Page 272 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

de Morgiou; mains €18-27; the fishers unload their in summer. There’s a large car
hnoon-2.30pm & 7.30-9.30pm catch on the quayside, park on the edge of the village
May-Oct, closed Sun evening & and pick up local produce beneath the pétanque pitch.
Mon Apr) in Morgiou. at the lively Wednesday
market. TRIP HIGHLIGHT
The Drive »You’ll see signs
for Cassis not long after you 5 p274 5 Bormes-les-
drive out of the national park. Mimosas
Bandol is another 25km along The Drive »There’s no
the D559, and Sanary-sur-Mer is compelling reason to make a This 12th-century hilltop
8km further on. detour via run-down Toulon, so village is heralded for its
skip it and zoom past on the horticultural splendour:
motorway (A50, A57 and A570). dazzling yellow mimosas
3 Cassis, Bandol Take exit 7 to Hyères. in winter, deep-fuchsia
& Sanary-sur-Mer bougainvilleas in sum-
East of Marseille, the 4 Hyères mer. Generally, though,
coast road passes a The coastal town of it’s just a lovely place
handful of lovely seaside Hyères is split in two: to stop for a wander: a
villages, all with their there’s the attractive old browse around the many
own reason for a stop, town, centring around art galleries, a spot of
not least the area’s excel- a medieval castle, and souvenir shopping in the
lent wines. First comes the T-shaped peninsula, smart boutiques, or a lei-
Cassis, nestled at the home to a busy pleasure surely lunch at a village
foot of a dramatic rocky port and some fine sandy bistro. On the peninsula,
outcrop crowned by a beaches (perfect for a there’s also an 11th-
14th-century château day’s leisurely swimming century fortress to visit,
(now a hotel). Still a and sunbathing). In be- the Fort de Brégançon
working fishing port, its tween are several lagoons (www.bormeslesmimosas.com;
PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 24 VAR DELIGHTS
harbourside is crammed that are great for bird- Hameau de Cabasson, Bormes-
with seafood restau- watchers. But the main les-Mimosas; adult/child €10/
rants, perfect for a plate reason to visit Hyères free; h9am-7pm Jul-Sep,
of grilled sardines or a is (rather ironically) shorter hours rest of year),
copious shellfish platter. to leave: it’s the main used as a private state
Neighbouring Bandol is harbour for trips over to residence for the French
well-known for its wines, the idyllic Îles d’Hyères, president since 1968, and
too: stop in at the Maison a tiny archipelago of opened to the public in
des Vins (Oenothèque des islands fringed by white July 2014. Book a ticket
Vins du Bandol; %04 94 29 sand and criss-crossed by at Bormes’ tourist office,
45 03; www.maisondesvins- nature trails. Transport which also arranges
bandol.com; place Lucien Littoral Varois (%04 94 58 guided nature walks in
Artaud, Bandol; h10am-1pm & 21 81; www.tlv-tvm.com) runs the nearby forests.
3-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm ferries, including a two- The Drive »Pick up the coast
Sun), where manager island day trip (return road again (D559) and follow
Pascal Perier will happily €31.50) to Île de Port- its curves as it becomes the
give you a crash course, Cros and Le Levant. Corniche des Maures. There
and recommend local are numerous swimming spots
vineyards. Last comes 54 p274 along here, so keep your eyes
peeled and your bathing suit to
seaside Sanary-sur-Mer, The Drive »It’s an easy 21km hand. The Domaine du Rayol is
perhaps the prettiest and along the D98 to Bormes-les- clearly signed when you hit Le
most authentic of all: Mimosas, although the climb Rayol-Canadel.
here you can still watch up to the village can be trafficky

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