Iles de Lérins 
The island group of the Iles de Lérins lies between the Golfe de la Napoule and the Golfe Juan. The two principal islands are Ste-Marguerite and St-Honorat. The ferry plies several times a day between Cannes and the islands 4km/2.5mi out.
As early as the fifth and sixth centuries the islands were an important center of ecclesiastical erudition and monastic life.
As early as the fifth and sixth centuries the islands were an important center of ecclesiastical erudition and monastic life.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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In the year 660 the monastery assumed the Rule of St Benedict. Attacks by the Saracens and later by pirates from Genoa affected the monks very severely, and in the 16th century the convent began to decline into obscurity.
Related Attractions
Ste Marguerite
Ste-Marguerite, 3km/2mi long and up to 1km/0.5mi wide, is the largest island of the Lérins group and is covered with eucalyptus and pine woods. On its northern side stands a 17th C fort, fortified by Vauban, which served for a long time as a prison. Towards the end of the 17th C the man known as the "Masque de Fer" (Man in the Iron Mask), who was surrounded in secrecy and whose identity has never been established, was held prisoner here.
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