Cannes

A palm-lined seafront boulevard where much of the sand belongs to paid hotel and restaurant beaches. A few free public stretches sit in between, so pick by the signs. The blue chairs set along the promenade are for anyone to sit in.

The building whose steps get the red carpet at the festival opening, and on event-free days anyone can pose on them. Tiles set with actors' and directors' handprints pave the walkway in front, and many visitors hunt for names.

The old village of Cannes, on the hill west of the harbour, is crowned by a castle now holding the Musee des Explorations du Monde. Its tower overlooks the Croisette and the Lerins islands. The lanes are steep, so climb at sunset and dine on the hill.

Boats from the port reach this island in about fifteen minutes; the fort on its north shore keeps the cell of the prisoner in the iron mask. Pine and eucalyptus cover most of it, and people swim off rocky shores in the shade. Shops are scarce, so bring water.

An island where the monks of Lerins Abbey still live, tending vineyards and making wine. Only the abbey's own boats serve it, so tickets are separate from those to Sainte-Marguerite. You can climb the old fortified monastery tower on the shore.

A covered market below the Suquet hill, where vegetables and flowers from nearby farms and fish arrive in the morning. On Monday the same hall hosts an antiques flea market instead of food. As lunch approaches, stalls start clearing away.

Pierre Bonnard painted out his final years in Le Cannet just above Cannes, and a museum given over to him alone opened there. The view from its windows shares the colours of the canvases, inviting comparison. A bus from central Cannes gets there.

The hilltop perfume town north of Cannes, where jasmine and roses are still grown in nearby fields. Several big perfumeries run free tours showing how scent is extracted. The International Perfume Museum has many displays where you smell what is inside a box.

Ten-odd minutes from Cannes by train, with the seaside Chateau Grimaldi now the Picasso museum. Works Picasso made while working in the castle for a few months in 1946 hang inside. Below it, big yachts line up in Port Vauban.

Red volcanic hills rise from the coast west of Cannes, and the corniche road bends along their cliffs. In summer a daily wildfire risk level is posted, and some days it shuts the trails. Check that day's level before setting out.

A hilltop village north of Cannes whose lanes coil in rings around the summit. Picasso lived in a house on its outskirts from 1961 until his death. Galleries and restaurants crowd every lane, and many people drive up just for dinner.

A pottery town since long ago, where Picasso shaped ceramics in a local workshop from the late 1940s. Inside the old castle, his War and Peace covers every wall of a small chapel. Ceramic shops crowd the main road through town.

A hill village behind Antibes known for bubble glass, with tiny air pockets trapped in it on purpose. At the glassworks below the village, you watch through windows as craftsmen blow molten glass. The Fernand Leger museum is close by.

An eagle's-nest village clinging to a cliff edge above the Loup gorge, more than 700m up. On clear days its far-end lookout sees all the way down to the coast around Cannes. Bends slow the road, so allow about an hour driving from Cannes.

On the Mandelieu shore stands a medieval castle that American sculptor Henry Clews and his wife bought and restored as the First World War was ending. His strange sculptures fill it, and its gardens meet the sea. The coast road west of Cannes gets there fast.

A footpath around the rocky tip of Cap d'Antibes, threading between white rock and deep blue water. The rock is rough underfoot, so wear proper shoes. On days of strong wind and high waves, the entrance gates are locked.

The old main street running from below Le Suquet toward the centre, now a narrow car-free shopping lane. Cheese shops, fresh pasta makers and olive oil sellers line it. The Forville market lies a few steps away, so one shopping walk covers both.