Cannes's own archipelago, a 15-minute ferry from the Vieux Port: Sainte-Marguerite for the forest walk, the swimming coves and the Fort Royal with its Man-in-the-Iron-Mask cell; Saint-Honorat for the working Cistercian monastery and the monks' vineyards. The day-trip we'd take — one island, packed properly, no resort in sight.
The Lérins islands sit just off Cannes — close enough to see from the Croisette, far enough that stepping off the ferry feels like leaving the city entirely. The crossing from the Vieux Port takes 15 to 20 minutes, and on the far side there are no cars, two very different islands and twelve kilometres of protected coast.
Our angle is the day-trip done simply, by boat: pick one island, not both. Sainte-Marguerite for the forest walk, the swimming coves and the Fort Royal with its Man-in-the-Iron-Mask cell; Saint-Honorat for the working monastery, the monks' vineyards and a quiet that's hard to find anywhere else on the coast. Come for the nature and the history — and pack as if there are no shops, because there nearly aren't.
The larger island — about 170 hectares of state-owned pine and eucalyptus forest, laced with flat shaded paths and ringed by small swimming coves. You can walk the whole perimeter in a couple of hours, and the interior smells of resin and salt. It is the one to pick if you want a proper walk, a swim and a picnic rather than a guided visit; landing and wandering cost nothing once you've paid the ferry.
On Sainte-Marguerite, the Fort Royal holds the cell where the still-unidentified Man in the Iron Mask was held, plus a Musée de la Mer with Roman and shipwreck finds. It's the island's one ticketed sight and the only reason to put a clock on your day — worth it for the history and the views back over the bay. Check the opening hours before you sail, as they shift by season.
The smaller southern island, about 37 hectares, belongs to a community of Cistercian monks whose abbey has been active since the 5th century — founded around 410. There are no cars, no hotels and almost no noise: just vineyards, a fortified monastery tower you can climb, chapels around the shore and the sense of a working monastery that happens to let visitors in. Come here for quiet, not for facilities.
The Saint-Honorat monks tend their own vines and press a small range of wines — several cuvées — plus the Lérina liqueurs, sold in the monastery shop and rarely found off the island. It is genuinely made here, not a gift-shop label, which is why a bottle is the souvenir we'd actually carry home. The shop hours follow the monastery's rhythm, so don't count on a late-afternoon purchase.
The shuttles leave from the Vieux Port in Cannes and the crossing is only 15 to 20 minutes — but the two islands are served by different companies, so you generally pick one island per trip rather than hopping between them. Sainte-Marguerite for the walk and the fort, Saint-Honorat for the monastery and the vines. Decide before you buy the ticket; doing both well in a single day is a stretch.
This is the honest practical point: the islands are nature reserves, not resorts. Sainte-Marguerite has a couple of seasonal eateries near the landing; Saint-Honorat has essentially only the monastery. Carry water, a picnic, sun cover and a swimsuit, and carry your rubbish back out — there are few bins and the whole archipelago is a protected Natura 2000 zone. Pack as if you're going to a beach with no kiosk, because you are.
We'd skip trying to do both islands in one afternoon. They're served by different ferry companies from different berths, and the schedules don't dovetail neatly; rushing between them means a stressful clock-watch and two half-visits. Give each island its own trip — Sainte-Marguerite a full half-day for the walk and fort, Saint-Honorat a calmer few hours for the monastery and a tasting.
We'd also skip arriving empty-handed expecting beach-club service. These are nature reserves, not the Croisette: no rows of sunbeds, few places to buy lunch, and on Saint-Honorat essentially none beyond the monastery shop. Bring water, food, shade and a swimsuit, and take your litter home. The reward for packing properly is a coastline that has stayed wild precisely because it isn't built up.
Spring and early autumn are the sweet spot: warm enough to swim off the rocks, mild enough for the forest walk, and the boats and paths far quieter than in July. May, June and September give you the islands close to their best.
Summer is beautiful but busy — the first ferries fill fast and the coves get crowded by midday. Take an early crossing, bring plenty of water for the shadeless stretches, and treat the eucalyptus forest as your midday shelter. Book ahead in high season.
Winter is the islands' secret: Sainte-Marguerite almost empty, the light low and clear, perfect for a brisk walk and the fort without the queue. Some ferry runs and the seasonal eateries thin out, so confirm the timetable and the monastery shop hours before you go, and dress for an exposed, breezy crossing.
By passenger ferry from the Vieux Port in Cannes — the crossing takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat are served by different companies from neighbouring berths, so you buy a ticket for one island per trip. There's no car access on either island; everything is done on foot once you land. Timetables vary by season, with more frequent boats in summer, so check the current schedule the day before.
Sainte-Marguerite is the larger, wilder island: forest paths, swimming coves and the Fort Royal with its Man-in-the-Iron-Mask cell and sea museum — best if you want a walk, a swim and some history. Saint-Honorat is the smaller monks' island: a Cistercian monastery active since the 5th century, vineyards, chapels and deep quiet, with a shop selling the monks' wine. For a first visit and a longer day, we'd take Sainte-Marguerite; for calm and the monastery, Saint-Honorat.
Yes — Saint-Honorat is owned by the Cistercian community, and visitors can walk the island, see the chapels and the fortified monastery tower, and buy the monks' wines and Lérina liqueurs at the monastery shop. The wine is genuinely produced on the island from its own vines. Hours follow the monastery's own rhythm rather than tourist opening times, so don't bank on a late-day visit; check before you sail.
Very few. Sainte-Marguerite has a small number of seasonal eateries near the landing stage; Saint-Honorat has essentially only the monastery shop. Both islands are protected nature reserves, so the sensible plan is to bring water, a picnic, sun protection and a swimsuit, and to carry your rubbish back to Cannes. Treat it as a trip to wild coastline, not to a beach resort.