My coronary heart sings once I consider the attractive locations on the Côte d’Azur. Maybe as a result of I spent many childhood summers in St. Tropez and Port Grimaud, the language seems like music to my ears and the view of the bay is balm for my soul.
Should you’re considering of exploring the area, listed here are essentially the most lovely locations on the Cote d’Azur to go to.
Right here’s a fast abstract:
6 of essentially the most lovely locations on the Cote d’Azur
Don’t overlook so as to add a number of of those locations on the Cote d’Azur to your French Riviera itinerary.
Additionally try: Greatest Issues to do in Good, France
1. Prairies de la Mer
There’s a particular magic that emanates from the tranquil place by the ocean that I made the hub of my week-long discovery tour on the Cote d’Azur: The “Prairies de la Mer,” a Polynesian-style village of wood huts.
I begin the day right here with my ft within the sand, I finish the day right here with my ft within the sand. I watch the solar sink slowly into the horizon, bathing the whole lot in an orange-red gentle.
Dutch, French and Germans wish to trip on this village, which has 2 different offshoots on the well-known seashore of Pampelonne – the “Kontiki” and the “Toison d’Or“, which all collectively belong to the Riviera Villages. Whereas the seashore of Pampelonne has extra of a “see and be seen” really feel to it, the “Prairies de la Mer” is situated proper subsequent to the lagoon city of Port Grimaud, designed by architect Francoise Spoerry within the Provençal-Mediterranean type and constructed from 1966.
Prairies de la Mer affords a meter-long sandy seashore with water sports activities amenities, a big boating space, a spa, a youngsters’s and youngsters’ space, retailers and supermarkets, fantastic cafés, bars and eating places, a present stage with night concert events, tennis, paddle and volleyball courts, a health space, a pony membership and bicycle leases.
Even pets are welcome on this pleasant and enjoyable village.
2. Port Grimaud
Port Grimaud is considered one of my favourite childhood locations within the Cote d’Azur as a result of it’s small, colourful, sheltered from wind and waves, like Venice surrounded by water and a dream for each sailor’s coronary heart. As a result of its structure affords nearly each inhabitant a dock for a ship proper in entrance of the door.
Eating places and ice cream parlors, a twice-weekly market on the village sq. and lots of small retailers invite you to walk and store. Touristy, sure, I admit! However touristy with allure!
Particularly within the night and at evening, the lagoon metropolis with its bridges and boats is basically fabulous.
3. Grimaud
A small runs between the holiday village of Prairies de la Mer and the mountain village of Grimaud six instances a day.
Grimaud is taken into account some of the lovely villages in Provence. Strolling right here offers perception into the French lifestyle. Above all, the lavender fields across the village, the Romanesque church buildings and the ruined fortress that towers over the village have a allure all on their very own.
4. Ramatuelle
Lovely and authentic with its cobbled and winding streets, Ramatuelle can be lovely.
Positioned only a few kilometers from Port Grimaud and St. Tropez, this small city affords breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
From the linden tree, you enter the outdated city via an archway. There, you’ll be greeted by essentially the most well-known pâtisserie of the place, the café “La Tarte Tropezienne“. The well-known Tarte Tropezienne, which seems to be like an outsized Berliner or Krebbel, is a “should” and an actual deal with in each conceivable taste and dimension.
The morning is one of the best time to discover Ramatuelle, as a result of at 11 o’clock the winding streets with their pastel-colored homes are nonetheless abandoned.
5. Plage de Pampelonne
From Ramatuelle, it’s price going to the Plage de Pampelonne. With its tremendous white sand and turquoise water, it offers an actual Caribbean feeling.
Because the Fifties, the wealthy and delightful of the world have flocked right here, in addition to anybody else who loves solar, sand and sea.
Plage de Pampelonne is among the largest and hottest seashores of the Cote d’Azur – stretching for five kilometers. Along with the vacation villages of Kontiki and Toison d’Or, you’ll additionally discover well-known seashore golf equipment similar to “Membership 55,” which affords solar loungers and seashore life on the seashore, or a bit additional away from the ocean below pine bushes for shady hours within the restaurant.
Though you won’t anticipate it, there are nonetheless parking areas obtainable at lunchtime, only a few minutes stroll from the seashore. Parking at des Barraques is particularly really useful. It is rather near Nikki Seaside and Verde Seaside.
A go to to Verde Seaside just isn’t solely a deal with for the abdomen, but additionally for the eyes. It seems to be a bit like a film set when the wealthy and delightful arrive on boats at 1:30 a.m., inflicting a number of waiters to secretly roll their eyes when tables are requested to be moved for the fourth time or shifted a number of centimeters.
6. St. Tropez
From Port Grimaud, you possibly can attain St. Tropez by boat each 1 hour in spring and fall and each half hour in summer season from the Capitainerie.
Watch out, the return journey is far more troublesome. Fairly than selecting to return through the “Vieux Port,” go on to the brand new “Estacade Port.” That means, you possibly can keep away from ready in lengthy traces within the blazing warmth.
Gastronomically and by way of the number of retailers, St. Tropez affords the whole lot a vacationer’s coronary heart needs. The market with its flowers and lots of handmade merchandise, soaps, wooden carvings and meals can be an expertise.
When there isn’t any market on the Place de Lices. As a substitute, the well-known French sport of pétanque is performed below the massive airplane bushes, and the eating places across the market sq. supply hearty meals.
Rue Georges Clemenceau can be house to one of many well-known cafés, “La Tarte Tropezienne“. Not solely are the desserts to die for, however being a buyer there made me really feel like a queen. With a lot time, endurance, leisure and love I’ve by no means had a cake wrapped for me and I nonetheless thanks for this nice gesture of appreciation!
Even when you realize that the eating places within the harbor are sometimes vacationer traps, the little Italian nook restaurant “Sicilia” on the primary line of the harbor is magical, and the pizza is tremendous scrumptious!
However in fact, there are lots of different fantastic gastronomic experiences awaiting guests to Saint-Tropez as soon as they climb the hill.
Parachuting in St. Tropez
A spotlight within the truest sense of the phrase is parachuting into the Gulf of St. Tropez. Proper on the seashore of Port Grimaud, in entrance of the Membership Prairies de la Mer, Riviera Water Sports activities affords single, tandem and even triple flights, along with many different water sports activities actions.
A rubber dinghy will take you on to the parachute boat, the place you’ll be geared up with a Go-Professional on a selfie stick and, after a bit greater than quarter-hour at a dizzying peak – 100 meters are sufficient – you’ll be gently pulled again to the rear platform of the boat.
Merely breathtaking!
Seeing the white boats as small as pinheads in the midst of the blue sea and the view over the hills across the gulf was actually one thing unforgettable.
Au revoir!
I’ve been to the Cote d’Azur so many instances, to a seaside campsite, a lodge or a membership resort, however one factor is completely sure:
I’ll return to this particular place many instances, as a result of for me, it’s the melody of happiness.
