World City Guide

Sport

French tennis was born in Cannes (the ‘town of a hundred courts’) in 1879, when Sir Thomas Robinson Woolfield built the first court. The modern city has over 16 clubs with 130 courts – the oldest among them, the Tennis Club de Cannes, has welcomed both George V of Sweden and Rita Hayworth. Golf in the city dates back to the original Cannes Golf Club, set up by the exiled brother of Alexander III Tsar of Russia, in the 19th century. Watersports, including windsurfing, water-skiing, scuba diving and pedalos, are widely enjoyed. Sailing takes place at the Vieux Port (Quai St Pierre) and the marinas on the eastern side of Cannes.

The International Festival of Games, which takes place in February, features backgammon, bridge, belote, draughts, chess, role-playing, tarot-reading and crossword puzzles. The Cannes International Show Jumping Competition takes place in June. In September, the International Yachting Festival, one of the leading boat shows in France, is held at the Pantiero Esplanade. During the Royal Regattas, later in the month, fleets of yachts come to Cannes for a week of races.

Boules: Association Boulistes Kiosque, Allée de la Liberté (tel: (04) 9299 2814) is Cannes’ oldest boules club.

Fitness centres: All of the Cannes’ ‘Palaces’ luxury accommodation and four-star hotels are equipped with fitness centres. Aero Gym Wohl’s sports centre for women only, 15 rue Georges Clemenceau (tel: (04) 9338 0670), entitles visitors to participate in all the group courses (including stretching, aerobics and aqua aerobics in the sea) as well as access to sauna, jacuzzi and fitness rooms. Men can pump their muscles at the men-only Fitness Centre, 10 boulevard du Moulin (tel: (04) 9399 6616). The huge, mixed gym, Top Fit, is located close to the motorway exit for Antibes (tel: (04) 9374 4444).

Golf: The best greens on the Riviera are within easy reach of Cannes. These include Cannes-Mandelieu, Route du Golf in Mandelieu (tel: (04) 9297 3200), and Cannes Mougins Golf Country Club, 175 Route d’Antibes in Mougins (tel: (04) 9375 7913). Membership is not required and visitors should expect to pay ¬90 for a day’s golfing.

Swimming: In addition to the hotel pools and the beaches, visitors can swim at Piscine Coubertin, avenue Pierre Poési (tel: (04) 9347 1294) for ¬1.45.

Tennis: A few of the many courts in Cannes are Tennis Club de Cannes, 11 rue Lacour (tel: (04) 9343 5885), Gallia Lucien Barrière Tennis, 8 boulevard Strasbourg (tel: (04) 9399 2320), and Tennis Municipal de la Bastide, 220 avenue Francis Tonner in La Bastide Rouge (tel: (04) 9347 2933). All charge hourly rates.