Île Sainte Marguerite and its Hidden Beauty

Many thanks to Alexandra who shares her new favorite island of Île Sainte Marguerite. Her pictures and stories entice me to travel. Don’t you want to travel with her, too? I’m delighted that she is willing to write about her time in the south of France.  Here she shares her love of Île Sainte Marguerite. I’ve yet to travel there so her posts inspire me to move further south in my travels.

Island Dreaming

When you close your eyes, how do you imagine the island of your dreams? I used to picture the perfect island with sandy beaches, palm trees and bright sunshine. I now realized I was so wrong! Île Sainte Marguerite has become my new favorite island despite it having mostly rocky beaches and shady forests. Or I might just love it for that reason 🙂 Let’s find out more about the beauty of this wild island!

Île Sainte Marguerite is the largest of the Lérins islands with 3 km (1.9 miles) in length and 900 meters (0.56 miles) across. It’s easily walkable along its paths which lead through shady pine and eucalyptus forests.

The whole island is a beach! You will find sandy beaches near the landing stage, with a boardwalk and people sunbathing. If you enjoy more remote beaches as I do, you might enjoy some small hidden rocky bays around the island. You find plenty of them after just a short walk along the twisting shoreline. Many of which without people. Numerous eucalyptus trees provide cool shade and an aromatic smell of nature.

Live Music and Shopping

The busier area of Île Sainte Marguerite is right at the ferry landing stage. Some restaurants, shops and homes of fishermen make up the more touristy part of the island. It’s nice to walk around, enjoy the live music entertainment in restaurants or shop for souvenirs.

If you want to know more about the history of the island, you will enjoy the Fort Royal. Apparently the Man in the Iron Mask was held prisoner there and his former prison cell can still be visited to this day. Today the Fort Royal is home to a youth hostel (the only accommodation to spend the night!) and the Musée de la Mer. Since this point is more elevated, you enjoy a great panoramic view from the Fort over the coast of Cannes.

Another interesting site is the cemetery of French soldiers who were fighting in the Crimean War as the island was used as a sanatorium for injured soldiers back in the day.

Some practical information:

Since there are no cars allowed on the island, you will have to take a 15-minute ferry ride from Port de Cannes. There are not as many boats back to Cannes and even in midsummer they don’t run late. I recommend being there waiting for your return boat at least 30 minutes early because not all people might fit on one. If you miss the last ferry, you’re up for a night under the stars. Don’t forget, authorities don’t allow camping.

Île Sainte Marguerite is a hidden beauty. Despite being not far from the coast of Cannes, it feels remote and untouched. Too bad there’s no opportunity to set up camp and spend the night, otherwise spending more time there would definitely be desirable. Having a clear blue water bay to myself with the opportunity to sunbathe, climb rocks and hike all day seems like the perfect island to me.

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