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Along the river Verdon, this national park is a huge patchwork of landscapes from the neatly cultivated lavender fields of the sunlit Valensole plateau (see Valensole Plateau) to the forested hills and pastures of the Artuby, the awesome chasms of the Grand Canyon du Verdon (see Grand Canyon du Verdon) and the beginnings of the Alps. There are brilliant blue lakes created where the Verdon has been dammed. This is a paradise for hikers, with a network of 700 km (450 miles) of paths, bridle-ways and ancient mule highways.

Peillon’s red-tiled houses seem to grow out of the hilltop itself, rising in tiers to a cobbled square with great views of the forested valley. It seems barely changed since the Middle Ages.

Built on the old forum, the city’s nerve centre is fringed with restaurants, bars and the 19th-century town hall.

Generations of artists, stars and beautiful people have made this village square possibly the best known in the world. But it remains just that – the rich and famous may come and go, but the Tuesday and Saturday markets are always here (see Place des Lices).

The 13th-century bridge once had 22 arches across the Rhône. Flood damage has reduced it to just four arches which stop midstream (see Pont d’Avignon).

The largest of the French Riviera islands is the car-free idyll of Porquerolles. Hire a bike or explore on foot to appreciate this paradise of vineyards, olive groves, scented forests and glorious beaches.

Now a national park, the smallest and most mountainous of the Hyères isles is dense with pine woods and oaks. Paths lead up to clifftops with dramatic views. La Palud is the best beach.

Built in the mid-1960s over former marshland, the port is reminiscent of Venice, as brightly painted houses push out onto quays separated by canals but joined by little bridges. Access is by boat or by foot. Although now weathered and wearing a real Provençal look, traditionalists still prefer medieval Grimaud, perched 5 km (3 miles) inland.

Dug in the mid-18th century, the port never took off commercially and remains quieter than most Mediterranean city harbours. It is all the more charming for that, a haven of pleasure boats and cruise-ships, surrounded by splendid Italianate buildings. Little wonder that the visiting Russian playwright Chekhov considered this the most pleasing part of Nice.

Around the corniche from the Vieux Port and past the tiny, picturesque fishing port of Vallon des Auffes stretch Marseille’s resolutely modern beaches. They were reclaimed from the sea with earth excavated during the construction of the city’s metro system. Now they run round to the start of the calanques . On summer days, they throb with every conceivable beach sporting activity; at night, the Escale Borély beach area offers some of the town’s trendiest nightspots (see Escale Borély).