CANNES, ANTIBES & ÎLE SAINTE MARGUERITE | 2 days in the French Riviera

The French Riviera is one of the most dreamy places to visit in Europe. With its sun soaked beaches, magical islands which feel miles away from civilisation, and gorgeous towns, there’s plenty of things to see and do.

In this video, we’ll take you on a 48 hour visit of Cannes, Antibes, and Île Sainte Marguerite. We’ll show you hidden gems, must-sees, top attractions, and detail a history of each of the places we visit. So join us as we spend 2 days in the French Riviera…

Read the travel guides;
– one day in Cannes: https://www.solosophie.com/one-day-in-cannes-itinerary/
– best things to do in Antibes: https://www.solosophie.com/antibes-france/
– Íle Sainte Marguerite travel guide: https://www.solosophie.com/ile-sainte-marguerite-france/
– best things to do in Cannes: https://www.solosophie.com/cannes-france/
– day trips from Cannes: https://www.solosophie.com/best-day-trips-from-cannes-by-public-transport/

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[Music] between sunok beaches magical Islands which fill miles away from civilization and some pretty gorgeous towns you can’t really go wrong by taking a trip to the French Riviera we recently spent two dreamy days on the coat deser and in this video we’re going to show you the best things to do in can ilet margarit and [Music] anti welcome to can we’re on the French shiera which is known as the cod daer in French this area of France is best known for the KH Film Festival though there’s plenty more to see and do in the city as we’ll show you today tomorrow we’ll take you to ATI which is around a 10-minute train ride down the [Music] coastline well many people opt to get their photo taken on the red carpet which is just around the corner a Hidden Gem that you might not know about is the Can Walk of Fame and there’s lots of little plaques on the floor from famous people’s handprints if you want to learn more about the surrounding area then you can also head into the tourist office which is part of the building to get leaflets and pamplet and walking tours the best way to get around can is undoubtedly on foot but you can also opt to take the local tourist train if you want a little bit more information for us however it was time to head to the local fairies the entire front stretch of Coastline alongside can which is known as laquette is currently undergoing an intensive 2-year renovation project which is due to finish between summer and winter of 2025 this is the biggest change of the seafront in over 100 years but I’m sure it’ll be really beautiful when it’s will finished on route to the ferry area we enjoyed gorgeous views of the PO in the sun it may seem a bit strange but one of the best things to do in can is actually to leave the mainland by taking the ferry to a nearby group of islands the largest of these islands is ill St margari and there are departures throughout the year even in the offseason which is when we went in the winter there’s actually no food available on the island so we headed to a local bakery before departure to buy as Panini and some other snacks for ENT margarite once on the ferry it’s a relaxing and smooth 15-minute ferry ride when it’s a blue day outside and the sun is shining the views of the coastline from the boat are truly [Music] spectacular welcome to ilsa margari we’re just off the coast of can around a 15 minute fairy right away making it one of the easiest day trips from the city the island is actually one of four Islands which make up the archipelago of [Music] Lan there are two main places to eat on the island but unfortunately they’re seasonal and so only operate during the summer if you come during the winter months then you’ll have to bring your own picnic but it’s still very beautiful and very temperate as it’s currently the beginning of February and it’s currently around 16° outside although there are no hotels per se on IL St margari there are people who live there permanently and so you’ll see their houses dotted across the [Music] island as you can see from this sign there are no trash cans on the island and so you have to bring all of your rubbish home with you there’s evidence of human occupation of the island since at least the fifth century Before Common Era during Roman times the island was known as lero for a local deity the most interesting inter in thing to do on the island is visit the fort this Royal Fort actually dates back to 1624 to 1627 due to its strategic vantage point and the fact that it’s kind of hard to escape the island it’s also been used as a prison most notably for the Man in the Iron Mask during the 17th century No One actually knows who the Man in the Iron Mask was and there were even theories about who he was prior to his death at the end of the 18th century one of the most popular theories is that he was actually a twin brother of Louis the 14th I.E the son King however this is quite implausible and it’s probably actually that he was a political prisoner all that we know is that he was literally forced to wear an iron Mars for at least 11 [Music] years the fort has now been transformed into a museum that you can pay a few Euros to visit and from the first outlook here we can see as far away as the snowcapped Alps the museum complex has a few things of interest but most of the points of intrigue are hous within a central building that you won’t be able to miss as it’s the largest building still standing within the fort today here you can see an exhibit all about the Man in the Iron Mask learn more about the military history of the for and more interestingly still learn about the Roman history of illet margarite to be honest my favorite part of the museum was heading into the remains of a Roman system where you can learn all sorts of archaeological facts about the island and see plenty of archaeological remains all in all you need around half an hour to explore the museum but do do be aware that in a very French fashion the museum closes at lunchtime for around an hour after you’ve seen the museum exhibitions you can wander around the rest of the for which you will need your entry ticket to get to to be honest this area is quite overrun but you can see the remains of a church and a hugenot cemetery and kind of see the old [Music] fortifications apart from visiting the fort one of the most popular things to do on the island is to go on a hike there are actually 2 few colum’s worth of hiking trails dotted across this tiny Island and so you’ll be spoiled for Choice there are a few cemeteries on ill St margarite the one we visited was for local residents however there are two others on the island including one which is the final resting place of 3,000 people from North Africa who were prisoners on the island and one for French soldiers who fought in the Crimean War as the Island was used as a sanatorium for injured soldiers during the 19th [Music] century from the southern Shoreline of Il s margari you can see the second largest island in the archipelago and that is il and onor this island is best known for its Abbey it’s so peaceful and tranquil here that it’s hard to believe that we’re only 15 minutes away from can I particularly love all of the aquamarine Waters which makes it feel truly like a Mediterranean destination there are a number of beaches on the island but one of the coolest things that you can do related to the water is go to an Eco museum by swimming and I’m going to read to you what the sign says the sculptures lie 84 to 132 M from the shore and are at a dep of 3 to 5 m so that any swimmer with a mask and snorkel can see them free of charge and protected by a ban on chips anchoring they’re honestly very cool apparently but obviously it’s February so we’re not going to go swim and see them [Applause] today [Applause] it feels very French to have this non-smoking sign in the middle of the countryside though I’d probably recommend spending a full day on ilsa margarit as we have plenty of other things to see and do in can it was time to return to the mainland there’s a ferry around once an hour and so it’s easy to get back but I have no idea what happens if you miss the last Fair of the day once back in can it was time for a quick coffee break before we started our next adventure we’re now making our way up the hill which overlooks the rest of can this area is known as luk and it’s the oldest District in the city there’s a castle here at the very top of the hill as well as a historic [Music] church the greatest reward of making all the way up the steps is this amazing view of can however there are a few other things to do when you get to the top including a museum and a church which dates back 500 years the church was built between the 15 and 1600s though wasn’t completed until 1627 it has a rather plain facade but I think you’ll find the oret interior is a little more interesting and it even has an organ from pava you can even climb the ramp Parts on the opposite side of the church for an even better view of the other side of the city [Music] once you’ve explored everything that there is to do at the top of the hill here in luki you want to make your way back down the steps to reach what is probably my favorite area to explore and that is laquette the bit that’s not currently being renovated and that’s along the sea front there’s a prominade where you can see all of the beach clubs enjoy reuse of the sea and see lots of cute cafes [Music] walking through the city at Golden hour feels like a completely different experience to join the day everything is bathed in a Golden Glow and you won’t want to miss it during your time in can the modern part of can is almost completely pedestrianized and is full of commercial shops which you would expect to find on any kind of High Street throughout France as you head further out of town you’ll find more and more luxury shops lining the area along the seafront this is my favorite area of lacazette and is where you can find lots of free to sit on blue chairs lining the [Music] boardwalk as KH is such a popular city for events there’s no shortage of accommodation but you’ll definitely want to book something earlier rather than later to secure a good place to stay we stayed in a small studio in this former Hotel turned apartment block and Lov that we could see the sea even if it was far away from our little balcony now I have to admit that you haven’t really seen can if you haven’t experienced its night life we loved going out for dinner in one of the most popular venues in town and then we headed out for some drinks at another bar afterwards if you have more than a single day in can it definitely makes sense to use as a base to explore the wider region as I personally believe that the best of the French Riviera is outside of can sorry to say that a picture perfect town on the French Riviera anti is a dreamy escape from the hustle and bustle of busy modern day life and is just a 10-minute train ride away from can a pass will hued Maze of cobbled medieval streets there are also beaches to relax on and even an impressive for to [Music] explore to be honest one of the best things to do is simply to stroll around and allow the town to reveal itself to you it’s mainly pedestrian so you’ll need need to wear comfortable shoes with this being said I’ll point out some highlights now if you’re looking to pick up a souvenir or just want to go for a little bit of shopping then Rue James close is definitely the place to go to there’s so many independent boutiques along here selling everything from local food stuffs to children’s clothes and even books noad coffee has the best specialty coffee in Town one of the best ways to discover local life in southern France is the head to the market the most Classic Market is the daily provinal produce market which sells all sorts of fresh fruits vegetables local cheeses from Tuesday through to Sunday nearby you’ll find the town [Music] hall of course thanks to its position alongside the coastline aun also has it very own [Music] port one of the most beautiful places to visit in town is undoubtedly the ATI Cathedral free to visit and open on a daily basis there has been a place of worship on site since at least the 5th Century though the building you see today was constructed in an Italian style during the 18th century right next door there’s a museum dedicated to [Music] Picasso if I’m honest the absolute best thing to do in ATI is to walk along the seafront the seaf facing prominade has recently undergone an intensive restoration and is really beautiful to stroll along admire the architecture and view the sea [Music] views and if you’ve made it all the way to the end of the video thank you so much for watching Ing and don’t forget to like And subscribe for More Travel movies see you next time bye wait what did I say already