What to do in Cannes

For the fifty-odd weeks when the film stars aren't in town, Cannes carries its fame lightly. Stroll the Croisette past the Palais des Festivals (red-carpet steps and all), then climb into Le Suquet, the old fishing quarter, for the view back across the bay. A short boat ride out, the Îles de Lérins offer pine woods, monks making wine on Saint-Honorat and the fort that once held the Man in the Iron Mask. Head half an hour inland to Grasse and a professional perfumer will help you create a scent of your own, or take a helicopter loop of the coast. Unless you're here for the Festival itself, avoid May: prices soar and the town fills to bursting. Come in June instead. Same sunshine, half the paparazzi.