Lérins Islands: the tower-monastery and the Man in the Iron Mask

Off the coast of Cannes lie two islands that can be reached in a quarter of an hour by boat, yet the feeling is as if you have stepped into another era. On Sainte-Marguerite stands the fortress where the prisoner in the Man in the Iron Mask was held; on Saint-Honorat live monks whose community spans sixteen centuries. This summer, on 22 June 2026, the restored tower-monastery on Saint-Honorat was ceremonially opened after six years of work.

Saint-Honorat: the tower-monastery

The fortified 11th-century monastery stands on the southern shore of the island. Restoration took six years: the tower was protected with two roofs — a modern one and a traditional one — the masonry, doors, windows and grilles were restored, the lighting of the interior halls was installed and the Sainte-Croix chapel was refurbished. It is now better prepared to receive visitors. According to the Cannes town hall, all this is part of the preparation of the application to include Saint-Honorat Island on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The island is alive, not a museum. According to the abbey, 21 Cistercian monks from different countries currently live here. Their day is organised around prayer, work and study, and the church is open to guests: you can attend Mass (on weekdays at 11:30, on Sundays at 10:00).

What else to see on Saint-Honorat

According to the Cannes Tourist Office, the island has seven chapels of different eras, two ovens for heating cannonballs from 1794 (a monument since 1908) and a vineyard of 8 hectares producing over 30,000 bottles of wine a year. The monks also make liqueurs and olive oil, all sold in the abbey shop. The restaurant La Tonnelle is open for lunch only.

The rules are simple: take your rubbish with you, picnics only in designated areas, do not disturb the wildlife: the island is home to rare green lizards.

Sainte-Marguerite: the Man in the Iron Mask

On the neighbouring island stands Fort Royal. Inside is the Man in the Iron Mask Museum and Fort Royal: state prisons, the cell of the most famous prisoner and a memorial to the Huguenots, as well as wall paintings by Jean Le Gac. In the Roman cisterns and on the floor above are displays of finds from underwater archaeology from two shipwrecks and fragments from excavations on the island.

Admission is €6.50 (full) and €3.50 (reduced). From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 13:15 and from 14:15 to 16:45, closed on Mondays.

How to get there and when to go

Boats to Saint-Honorat depart from the Laubeuf quayside in Cannes: services are operated by the company Planaria, run by the monks themselves (timetable and tickets — on cannes-ilesdelerins.com). A boat to Sainte-Marguerite also leaves from the same quayside; the crossing takes about 15 minutes.

In autumn, when the summer crowds have subsided, it is most pleasant to visit, but bear in mind the reduced museum hours and that some services close in winter. If you are attracted to fortresses with history, also visit Fort Carré in Antibes and the citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

In the photo — the tower-monastery of the Lérins Abbey, seen from the west.

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Photo: Tangopaso / Wikimedia Commons