Each May, the seaside city of Cannes swells with celebrities strutting the coveted red carpet at the film festival — an event whose publicity is rivaled by the Olympics. But the former fishermen’s village now associated with A-listers and yachts, especially along the boutique-clad Croisette promenade, is also home to some of the French Riviera’s most prestigious hotels and beach clubs.

The heart of the city is the old town of Le Suquet, where you’ll find vaulted passageways, sloping streets and a history spanning a thousand years. From local specialties like socca (a chickpea flour flatbread) at the covered Provençal Marché Forville to the revived Roaring Twenties-inspired Palm Beach Cannes casino, here’s how to taste the best the city has to offer over the next few months.

Where to Stay

The art deco-flavored Hôtel Martinez Cannes feels like a resort, with a beautifully landscaped inner courtyard garden, the L’Oasis du Martinez spa and a swish beach club along the Croisette, opposite the grande dame.

Ticking all the boxes when it comes to luxury, the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended address also features a duo of Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed penthouse apartments, which are among Europe’s largest. Sprawling across the seventh floor, the cinema-inspired spaces are perched over the Bay of Cannes, meaning you’ll have 180-degree views of the Mediterranean and Croisette from the expansive terrace unfolding below the Martinez’s iconic neon rooftop sign.

Where to Go

Get your bearings by starting where the city began, in Le Suquet. Stroll through the terra cotta-colored Marché Forville, where many of the Riviera’s top chefs source local produce, seafood, cheese and Italian charcuterie.

As you crisscross the old town’s cobbled streets, you’ll pass newer additions like the Suquet des Artistes, a gallery space and studios dedicated to four Cannes-based contemporary artists. For sweeping views over the city and the nearby Lérins Islands, climb the 109 steps up the medieval watchtower of the Musée des Explorations du Monde, a former castle and convent that’s been converted into a museum filled with Mediterranean and Asian antiquities, fine art and musical instruments sourced from around the world.

From the Port of Cannes, hop on a 15-minute ferry to the Lérins, two walkable islands where you can tour the Fort Royal, home to the Man in the Iron Mask’s mysterious cell, on Sainte-Marguerite Island, or visit the abbey and sample the monks’ wine on Saint-Honorat.

Pick up a few items from the market in the morning to picnic at one of the pine tree-shielded tables or bring a mask and snorkel for a glimpse of the six submerged statues off Sainte-Marguerite’s southern shore. The island’s other claim to fame is La Guérite, one of the Riviera’s hardest-to-book restaurants, where DJs keep everyone dancing during a lunch that lingers until sunset.

Once you’re back on the Croisette, keep the party going at the aforementioned Palm Beach Cannes. The Hispano-Moresque and art deco building that’s been recently revived houses some of the city’s top restaurants, from La Petite Maison Cannes to Zuma. The latter is where you’ll want to start with a drink on the terrace as the sun sets.

The frescoed Casino Royal Palm is as glamorous now as it was in its heyday when it attracted countesses and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald. Cabaret Medusa has also transformed Palm Beach into an entertainment destination, with sequin- and feather-filled shows that feel like a Mediterranean take on Las Vegas, with elements of sultry Crazy Horse Paris thrown in.

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