With kids · Cannes · France
Cannes with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Timantha102938, Public domain
Quick answer
Cannes works well for families who want beach time with short excursions: shallow sandy public beaches, boat trips to car-free islands, and a compact centre. Steep lanes in Le Suquet and crowded summer pavements are the main challenges with strollers. Top picks: Île Sainte-Marguerite, Plage du Midi and Underwater eco-museum. Families usually base themselves in Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- May and July–August
Best things to do with kids
Island · Lérins Islands
1.Île Sainte-Marguerite
The larger Lérins island, about 15 minutes by boat from the old port, is covered with eucalyptus and Aleppo pine and ringed by footpaths and small rocky coves. Its 17th-century Fort Royal holds the cell where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned and a museum of underwater archaeology. There are no cars and only a few cafés.
Take a picnic and walk the shoreline path to the quieter southern coves facing Saint-Honorat.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Nature
Beach · La Bocca
2.Plage du Midi
This long public sandy beach starts just west of Le Suquet and runs towards La Bocca along Boulevard Jean Hibert. It is where local families swim, with free sand, a few beach clubs and sunset views towards the Esterel hills.
Come in the late afternoon, when the sun sets over the Esterel directly in front of the beach.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Experience · Lérins Islands
3.Underwater eco-museum
Off the southern shore of Île Sainte-Marguerite, six large sculpted heads by artist Jason deCaires Taylor rest on the seabed in shallow water, inspired by portraits of local residents. They are reachable with a mask and snorkel from the shore in calm weather, inside a marked swimming zone.
Bring your own snorkel and water shoes; the shore is rocky and there is nowhere to hire equipment on the island.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Active
- Art
- Outdoors
- Kids
Street · La Croisette
4.Boulevard de la Croisette
The seafront boulevard curves for about 2 km from the Palais des Festivals to Pointe Croisette, with palm trees and blue chairs on the promenade, beach clubs below and the façades of the Carlton, Martinez and Majestic hotels across the road. Walking its length is the classic Cannes outing, best in the late afternoon light.
Grab one of the free blue chairs along the promenade at sunset, when the light turns the Esterel hills across the bay red.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Photo spot
Experience · Centre and Rue d'Antibes
5.Cinema murals walk
Painted walls across Cannes celebrate cinema, from a mural of Marilyn Monroe to scenes featuring Charlie Chaplin and other screen legends. The tourist office has a map that links more than a dozen of them into a self-guided walk through the centre, La Bocca and Le Cannet.
Pick up the mural map at the tourist office in the Palais and walk the central section in about an hour.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, beach and quiet stays
Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach
At the far end of the Croisette, the Port Pierre Canto marina and the Palm Beach casino sit on the headland, with public beaches along Boulevard Gazagnaire looking back across the bay to Le Suquet and the Esterel hills. It is calmer than the central Croisette and suits families who want space on the sand, though it is a 25–30 minute walk to the old town.
- Good
- Quieter beaches; Sea views across the bay; Easier parking
- Watch out
- Long walk to the old town and station; Fewer restaurants open out of season
- Nearby
- Port Pierre Canto, Plage Gazagnaire, Palm Beach
Family travel tips
- Sandy public beaches shelve gently, but there are no lifeguards on every stretch outside summer; check the flags.
- Take water and hats to the Lérins Islands, where there is little shade on the paths away from the pines and few shops.
- Carousels on the Croisette and the Allées de la Liberté make easy rewards between sights.
- Restaurants open for dinner around 7:30pm; beach-club lunches suit young children better.
- Grasse perfume workshops and Monaco's Oceanographic Museum make good half-day outings for older children.
Day trips for families
- Grasse (About 30 minutes by train) — The hill town above Cannes has been the centre of the French perfume industry for centuries.
- Monaco (About 1 hour by train) — The principality packs the Prince's Palace on Monaco-Ville rock, the Oceanographic Museum, the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the yacht-filled Port Hercule into two square kilometres.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June and September. May and July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cannes good for kids?
Cannes works well for families who want beach time with short excursions: shallow sandy public beaches, boat trips to car-free islands, and a compact centre. Steep lanes in Le Suquet and crowded summer pavements are the main challenges with strollers.
+What can kids do in Cannes?
Île Sainte-Marguerite, Plage du Midi, Underwater eco-museum, Boulevard de la Croisette and Cinema murals walk.
+Where should families stay in Cannes?
Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach: The quieter eastern tip of the bay with a marina, casino and public beaches.