Located at the end of the Gulf of Frejus. On the border between the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, Saint-Raphaël, one of the most famous Mediterranean resorts, extends over 24 km of coastline. Along the coast, you will discover beautiful and wonderful coves, magnificent beaches, sublime rocky landscapes. A dense greenery is also present. It has four large sandy beaches : Le Veillat near the city centre, in Boulouris, Le Dramont, Agay and two smaller ones in Anthéor and Le Trayas. Offshore, the islands of the Lion de Terre, the Lion de Mer, the Île d’Or (private) and the Île des Vieilles scatter over the rocky coast. A sea trip will allow you to enjoy the wonders of the French Riviera. And once offshore, you can go scuba diving and enjoy the charm of the crystal clear waters.
Saint Raphaël is also a charming town renowned for its two historic landings in Bonaparte (1799) and Provence (1944), as well as a strategic economic and cultural centre. The city has a large renovated and enlarged marina. During your stay, you can visit the fish market and stop by gourmet restaurants. Further from the city centre, the port of Santa Lucia and other charming ports await you.
A stay in Saint Raphael will also allow you to discover the Corniche de l’Esterel, which well deserves its nickname of the Golden Corniche. It will offer you extraordinary panoramas. Along this magnificent Esterel massif, the highest point of which is Mount Vinaigre (617m), it is part of a succession of delightfully winding bends. Linking Cannes to Fréjus-Saint Raphaël, this road is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful tourist circuits in France. Alternating the blue of the sea, the green of the vegetation and the red of the Esterel, this itinerary will certainly impress you.
The other beauty of the region is the Cap du Dramont, located in a preserved natural site, where the flora is particularly rich. It offers breathtaking landscapes on the Ile d’Or, the bay of Agay, as far as the Esterel. The landing beach, just south of the cape, is a historically important place for the Allied landing in Provence during the Second World War. It is also a popular place for tourists. At the foot of the cape is the very picturesque little fishing port of Poussaï. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, far from the eyes of tourists, it offers a unique and peaceful view by the sea. Nice and honestly priced catering service. The service is rather good and fast. You will spend a pleasant moment there.
Focus on other discoveries
Other excursions will take you to Cape Camarat, located in the south of the Saint-Tropez peninsula. The attraction of this site is the 129.80 m Camarat lighthouse. Put into service in 1831, it is one of the highest in France in terms of sea level and has a luminous range of 60 km. It has a rich and varied flora and fauna. Cap Taillat and Cap Lardier, two important points on the Saint-Tropez Peninsula, will offer you beautiful walks. They will allow you to admire the French Riviera in all its beauty and splendour. You will be able to marvel at their beautiful and rich wild and preserved landscapes.
A pleasant walk at sea
In the old port of Saint Raphael, board a catamaran or a boat of your choice for an enriching and sensational excursion along the coast : the Lérins Islands, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, or Antibes. You will have the pleasure of walking along the sublime coves with turquoise and crystal clear water, the isolated and splendid coves, and the red and flamboyant rocks of the Esterel massif. This excursion will provide you with relaxation and comfort. It will offer you a charming panorama.
Not far from Saint-Raphaël is the bay of Agay, a natural entrance to the Esterel, renowned for its breathtaking beaches and guaranteeing tourists and boaters the safety of anchorages. By catamaran, motor boat or sailboat, you can discover the superb creeks of the Esterel massif, and bypass the two gulfs of Fréjus and Saint-Tropez.
If you want to extend the walk, visit the wild island of Port-Cros, located in a land and sea environment of exceptional richness and quality. Tourists will experience the timeless Mediterranean Sea, where schools of fish graze swimmers on shallow beaches, where rare birds nest in the depths of cliffs, and where the thick scrubland is home to dozens of endemic species. Port-Cros will give the traveller the illusion of being alone in the world.
Also visit the cities of Mandelieu and la-Napoule. You will discover wild landscapes of sea and nature, very characteristic of this site surrounded by red rocks that contrast with the azure blue of the Mediterranean waters. The place will offer you a wide choice of sporting activities : golf, sailing, rowing, scuba diving, walking parks, water skiing, single water skiing, parachuting.
Go to Sainte-Maxime too. You will have to see beautiful landscapes and magnificent historical monuments : the church has a beautiful 18th century marble altar and a bell from 1733 ; the Square Tower which houses the Sainte-Maxime museum and which allows, on the top floor, to see a beautiful view of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and the port ; the phonograph and mechanical music museum…