Blessed with the sandy beaches of the Côte d’Azur, the urban energy of Marseilles, and the fortified towns and stunning countryside of Provence, South France attracts millions of tourists every year to it’s Mediterranean shores and delightful inland towns. If quiet and solitude are elements of your perfect vacation then the big towns of Cannes, Nice and St Tropez along the French Riviera might not be your ideal destination. But quiet and tranquility can be had too and is often nothing more than a short drive from the coast. Best months to visit: May, June, September, October. (July and August have the best weather but are incredibly busy.)
[Photos by: ktylerconk, Lüfkens, Wolfgang Staudt, psd, austinevan, http2007]
No pics of Marseille? That’s my highlight of Southern France.
South France is what a vacation should be. The region has it all. It does get very busy from June to September but if you can deal with that or get some nice weather in October then it’s ideal. It almost feels like you’re living a dream.
I went 3 summers ago and it was beautiful. the pictures remind I wasn’t exaggerating. I’ll be there this summer (2010) and was doing some research. I’ll certainly plan to visit some of the places I missed on the last trip. Hard to know whether to stick with France or venture off and see some of Switzerland and Italy. Thanks.
Gorgeous pictures, but I don’t see any labels on them. I’d like to know where each was taken.
I agree Susan. It was something I was aware of when I made the post but was going for more a “feel” of the region. I might need to go back and add a few captions though. Thanks for the input.
Could you let me know where last pic on post is from? Looks like a winner!
Hi Paula,
From Thierry’s notes (the photographer):
The Pont d’Arc is a great natural bridge, located in the Ardèche département in the south of France, near the town of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc.
The bridge has a width of 60 m and a height of 45 m and was carved out by the Ardèche River.
Looks like you’ve got a photo of Cassis there, which is another really nice spot on the coast, and much less crowded to boot.