Page 275 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

8 Fréjus & THE VILLAGE OF TORTOISES
St-Raphaël
They might not be quite About 20km north of Collobrières, this wildlife
reserve protects one of France’s most endangered
on a par with many species, the Hermann tortoise (Testudo hermanni).
of Provence’s Roman Once common along the Mediterranean coast, it
ruins, but the little town is today found only in the Massif des Maures and
of Fréjus is still worth Corsica. A viewing trail travels through the reserve
a detour if you’re an (look out for vicious-looking models of the tortoise’s
archaeology enthusiast, ancestors lurking among the bushes). Along the way,
with the remains of an you’ll also visit the tortoise clinic, where wounded
amphitheatre, Roman tortoises are treated before being re-released back
theatre and various into the wild, and the nurseries, where precious eggs
arches and portals. are hatched and young tortoises spend the first three
Even if you’re not, the of their 60 to 100 years.
old town is lovely: make In summer, the best time to see the tortoises is
sure you stop in at Le in the morning and late afternoon. Hatching season
Fromager for a gourmet is from mid-May to the end of June; from November PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 24 VAR DELIGHTS
tour of local cheeses. Just through early March, they’re all tucked up during
along the coast is Fréjus’ hibernation.
sister town, St-Raphaël,
a beachy, boaty kind of
place, and a good over- that feels a world away Artuby, then climb past
night base. from the chichi towns the impressive Pont
of the coast. Dry and d’Artuby, Europe’s high-
54 p275 sparsely populated, stud- est bridge, and track the
The Drive »Get the quick ded with hill villages and southern side of the gorg-
stretch along the A8 out of the riven by gorges, it makes es along a route that’s
way, exiting onto the D1555 for spectacular driving. sometimes known (ap-
northwards towards Draguignan. Your ultimate destination propriately enough) as La
Turn off onto the D955 before you is the majestic Gorges du Corniche Sublime (D955
reach town, which will take you Verdon, sometimes called to D90, D71 and D19).
via the Gorges de Chateaudouble,
and stay on the road all the way Europe’s Grand Canyon The drops are dizzying
to Comps-sur-Artuby. Here you – but it’s worth making and it’s single-file most of
turn left onto the D71 and enter a detour via one of the the way, but there aren’t
the wild, sky-high world of the lesser-known valleys, like many more memorable
Gorges du Verdon. the Gorges de Chateau- drives. Eventually, you’ll
double, 12km north of pass the emerald-green
the military town of waters of the Lac de
9 Haut-Var Draguignan. Ste-Croix before reach-
From the coast, it’s time From the coast, it’s ing the journey’s end in
to head inland into the about a 90-minute drive Moustiers-Ste-Marie.
hills of the Haut-Var, a before you enter the 54 p275
rocky, wild landscape gorges near Comps-sur-

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