Guides to Provence

Provence hands its finest stages to the world this month. Our guide to the great summer festivals, from Avignon and Aix to the Valensole lavender fields, with the details you need to plan ahead.

Your guide to the liveliest month on the coast: open-air jazz, fireworks over the bay, classical concerts and beach sport, all within easy reach of your Provence Holidays home.

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.

For thirty short days each spring, the Luberon turns the colour of ripe cherries. Discover when to visit, the IGP orchards to seek out, the festivals to plan around, and why Apt has been the world capital of candied fruit since the days of the Avignon popes.

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.

Beach club season on the French Riviera is best enjoyed without a queue. Through our partnership with MySunbed, you can now reserve your sunbed or table at some of the finest clubs on the coast, directly through our website. Below, five clubs we think are worth your time - from a Croisette institution in Cannes to a quietly celebrated stretch of sand in Sainte-Maxime.

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.

Easter in Provence is unlike Easter anywhere else in France. Ancient processions wind through medieval villages by torchlight, the first lamb of the season arrives at the table, and the landscape - orchids on the hillsides, daisies in the meadows, cherry blossom just finishing - is at its most beautiful. This is Provence before the summer crowds, and there is nothing quite like it.