traveldk.com

As the red rocks of the Esterel hills tumble into the clear blue sea, they give the coast around St-Raphaël an untamed allure. The small creekr are enticing; equally alluring, but bigger, sandier and more accessible, is the Bay of Agay – perfect for families (see Plage d’Agay).

The “baou” is the rock overlooking the village near Vence. Stiff but rewarding walk (3–4 hours).

Steps on the eastern edge of town lead down to this extraordinary creek. On either side are cliffs, while further back are terraces of fig-trees and pines. Out front, the blue sea laps around weird rock formations and onto the pebble shore. A world unto itself.

“Calanques ” are creeks formed where the chalk cliffs between Cassis and Marseille plunge to the sea. En-Vau is the prettiest and one of the more accessible – a mere 90-minute walk from the nearest Cassis car park. It’s worth it. At the foot of the white, pine-clad rocks, the setting of sand and luminous sea is intimate, wild and quite unforgettable (see Les Calanques).

Spectacular walking along headland trails (see Les Calanques).

The classic trip is to canoe down the Verdon Gorges – a two-day, turbulent, 24-km (15-mile) trip from Carrejuan Bridge to Lac de Ste-Croix (see Lac de Ste-Croix). Slightly calmer spirits might prefer canoeing La Sorgue, from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (see Fontaine-de-Vaucluse).

The exhilarating sport of descending torrents and canyons by abseiling, jumping and swimming has taken off big time. Try it in the Roya valley near Saorge or in any of 70 sites in the Ubaye and Verdon valleys. There are easier descents for beginners in the Pennafort and Destel gorges.

Laid out around the casino (see Casino de Monte Carlo) these are classic 19th-century gardens, with trim lawns and water features.

The ruins of a fortified monastery provide a superb setting for two terraces. The first is a formal arrangement of yew and box-trees, shaded by Aleppo pines. The second features a lovely fountain and cascade.

For some of France’s finest, toughest rock climbing, head for the Buoux cliffs in the Luberon (see Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon), the Verdon Gorges, with 933 routes (see Grand Canyon du Verdon) or the creeks between Marseille and Cassis (see p66). Easier conditions can be found in the Dentelles de Montmirail (see Les Dentelles de Montmirail).