Provence coast: Cassis cliffs to the red Esterel

Route description

Leave Marseille on the D559 for Cassis, where boat trips and footpaths reach the calanques; access to some creeks is limited in summer, so check the day’s status first. Then take the D141 Route des Crêtes over Cap Canaille to La Ciotat. The road climbs to nearly 400 m with pull-outs at the edge of the cliffs, and it closes on days of high fire risk or strong wind.

Follow the coast east past Bandol and Toulon to Hyères and drive out along the sandbar to the Giens peninsula, watching for flamingos on the salt pans. If you want an island, ferries to Porquerolles leave from La Tour Fondue at the tip; cars stay behind. Spend the night near Bormes-les-Mimosas, a hill village of steep lanes and flowers above the coast.

The D559 then winds along the Corniche des Maures through Le Lavandou and Cavalaire. Turn off to Ramatuelle for Pampelonne beach before driving into Saint-Tropez. In July and August the single road into town is jammed from mid-morning; a good alternative is to park at Sainte-Maxime or Port-Grimaud and take the passenger boat across the gulf.

After Saint-Raphaël the D559 becomes the Corniche d’Or, squeezed between red porphyry and the sea. Stop at Cap Dramont for the coastal path, then at the viewpoints above Anthéor and Théoule before reaching Cannes. The corniche is narrow with tight bends; motorhomes manage it slowly, but parking is scarce, so large vehicles may prefer the A8 and visit the coast by train.