from the fortified fortress |
A. Île-Saint-Honorat together with 3 other islands comprise the Lérins Islands. The largest two of these Mediterranean islands off the French Riviera are good swimming and picnic spots from Cannes --- perfect for day trips.
Getting there:
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| Gare de Nice-Ville |
Regular trains between Nice-Ville and Cannes stations
- regional (slower) trains take about 40 minutes
- faster trains (Trenitalia) take about 24 minutes
Tip for tickets: check the price online, as sometimes, tickets bought online are cheaper than those purchased at the station.
From Cannes station, stroll along the high street until you get to the Le Vieux Port. Walk along the port towards the right to get to Port de Cannes where you'll find the boats for the Lérins Islands. It's roughly a 15 minute walk from the station.
Depending on where you'll go, ticket prices and boat timetables will vary.
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| Boat to the island |
We chose to visit only one, which was Île-Saint-Honorat because it is less crowded there as compared to the other more famous island, Île-Saint-Marguerite (due to the Maritime Museum where the Man in the Iron Mask was said to be imprisoned). The other 2 islands are uninhabited. A standard adult return ticket was worth €16.50, and the boat ride was about 30 minutes from Cannes.
We bought lunch from McDonald's before going to the island. But there is a restaurant in the island where you can have a meal.
What's there to do?
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| Abbey de Lerins Monastery |
Exclusively inhabited by monks since the 5th century AD, Île-Saint-Honorat now hosts the Cistercian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, and is known for producing wine, lavender oil, honey and Lérina, a herbal liquor which boosts appetite.
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| Abbey de Lerins monastery and church |
Scattered in the island are small chapels and religious establishments. The largest structures of the island are the Abbey de Lerins monastery and the fortified fortress.
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| The fortified fortress/monastery |
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| At the top of the fortress |
There are also a lot of picnic spots and swimming points.
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Island trail
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You can just choose a spot and settle for a quiet day of relaxation, meditation, and swimming. There is no entrance fee to the island but it is expected that people observe silence and proper conduct.
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| Church of Our Lady Esperance |
After getting out fill of swimming, we headed back to Cannes with the last boat departing the island and took a stroll to the Church of Our Lady of Esperance. Sitting atop the hill and overlooking the port, this Gothic-style stone church was completed in the 1600s, and is a good place for panoramic views of the port.
We then bought some souvenir magnets from one of the shops in the high street while making our way back to the train station.
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| Church of Our Lady of Esperance |
B. Villefranche-Sur-Mer
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Villefranche-Sur-Mer
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Restaurants along the port of Villefranche-Sur-Mer
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Getting there:
We took the train from Gare de Cannes to Gare de Villefranche-Sur-Mer and then walked along the port to the Old Town.
We had a very satisfying dinner at a family-run restaurant deep in the Old Town, and then headed back to the hostel after by train.
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Fish, ratatouille and salad
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train ticket - €13
lunch - €15.50
ferry ticket - €16.50
candles - €2
magnet - €12
dinner - €32
Total: €91
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