Village guides

Eygalières is small, unhurried, and quietly one of the most beautiful villages in the Alpilles. Its medieval lanes, hilltop chapel and handful of excellent restaurants make it the kind of place people return to year after year. Here is why it deserves a full morning of your time.

Lourmarin sits in the southern gap of the Luberon massif and earns its place among France's most beautiful villages honestly. From the Renaissance château to Camus's grave, here is what makes it worth more than a quick stop.

Uzès is quietly one of the most beautiful towns in the south of France. Its medieval towers, daily market, and shaded arcades reward those who make the detour. Here is what to see, where to eat, and how to plan a day trip from the Luberon or the Alpilles.

You may already know about the double tombolo, the flamingos and the ferries to Porquerolles. But do you know about the Roman merchant vessel lying beneath the waters off La Madrague? Or the wildflower that exists in France only on a single sandbar? Or why the peninsula itself may not survive the century in its current form? These are the Giens stories worth knowing.

The pale silvery groves of the Vallée des Baux produce one of France's most prestigious olive oils. A guide to the AOP, its mills, and the fruité noir story. Plus where to taste, when to visit, and how to bring a bottle home.

Before Nice was fashionable and long before Saint-Tropez was discovered, Hyères was already the address of choice for those who knew where to find the finest climate on the Mediterranean. This is the story of how it got there - told across twenty-five centuries of remarkable events.

You may already know that Hyères is the oldest resort on the French Riviera. But do you know why Stevenson said it was the only place he was ever happy? Or why the French government banned a film made in a villa above the town? Or what the flamingos and the double tombolo have to do with one of the rarest geological formations on the European coast? These are the five Hyères stories worth knowing.

From Saracen raids and Templar routes to world-class rosé and one of the most arresting views on the Côte d'Azur, Gassin has accumulated a remarkable story across eight centuries. This is that story - told from the rocky promontory where it all happened.

Saint-Raphaël does things quietly. It does not announce itself the way Cannes or Saint-Tropez do. What it does instead is offer two thousand years of history, a coastline formed from ancient volcanoes, a beach that changed the course of the Second World War, and a hillside where one of the greatest American novels was written. These are ten of the facts that make it genuinely one of a kind.

Saint-Raphaël is not the most famous town on the Côte d'Azur, and that is precisely what makes it worth knowing. Here is our honest, complete guide to one of the most underrated towns on the French Riviera.