Girls Getaway to the French Riviera - Yachts, Monks & Wine

The next morning we left the hotel’s pontoon, boarded our private boat and made our way to Saint-Honorat Island, which is located off the Bay of Cannes, opposite the Hotel Martinez. In the year 405 on this parcel of land in the middle of the sea, a monk named Saint Honorat established a place for the monastic life. In 1869, the island saw the arrival of the first Cistercian monks from the monastery of Senanque. Today, about 20 monks still reside there are maintain a vineyard, Lerins Abbey, which produces about 40,000-50,000 bottles per year. The monks of Saint-Honorat (or Monk Island as I called it) are earning acclaim for their wines. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a private wine tasting while at the island.

After working up an appetite tasting wine, we enjoyed lunch at the island restaurant La Tonnelle, which involved more wine, then returned to Cannes by boat. The French Riviera is a major yachting and cruising area with several marinas along its coast, so the boat ride provided close views of some incredible yachts. The Riviera hosts 50% of the world's super yacht fleet, with 90% of all super yachts visiting the region's coast at least once in their lifetime.

Once back, we toured the old town of Cannes “Le Suquet” with its interesting history, lovely narrow streets and amazing views from the top of the Musee de la Castre.