Île Saint-Honorat
Sixteen centuries of Cistercian monks, vines and monastery wine — the stillest anchorage off Cannes.
The monks' island
Île Saint-Honorat is the smaller, quieter Lérins island, owned and farmed by the Cistercian monks of Lérins Abbey for over sixteen centuries. The monks tend vineyards and produce a celebrated monastery wine, and the island keeps a stillness its neighbour does not. There are no cars, no crowds — only the abbey, the vines and the sea.
Yachts anchor off its shores for a contemplative half-day: a swim in glass-clear water, a walk to the fortified monastery, perhaps a tasting of the Lérins wine. It pairs naturally with Sainte-Marguerite to make a complete day among the islands, all within easy reach of Cannes.
A visit here is best kept unhurried: anchor off the south shore, let the morning go slowly, and treat the island as the antidote to the season's pace. It is the calmest stop within reach of Cannes, and a favourite of guests who have seen the rest.