Village guides

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is famous for its antique markets and its canals, and summer is when both are at their liveliest. Whether you are after vintage finds on a Sunday morning or a quiet lunch beside the water, here is how to spend the day well.

Roussillon is built from ochre and it shows. The village glows red and amber above the Luberon plateau, and the Sentier des Ocres below it is one of Provence's most memorable short walks. Here is how to make the most of a morning here.

Sitting in the Gulf of Hyères, Porquerolles is the French Riviera's best-kept secret - a car-free national park island with powdery white beaches, world-class contemporary art, centuries-old forts, and wine grown right on the island. Here are 10 genuinely unique reasons to go.

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.