île Sainte-Marguerite Anchorage

Drop anchor off Île Sainte-Marguerite, the larger of the two Lérins Islands sitting just a short sail from Cannes, in around 10 metres of water. It gets seriously packed during the day in summer, so arriving in the evening gives you a much calmer experience. The island itself has real history — this is where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned in the 17th-century Fort Royal — and dense pine forest runs right down toward the shoreline. Bonus tip from those in the know: order pizzas and mojitos from the Catapizza boat that comes out to you.