Page 274 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

sions, during which you and the restaurants are
6 Domaine du Rayol get to spot some of the really fabulous, if only
East of Bormes, the colourful flora and sea you weren’t picking up
coastal Corniche des life that lie beneath the the tab.
Swamped by more
Maures twists past sandy Mediterranean waves. than 100,000 visitors a
beaches and seaside The Drive »The D559
settlements like Le meanders all the way to day in summer, outside
Lavandou and Le Rayol- swish St-Tropez, although, the peak season St-
Canadel, where you’ll unfortunately, if you’re here in Tropez rediscovers its
find one of the gems summer, you’re pretty much soul. Now’s the time to
wander the cobbled lanes
guaranteed to hit jams the
of this stretch of the nearer you get to town. There’s a
coastline: the dazzling big car park by the port. in the old fishing quarter
gardens of the Domaine of La Ponche, or sip a
du Rayol (%04 98 04 44 00; pastis and watch a game
www.domainedurayol.org; av TRIP HIGHLIGHT of pétanque on lovely
place des Lices – prefer-
des Belges, Rayol-Canadel-sur- 7 St-Tropez
Mer; adult/child €10.50/7.50; Sizzling sexpot Bri- ably with a generous slice
h9.30am-7.30pm Jul & gitte Bardot came to of tarte Tropézinenne,
the town’s famous
Aug, to 6.30pm Apr-Jun, Sep St-Tropez in the ’50s
& Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-Mar), and transformed the orange-perfumed cake.
stocked with plants from peaceful fishing village 54 p274
Mediterranean climates into a jet-set favourite.
from across the globe. It’s Tropeziens have thrived The Drive »Back onto the
a riot of fragrance and on their sexy image ever our old friend again, the D559,
through Port-Grimaud and
colour, best visited in since. At the Vieux Port, Ste-Maxime, along the coast,
April and May when the yachts like spaceships and into Fréjus after 38km. Allow
flowers are in full bloom. jostle for millionaire more time than you think you’ll
PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 24 VAR DELIGHTS
In summer, the estate’s moorings, while out on need; traffic’s inevitable. St-
lovely beach also runs the beaches, cashed-up Raphaël is just round the bay.
guided snorkelling ses- kids dance until dawn

MASSIF DES MAURES
A wild range of wooded hills rumpling the landscape inland between Hyères and
Fréjus, the Massif des Maures is a pocket of surprising wilderness just a few
kilometres from the summer hustle of the Côte d’Azur. Shrouded by pine, chestnut
and cork oak trees, its near-black vegetation gives rise to its name, derived from the
Provençal word mauro (dark pine wood). Traditional industries (chestnut harvests,
cork, pipe-making) are still practised here, and the area is criss-crossed by hiking
trails that offer wraparound views of the coastline. From June to September, access
to many areas is limited due to the risk of forest fire, but at other times of year, it’s a
haven of peace and nature.
The leafy village of Collobrières (population 1950) is worth a detour: it’s
renowned for its chestnuts and hosts its own chestnut festival in August. The tourist
office offers guided forest walks and can point you in the direction of the Châtaignier
de Madame, the biggest chestnut tree in Provence, measuring a mighty 10.4m round.
Epic roads are ten-a-penny here: the D27 via the Col du Canadel and the
tortuous route des Crêtes nearby are the stuff of Top Gear dreams.

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