ILE SAINTE MARGUERITE

If you find yourself in Cannes or around the area you need to hop on the ferry and take the short 15 minute trip across to a beautiful little island, Ile Sainte Marguerite. Cannes can get pretty busy so this is the perfect excursion, plus there’s really nothing better than being on the water. When your £100,000,000 super yacht is in for a service you can just hope on this ferry for €14 and voila! (It’s almost | sort of | not really the same!) Dogs are welcome on the ferry free of charge and also on the island, as long as they’re kept on the lead.

Ile Sainte Marguerite is a little island covered in pine trees and filled with little trails, houses a museum and two restaurants but if you just wanted to get away from it all and keep costs low, you could take your own supplies and spend the day walking around the Island having your own little adventure. Stopping to sunbathe and picnic on any one of the tiny stretches of secluded beach, enjoying dips in the sea to cool off (watch out for jellyfish though – the ocean was full of the little buggers when we were there, I’m not sure if it’s a seasonal thing but definitely have a little look before diving in head first!). Despite it definitely being a tourist attraction you can still easily find spots to enjoy some peace and quiet.

A COUPLE OF THINGS WORTH NOTING WHEN TRAVELING TO ILE SAINTE MARGUERITE

• You can’t take bikes on the island so be prepared to get everywhere on foot.
• You can’t sleep on the island so make sure you have the last ferry time handy, I think it’s around 17:O0 but this may change throughout the season or depending on demand so be sure to do your research before heading over there. (www.riviera-lines.com)

THE RESTAURANT | LA GUERITE

If you do travel over to this little island we would highly recommend plumping for lunch at ‘La Guerite’, find a table facing the ocean and soak up some of that that laid back luxury. It’s definitely not a budget option but if you’re looking to experience something a bit special, then this is for you!

With the dogs sunbathing by our feet we sipped on chilled rose, watched the ocean from just a few feet away and enjoyed some delicious treats. Salt fish bites and calamari to start, followed by some of the tastiest mussels, I think I’ve ever eaten! Then the pièce de résistance, ‘Moelleux’ aka chocolate heaven…

Oh my days this was good! I am a total sucker for anything chocolatey, the richer and meltier the better! Side note, I’ve never understood people who say ‘Oh it’s far too rich for me’… Really?! Are you trying to persuade me, or yourself?! Whatever, if you don’t want it, pass the spoon! (And this my friends, along with rather shoddy impulse control, is why I’ll never be skinny!) We then enjoyed coffees before walking the long route back to the ferry. This whole excursion was the perfect addition to our trip and I’m so glad we decided to do it, another little hidden (kind of) gem.

PRICE

The whole meal – starters, mains and desserts for two, along with wine and then coffee to finish up will set you back somewhere between €200 – €300, I have heard rumours that the prices here go up at the height of the season but I can’t confirm this for sure. It is pricey but if you’re on a bit of a budget and still want the experience you can always manage it a little by being careful with your drinks order and then even perhaps sharing a dessert… I mean, I wouldn’t actually advise anything that drastic but you know, you could.