Out of season, the stretch of coastline between Hyères and the St-Raphael - Fréjus conurbation and its backdrop of wooded hills hold their own against the cynicism engendered by tourist brochure overkill. The magic lies in the scented Mediterranean vegetation, silver beaches glimpsed between purple cliffs, secluded islands and medieval hilltop villages.

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Hyères, which preserves a certain air of gentility, flashy St-Raphael and historic Fréjus are the only significant towns, though the urban sprawl around the erstwhile fishing villages of Le Lavandou , Cavalaire-sur-Mer  and  Ste-Maxime  keeps  any sense of wilderness at bay. But there are moments when it's almost possible to imagine the coastline of old: near the Cap de Bregançon  south of Bormes ,  between  Le Rayol  and  Cavalaire,  in the Domaine de Rayol gardens , and around  the southern tip of the St-Tropez peninsula . And  out  to  sea,  on  the Îles d'Hyères  (often called the Îles d'Or)  you  can  experience untrammelled  landscapes  with some  of the  best fauna  and flora in Provence. La Croix-Valmer is probably the most pleasant of the resorts, and St-Tropez is a must - for a day's visit at least. Inland, amidst the dense wooded hills of the Massif des Maures , are the gorgeous ancient villages of Collobrières and La Garde Freinet .  

 Sheer expense aside, transport is the one big problem. There are no trains, traffic is extremely slow in high season, and cycling doesn't get you very far unless you're Tour de France material.

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