Page 518 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

EXPERIENCE Provence and the Côte d’Azur flowers on the Massif des

Umbrella pines and wild
Maures nature reserve

20
Hyères
Massif des Maures
Cassis
! G7 ⌂ Var ~ £
! G6 ⌂ Var ~ Toulon- 21 22
! F7 ⌂ Bouches-du-Rhône
Hyères £ Hyères, Toulon £ @ n Quai des Moulins, Le @ g n Rotonde du
or Fréjus @ Bormes-les- Port; www.ot-cassis.com Park Hotel, 16 av de
Mimosas g Toulon n 1 pl Belgique; www. hyeres-
Gambetta, Bormes-les- Many of the villages along this tourisme.com
Mimosas; www.bormesles coast have been built up and
mimosas.com have all but lost their original Towards the end of the 18th
charm, but Cassis is still much century, Hyères became one
The dense wilderness of pine, the same little fishing port of the first health resorts of
oak and chestnut covering that attracted artists such as the Côte d’Azur. Subsequent
nearly 65 km (40 miles) of the Dufy, Signac and Derain. This visitors included Queen Victoria
Maures mountains probably is a place in which to relax at and writers Robert Louis
gave rise to its name, meaning a waterside café, watching Stevenson and Edith Wharton.
“dark” or “gloomy”. The D558 the fishermen at work or the The main sights are in the
gives access. Along the way is street performers, while Vieille Ville’s medieval streets,
La Garde-Freinet, well-known enjoying a meal of seafood leading past flagstoned place
for its bottle-cork industry. fresh from the boat and a Massillon to a ruined castle
Northwest of Cannet-des- bottle of the local dry white and views over the coast.
Maures lies the Abbaye de wine for which Cassis is noted. Modern Hyères is imbued
Thoronet. This, and abbeys at From Marseille to Cassis the with a lingering belle époque
Sénanque, in Vaucluse, and coast forms narrow inlets, the charm, which has become
Silvacane, in the Bouches-du- Calanques, their jagged white popular with experimental
Rhône, are known as the cliffs (some as high as 400 m/ film-makers. It continues to
“Three Sisters” of Provence. 1,312 ft) reflected in dazzling attract a health-conscious
turquoise water. Abundant crowd and is a major centre
wildlife includes seabirds, for aquatic sports.
HIDDEN GEM foxes, stone martens, bats,
Port Pin large snakes and lizards.
A beautiful one-hour The plant life is no less 23
hike west of Cassis will impressive, with more than
bring you to the idyllic 900 species, of which 50 are Toulon
pine-shaded calanque classified as rare. The Sormiou
of Port Pin, blessed with and En-Vau calanques are ! F7 ⌂ Var ~ £ @ g
n 12 pl Louis-Blanc; www.
blissfully clear waters. particularly lovely, and both
Bring water, a picnic and the wonderful Massif de toulontourisme.com
a parasol – there are no Calanque and the Cap Canaille In 1793 this naval base was
facilities on the beach. have deservedly been desig- captured by an Anglo-Spanish
nated as national parks. fleet, but was retaken by the
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