PLAGE DES SABLETTES, MENTON

Our journey begins a stone’s throw from the Italian border in beautiful Menton and the picturesque Plage des Sablettes, set like a precious stone between the Port de Garavan and the  Old Port. 350 metres of golden sand with the blue sky in front and the colourful houses of the old town behind.

PLAGE PALOMA, SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT

A lush and unspoilt natural spectacle that will put you in harmony with the world. The crystal-clear water on which boats appear to fly, and the incredible views of the bay and the cliffs of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, are even more beautiful early in the morning.

PLAGE DE PAMPELONNE, RAMATUELLE

10 minutes from Ramatuelle, a pretty hill town that smells of bougainvillea and delicious bouillabaisse, lies the loveliest beach on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, and once of Europe’s most famous, where you might come across a celebrity sunbather. However, the real star is the beautiful beach itself, and at 4.5 km long, there’s plenty of room.

PLAGE DE LA FOSSETTE, LE LAVANDOU

Nicknamed ‘la souriante’ (the smiling one), this beach is crowned by dense mediterranean maquis vegetation and faces the Hyères archipelago. The water is crystalline and the sand extremely fine. An oasis set between the coast and a lush green promontory, with just one small beach club at the centre.

CALANQUE D’EN-VAU, CASSIS

This unique little cove is at the end of a long inlet between the magnificent sheer cliffs of the Parc National des Calanques. To get there take the coastal path, which offers incredible views and a guaranteed wow effect when you catch sight of the beach.

(photos: Jeffrey Blum and Simon Pallard)