Vieux Port de Cannes
Port Pierre Canto
Rade de Cannes, off La Croisette
Anchorage off Île Sainte-Marguerite
Golfe de la Napoule
Stroll the beach clubs along La Croisette
Explore Le Suquet, Cannes’ hilltop old town
Ferry to the Lérins Islands
Browse Rue Meynadier’s food shops and boutiques
Watch the Cannes Fireworks Festival over the bay in July and August
Fort Royal, Île Sainte-Marguerite
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
Musée de la Castre, Le Suquet
Rue d’Antibes shopping street
Notre-Dame d’Espérance church, Le Suquet
May through September is the main season, with July and August bringing the busiest marinas and warmest water, around 24-25°C. Late May overlaps with the Cannes Film Festival, when hotel and marina space tightens considerably, so book well ahead if that’s the draw. June and September offer a quieter, still-warm alternative with easier mooring at the Vieux Port and Port Canto, and the wider Mediterranean sailing season runs from April into October.
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) is the closest international gateway, around 25 kilometres east and roughly 30 to 40 minutes away by road, longer in peak summer traffic. It has direct flights from most major European cities and several long-haul routes. From the airport, guests typically transfer by car or private helicopter, which cuts the journey to about ten minutes and lands within reach of the harbour.
The Vieux Port and Port Canto both offer berths close to the town centre, though space is tight in peak season and the Cannes Yachting Festival in September fills both almost entirely. For more room, the sheltered water off Île Sainte-Marguerite in the Lérins Islands makes a quieter alternative fifteen minutes offshore, with the option to tender in for lunch or an afternoon walk before returning to Cannes for the evening.
Two to three days covers the town itself: a walk through Le Suquet, an afternoon on La Croisette, and a half-day trip to the Lérins Islands. Most guests treat Cannes as one stop on a wider French Riviera itinerary rather than a standalone week, pairing it with Antibes, Nice or Saint-Tropez along the coast. A charter based entirely in Cannes works well for shorter trips built around the Film Festival or the Yachting Festival specifically.
Yes. Held each September (8 to 13 in 2026) across the Vieux Port and Port Canto, it’s one of Europe’s largest in-water boat shows and fills both marinas with exhibiting yachts for the week. Berths for private charter guests become scarce and prices rise accordingly, so a charter timed around the show either needs to book months ahead or plan to anchor off rather than dock. Outside that week, marina space returns to normal.
