Visit to St-Honorat Island

The smaller of the two inhabited Lérins islands, St-Honorat, can be reached from Cannes Harbour by a regular boat shuttle. It is a tranquil spot outside of the busy Riviera where no cars or even bikes are allowed.

The monks of the Lerins Abbey have lived on the island for 16 centuries. They produce renowned wine using ancestral methods mainly from Clairette, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Pinot Noir varieties grown in their 8 hectare vineyard.

Cannes Harbour

Leaving Cannes

St-Honorat trail

The boat from Cannes took 15 minutes. It was a super autumn day with clear skies and pleasant temperatures. A regatta took place in Cannes on the day of our visit and the harbour was busy. However, most of the Lérins islands’ visitors went to the larger Saint Marguarite Island.

Cannes seen from St-Honorat

St-Honorat southern shore

Monastery tower St-Honorat

We started with a walk around the island (40 min) along the wide path following the shoreline. Walking anticlockwise, we stopped at the sole restaurant named La Tonnelle to reserve a table for lunch. We circled around the western tip of the island and headed towards the Abbey. Our timing coincided with a Mass and we did not visit the Abbey or its garden. The fortified monastery was closed for renovation. We explored the shop and bought a bottle of organic white (St.Pierre 2022, 4100 bottles produced; Clairette and Chardonnay grapes in addition to a little Rolle).

We continued to the eastern tip in a pine forest before returning to our starting point and the restaurant for lunch.