Le Cannet climbs the hills directly behind Cannes, and from its upper streets you look down over the rooftops of the city to the bay, the Lérins islands and the red Esterel mountains to the west. The old village at its heart, with narrow lanes, painted walls and small squares, still has a Provençal charm that the busy streets below have largely lost.
The painter Pierre Bonnard lived here for the last two decades of his life, in a villa called Le Bosquet, and painted the views from his windows again and again. The Musée Bonnard, in the town centre, is dedicated to his work and that of his contemporaries, and it is a lovely, quiet museum, well worth a visit if you have time.
As a start and fuel stop, Le Cannet is practical. There are service stations and shops in the town and along the main roads, and it is easy to fill up before heading into the hills. The roads north from here lead towards Mougins, Grasse and the Route Napoléon, or west towards the Esterel and the coast. Traffic can be heavy, especially in summer and during the Cannes Film Festival in May, so an early start is wise.
From Le Cannet, the transition from the coast to the mountains is rapid. Within half an hour, you can be climbing into the pre-Alps, with the Mediterranean shrinking behind you. Check your tyre pressures in the cool of the morning; by the time you reach the Route Napoléon the coast will be a blue haze far below.