The 10 most beautiful hikes to do around Cannes

Forecast a party outfit, but also a hiking outfit in Cannes for your next stay: more known for its cinema festival than for its hikes, the city enjoys, however, many walking routes in its surroundings.

In Alpes-Maritimes , where the mountains meet the sea, Cannes enjoys an absolutely magnificent natural site, with its large bay, the Mediterranean, the Esterel massif...

If the city spreads a bit around its hard core, a short journey is usually enough to reach the starting point of a beautiful nature rando. Cannes attracts more easily the jet setters than hikers, but they would have torded to underestimate it!

Hiking around Cannes, or going directly from the city centre, accessible at all levels, from the quiet walk to the more busy exit: keep in mind that in the south of France, it is hot in the summer, which increases the difficulty of the walks. Plan what to protect you from the sun, and the water reserve.

The best season to hike to Cannes extends April to June , then on September-October : not too much world and ideal temperatures. In winter, the beautiful sunny days offer a perfect air clarity, and you stay quietly on the Côte d’Azur... then you only have to select its walking routes!

1. A tour of the Parc de la Croix-des-Gardes on the heights of Cannes

Let’s start with a hike in Cannes that allows you to kiss the whole city, its bay and the Lérins Islands ideal to realize how exceptional the natural site is!

To do this, go to the heights of the city, 10 minutes by car , at the entrance of the Cross-des-Gardes Forest Natural Park: the easiest way to take the air and to stretch the legs during a very beautiful itinerary, offering several points of view like the Cedar Belvedere and the Croix-des-Gardes itself. As a bonus, the smells of mimosas embalming the entire course.

2. The tower of Marguerite Island, off Cannes

To 15 minutes by boat the port of Cannes, the island of Sainte-Marguerite is the largest of the islands of Lérins. For a nice hike around Cannes, it’s a very chosen and disappointing destination!

Take the coastal paths that will take you around the island in a few hours of walking, in a beautiful Mediterranean setting.

Don’t expect too short walking time, even if the itinerary is easy, because it would be a shame not to cross your way out of a few baths in the small cribs with clear waters: it’s all the interest to follow the small paths of the island of Sainte-Marguerite!

3. Rando refreshing along the Val de Siagne

One of the very beautiful hikes to do around Cannes! For this, it will be necessary to roll a little, 45 minutes about to reach the starting point of the Val de Siagne circuit, direction Le Tignet.

Even in the summer, a good part of the route takes place in the shade of the centenary oaks, pines and elms that border Siagne: the river follows its course at the bottom of a vallon refreshed by the bright waters, pleasant when it is hot. It's even possible to swim!

Accessible as a whole, if not a steeper rise on the end, the route also presents the advantage of forming a loop.

4. The Col de Théoule-sur-Mer and its panoramas

For this hike around Cannes, go south of the Gulf of Napoule, to Theoule-sur-Mer ( 30 minutes by car ). Leave the car behind you to take a very beautiful path leading to the Saoumes Trail and the Notre-Dame d’Afrique Memorial, with in the course of walking several superb views: the Côte d’Azur Cannes and the islands of Lérins, the Alps... we take our eyes full.

Without being neither too long nor too hard, it is better to provide good shoes to walk comfortably on these paths, typically Mediterranean, accompanied by delicious pinewood scents.

5. Walk by the beach along the Croisette

The Croisette remains one of the most emblematic places of the Cannes legend. This hike in Cannes that takes a look of beautiful seaside ride does not require big shoes or walking sticks, but eventually a swimsuit to make a jump in the water: the ducky beaches tend your arms!

In addition to the beaches, this route is a condensed of several sites making Cannes famous: the port, the Palais des Festivals, luxury hotels and the boulevard de la Croisette... an urban route so, ideal for morning walks before the crowd of the day.

6. Boucle in the Brague Valley from Biot

A classic of the hike around Cannes takes the village of Biot and joins Valbonne, taking the valley of Brague. This route offers an interesting variant since it forms a loop allowing you to reach the starting point, located at 40 minutes drive Cannes.

Much of this walk takes place in the shade of trees, on the banks of the river of Brague. A pleasant, bucolic itinerary, where you walk at the expense: even plan to put your feet in the water at certain times of the year.

7. All Cannes on a hike

In a beautiful half-day of hiking in Cannes, it is possible to make the tour, without any transport, of all the great must-have city .

The loop route starts at the level of the port Pierre Canto, along the boulevard de la Croisette and its luxury hotels, makes the tour of the Palais des Festivals, along the Vieux Port and the beaches, before entering the ascent to the park of the Croix-des-Gardes, for a general panorama.

The return is gradually made from the heights of Cannes, before catching up the starting line.

8. The Grand Duc circuit in Mandelieu-la-Napoule

An easy-to-use hike around Cannes, the Grand Duc circuit is an easy way to reach the whole family. To find the starting point, you will have to roll to Mandelieu-la-Napoule , neighboring town of Cannes, 25 minutes .

Well marked from end to end, the Grand Duc circuit is to practice the wide open eyes, to enjoy many views of the surrounding area, but also the bright yellow of the blooming mimosas (on the winter period of January-February). Easy and very accessible hikes, there may be a bit of a world on weekends especially.

9. At the foot of Cannes in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, by the seafront

More than a hike around Cannes, this route turns out to be a long seafront ride, along the curve of the Gulf of Napoule from the city centre of Cannes to Mandelieu-la-Napoule, at the port of the Rague.

Urban from end to end, this hike offers many opportunities to leave the hard walk to walk on the sand, and if necessary, take a break on the beach.

Cannes and Mandelieu-la-Napoule are frequently connected by TER in 10 minutes only: no problem so, to return to its starting point at the end of the walk, without having to walk in the opposite direction.

10. The tour of the small island of Saint-Honorat

Let’s finish this selection of the most beautiful hikes around Cannes by a last excursion to the sea, in the direction of the islands of Lérins: this time we reach the island of Saint-Honorat, accessible in 20 minutes of crossing ship from the port.

The tower of the island, of small size, does not pose any problems in terms of difficulty, but is well worth the detour, with rocky points, deep blue coves, odors of pines, and heritage radius, several chapels, Fort Saint-Honorat and the Abbey of Lérins. It's easy to spend the day!