Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CORNICHE DES MAURES
The coastal road, the Corniche des Maures (D559), unwinds beautifully, southwest from La
Croix-Valmer to Le Lavandou along a shoreline trimmed with sandy beaches ideal for
swimming, sunbathing and windsurfing. Tiny
Plage du Rayol
and
Plage de l'Escale
are
particularly enchanting: they're backed by pine trees and have a restaurant on the sand. The
beautiful beach at
Cavalière
is also home to the hip restaurant
Chez Jo
( 04 94 05 85
06; Plage du Layet, Cavalière; lunch May-Sep)
. Buzzing with bare-footed, overly
bronzed, sarong-clad beach lovers with a fondness for bathing in the nude and piercings in
the most unexpected of places, this sizzling beach restaurant has cuisine straight from the
sea.
You'll need a car to travel to Bormes-les-Mimosas and along the Route des Crêtes, but
the coastal D559 is on the itinerary of the St-Tropez to Toulon VarLib bus (
Click here
)
,
which stops in most towns, including Le Lavandou (€2).
DOMAINE DU RAYOL
This stunning, lush Mediterranean
garden
( 04 98 04 44 00;
www.domainedurayol.org
; av des Belges, Rayol-
Canadel-sur-Mer; adult/child €8/6; 9.30am-7.30pm Jul & Aug, to 6.30pm Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-
Mar)
, with plants from all Mediterranean climates the world round, is wonderful for a stroll or a themed nature walk
(adult/child €11/6). The dense flora cascade down the hillside from a villa to the sea, and while flowers are at their
best in April and May, it's always worth a visit.
In summer, at the estate's gem of a beach, you can snorkle around underwater flora and fauna (adult/child €18/14)
with an experienced guide; bookings are essential. Also reserve ahead for open-air musical concerts (€32) or in-depth
workshops (€60).
The estate's Café des Jardiniers serves light organic lunches (mains €11) and refreshing hibiscus-peach infusions.
Bormes-les-Mimosas
POP 6399 / ELEV 180M
