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Killer whales, sharks and dolphins are all inhabitants of Marineland. There is also a farm, a petting zoo, a butterfly and reptile jungle, and the largest water park on the Riviera, with 12 giant chutes, a wave pool, a large swimming pool, as well as three miniature golf courses.

As the rugged red rocks of the Esterel range plunge into the blue of the Mediterranean, they create creeks and contrasts of stirring beauty. Inland, the tough, volcanic mountains may rise no higher than 600 m (2,000 ft) but the landscape is of breathtaking gorges, passes and peaks. Many paths and tracks provide access to the mountainscape and its rich tree life. Take the Perthus or tougher Mal-Infernet valleys – in the footsteps of brigands who hid out here (see Massif de l’Esterel).

Ménerbes was superbly sited for defence. As a Protestant stronghold, it held out for five years during the 16th-century Wars of Religion. The position remains dramatic, but peace now reigns around the citadel and townhouses. The views are terrific.

Almost 820 m (2,700 ft) up, Mons has the heritage to match its grandiose position: remains of the great Roche Taillée Roman aqueduct run nearby (see Roche Taillée, Mons). In the village itself, narrow alleys wind around ancient porches, arcades and the wonderful 12th-century church. A gem.

The highest peak in the Provençal Alps rises to a height of 3,050 m (10,020 ft) and dominates a lofty landscape of bare rocky summits, streaked by snow until early summer, pine forests and alpine meadows. The massif is crossed by breathtaking passes, including the Cime de la Bonette, by which the D64 road traverses the shoulder of Mont Pelat at a height of 2,860 m (9,400 ft), making it the highest pass in Europe.

The bald-headed “Giant of Provence” is the Vaucluse’s greatest landmark, a vast pyramid of rock which has inspired poets, mystics and botanists for centuries. Rising 1,900 m (6,300 ft), it commands the surrounding landscape, affording astonishing views to the sea, the Alps and the Rhône. Snow-capped in winter, the summit is revealed as arid chalk in summer and buffeted by strong winds all year round. The lower slopes are dense with trees, 1,000 plant varieties and wildlife.

Deep in the heart of the Luberon, the Lure mountain – an extension of the savage massif of Mont Ventoux in neighbouring Vaucluse (see Mont Ventoux) – is Provence at its wildest, least hospitable and, some would say, its loveliest. Abandoned hamlets are reminders of Provence in the first half of the 20th century, when many rural people gave up trying to scrape a living from this harsh countryside.

Moustiers, loud with the sound of a swift-running stream which flows through the middle of the village, is simply delightful, with its tall old houses, shady plane trees and flower baskets and, for those who can face the climb, a superb view of the Gorges du Verdon from the clifftop church of Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir (see Notre-Dame-de-Beaulieu, Cucuron). The village was and is famed for its faïence ware, and you can see wonderful examples in the Musée de la Faïence (see Moustiers-Ste-Marie).

At the entrance to the Verdon gorges (see Grand Canyon du Verdon), Moustiers hangs like a pendant from the rock-face soaring above (see Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). The glorious tangle of vaulted streets, tiny squares and tiled roofs is divided by rushing streams. Up above, tucked against the rocks, is the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel (see Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). The village is also celebrated for its pottery.

This private collection includes works by Cézanne, Manet, Picasso, and a Van Gogh painting.