The largest suburb of Nice, it stretches along a cove offering nearly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of beach and is surrounded by hills, including the one of the castle, which rises to 91 metres (299 ft) above sea level.

The town was the retreat and final address of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who moved there in 1907 in an attempt to improve his arthritis and remained there until his death in 1919.

In the late 1920s, Cagnes-sur-Mer became a residence for many American renowned literary and art figures, such as Katie Boyle, George Antheil, and Harry and Caresse Crosby.

[3][4] The Belgian author Georges Simenon (1903–1989), creator of the fictional detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, lived at 98 montée de la Bourgade in the 1950s with his third wife and their three children; his initial "S" may still be seen in the wrought iron on the stairs.

Places of interest include Renoir's estate, Les Collettes, surrounded by olive trees; the medieval castle at le Haut-de-Cagnes; and the Cros area, which was founded by Italian fishermen in the 19th century.