Anonymity In The City of Stars: Exploring The Other Side of Cannes
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or a city so renowned for its stars and celebrities, its glamour and glitz, Cannes has a long history with secrecy. Ironically, the Lérins islands are famous for their anonymity — from the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask on Sainte Marguerite to the quiet monks who toil the soil and produce exclusive wine on Saint-Honorat. Now, there are also Cannes inhabitants whose faces have been anonymously cemented in history by British artist Jason de Caires Taylor just offshore, and the locals who are more interested in showing off authentic Cannes than having their own names up in lights.
So as the festival season kicks off and you head to star-studded Cannes this July, consider diving below the surface — exploring the parts of this city and outlying islands that are still ripe with authenticity and veiled in a bit of secrecy.
Mysterious Sainte Marguerite
You may have heard of the island of Sainte Marguerite, where the infamous Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned for 11 years in the 17th century. Famously, Leonardo Di Capro went on to play him in the 1990s, but the mystery had shrouded the man for centuries, with historians and researchers unable to ever figure out who the man really was and why his identity needed to be protected. A cloth of black velvet actually covered his face, but his nickname comes courtesy of Voltaire, who believed the man was the brother of the King of France, and that he
wore an iron mask. These days, the inhabitants of Cannes head to Sainte Marguerite for a relaxing day out. A botanical trail leads you past the luxuriant vegetation and the Sea Museum replaces prisoners in the Fort Royal — the real prison of the Man in the Iron Mask. Sainte Marguerite is the largest of the Lérins islands and its wild Mediterranean forest of eucalyptus and Aleppo pine trees makes for a natural retreat away from the bustle — and bright lights — of the city.
Not so secret…
While on Sainte Marguerite, a stop at the restaurant La Guérite is a must. Headed by Yiannis Kioroglou, a prodigy of Greek gastronomy who trained at Michelin-starred restaurants all over Europe, the restaurant overlooks the water, features a beach club with sun beds and showcases authentic Mediterranean cuisine like homemade pasta with local spiny lobster, or humble but exquisite artichoke and parmesan salad.
Secretive, winemaking monks
Across a short stretch of water, the island of Saint-Honorat has a religious history that spans 16 centuries and is still home to about 20 monks at the monastery of the Cistercian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception. But, what attracts most travelers to the island today is the wine.
On this private oasis, which belongs to the monks of the Abbaye, you can go back in time and visit everything on the grounds from the fortified monastery to the tower and chapels that are scattered around the island, including the famous Chapelle de la Trinité.
Here, the life of the monks are shrouded in mystery with a strong emphasis on authenticity and seclusion. Far from the Croisette in cells of under 10 square metres, the wine-making monks dedicate their lives to prayers, and wine. Using ancient methods and doing everything by hand, the monks and the vineyard workers sustainably produce a limited range of wines and liqueurs. Wine tastings are popular, and so is a stop at La Tonnelle. The restaurant, located on monastery land, is the perfect place to try the Cuvée des Moines of Lérins Abbey, accompanied by fresh Mediterranean food “de saison.”
Discrete locals show off their city, their way
In a city where movie fans invade every year for a glimpse of their favorite stars, meeting locals will bring you back down to earth and give you a sense of authenticity. A walking tour with an official Cannes Greeter — locals who welcome tourists into their beloved city — is not about glamour and glitter, but what everyday gems hide around every corner. One of the Greeters, Florence, takes visitors to the island of Saint-Honorat, while Frédéric, whose family has been in the area since 1876, offers to share his personal history in the Montfleury and Lower Californie districts, or to meet an artist’s daughter in a hidden painter’s studio.
There’s a lot happening below the surface in Cannes
Between the two Lérins islands, anonymous Cannois with a story to tell have become the latest attraction. Here, six giant sculptures of locals — ranging in age from seven to 78 — make up France’s first underwater eco-museum. A collaboration between artist Jason deCaires Taylor and the city of Cannes, the cement, pH neutral concrete faces are making a statement about the state of the world’s oceans. Fragmented in two, one side of the locals’ portraits present a larger, mask-like outer half to the world, a metaphor for the ocean’s decline, often masked, happening below the surface and away from view.
In this part of the Mediterranean where the decline of marine biodiversity has had a massive impact on people’s livelihood, it seems fitting that one of the locals, chosen at random for the project, is a local fisherman.
To dive into this art installation and see the ever-evolving sculptures up close, all you need is a mask, a tuba, and a willingness to swim between 84 and 132 meters away from the coast of Sainte Marguerite.
The logistics
There aren’t any traditional accommodations on the Lérins, but both islands are easily accessible from Cannes. In terms of getting there, chartering a boat and sailing to the islands is the best option. However, it is worth noting that the underwater museum is protected, and the area has a strict no mooring policy — so get ready to dive in when the skipper says you’ve made it.
