The summit view
The bay, the Croisette and the Lérins islands from the church square.
Jorge Láscar from Australia — CC BY 2.0 · Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jorge Láscar from Australia — CC BY 2.0 · Jeanne Menjoulet from Paris, France — CC BY 2.0
Le Suquet is the hill Cannes was born on: the only old quarter left from the town before it became a resort, and the side of the city that resembles nothing else in it — narrow stone lanes climbing, flights of steps, houses with coloured shutters and pots of flowers, and small restaurants set on the stairs instead of the Croisette's glossy frontages. At its top stands the square eleventh-century **watchtower** built by the monks of Lérins to guard the coast, beside the sixteenth-century church of **Notre-Dame d'Espérance** and a museum in the old castle. From the square in front of them all Cannes opens below you: the bay, the Croisette, the yachts and the Lérins islands on the horizon — **the best view in the city, and free**. The climb from the market or the port takes a few minutes on steps (a little tiring in the heat). It is loveliest at sunset, when the stone turns golden and the town lights up beneath you — and it is also the best quarter for dinner, away from Croisette prices.
The bay, the Croisette and the Lérins islands from the church square.
Steps and coloured shutters — Cannes before the hotels.
The whole quarter turns gold as the town lights up below.
Le Suquet, 06400 Cannes
Cannes City HallCannes's city hall on the old port frontage, dating from the end of the nineteen1 minute walk3.5
Cannes War MemorialA memorial to the men of Cannes killed in the First World War, near the old port1 minute walk4.8
Musée des Explorations du MondeAbove the old Suquet quarter — the original Cannes before the stars — stands the2 minutes walk4.3
Marché ForvilleThe Marché Forville is Cannes's real kitchen and its most honest place: a covere2 minutes walk4.5
Old Port of CannesThe historic harbour of Cannes, between the Palais des Festivals and the Suquet 5 minutes walk4.6**In Le Suquet, not on the Croisette.** The old quarter's lanes — especially the climbing Rue Saint-Antoine — are full of small family restaurants at far lower prices than the seafront, serving real Provençal cooking (fish, ratatouille, socca). Book in high summer. The cheaper alternative: buy at the **Forville market** in the morning and eat on the beach.