Golfe Juan
The nearest port and seaside resort to the east of Cannes is Golfe Juan which is where
Napoleon landed in 1815, after escaping exile with 600 men from the Isle of Elba, 150 miles away. Welcomed by an enthusiastic populace who supplied him with food and other provisions he and his supporters marched north over the mountains, now known as Route Napoleon, to reach Grenoble in six days, then on to a victorious entry into Paris. The event is celebrated every year in March with a colourful enactment on the beach.
Today Golfe Juan is a pleasant break from Cannes, quieter and less expensive - a lunchtime pizza only costs 8€. Famous resident is 92 year old Dame Vera Lynn whose autobiography Some Sunny Days was published by Waterstones in August 2009.
Easy drive, quite a bit of parking, bus 200 and first train stop after Cannes.
Great place for boat hire and fishing trips.