A boat trip to Île Sainte-Marguerite
A short boat ride from Cannes, pine forest and quiet coves give way to the cell of the Man in the Iron Mask.
History, pine forest and a swim.
The crossing from Cannes takes only a few minutes, but the island feels a world away. Spend the afternoon moving between the pine forest, rocky coves and Fort Royal, where one of France's most enduring prison legends played out. There is enough to discover here to make the island more than a quick escape from the mainland.
Minutes from Cannes, a different rhythm.
Leave from the Old Port and, almost immediately, the Croisette begins to recede. The island's wooded paths and clear coves are within easy reach of the pier, making it simple to combine a walk with a swim. The water is particularly inviting in summer, so bring swimwear and let the afternoon take shape from there.
Eleven years behind one of France's great mysteries.
Fort Royal became a state prison in 1685, and two years later an unnamed prisoner arrived whose identity was kept secret and whose face was concealed behind a mask. He remained here for eleven years before being transferred to the Bastille, where the mystery surrounding him grew into legend. Alexandre Dumas later gave the story another life. His former cell can still be visited today, as part of the island's museum.
An afternoon between forest and sea.
Away from the fort, paths wind through Aleppo pines towards a succession of small coves and rocky swimming spots. The island is best experienced without rushing from one thing to the next: a walk beneath the trees, a swim in the Mediterranean, then the boat back to Cannes as the light begins to soften across the water.
