St Tropez Coastal Walk.

Based in one hotel near Le Lavandou.on the beach and with air conditioned rooms.

Grade ( Moderate). Suitable for recreational walkers.. 4  to 5hrs  at a slow pace, per day.A 8 day 7 night holiday..Saturday to Saturday..with Transfers  from either Marseille  or Nice** .

Please note that new flights are now operating from Bristol. Liverpool and London to Marseilles Airport.

Enjoy the brilliant azur blue sea , the smell and sight of the umbrella pines , delightful old villages of   Bormes and Collobriere.Swim in secluded coves of  this unspoilt coastline and above all enjoy the delightful and scenic walks .  Visit the impressive Monastery of the Chartreuse de la Verne . Finally see St Tropez from  both the sea and land .

This holiday is a moderate walking holiday designed specifically for the occasional weekend walker  The aim is to explore this lovely region and find the best unspoilt corners .From the  island of Porquerolles our walks  continue along the coast to St Tropez , selecting only the best sections of course. We have one incursion inland to the famous Forest of the Maures to find out more about this massive forest region so close to the sea . The spring holidays enjoy the early season freshness and of course the brilliant wild flowers. By  mid May the sea is warming up for the intrepid bathers . The Autumn period is softer and quieter and is excellent for those who enjoy a swim in the delightfully warm sea .Please see regatta information at the bottom of the page . You will have the opportunity to do so every day of the holiday .The accommodation is in a Hotel in Aguebelle 10 minutes beyond Le Lavandou

The Hotel faces the sea and the beach is 30m from your rooms .The hotel has its own private sun terrace with recliners,parasols , shower and bar ! The rooms all have terraces , and are with private bathrooms.

Breakfasts  are taken in the Hotel ..Lunches are excellent salad based with wine. Dinners are provided in local restaurants with a choice of menus available .At least one dinner is taken in Le Lavandou our nearest town with some great little restaurants ..lovely for an evening stroll along the beach by the way .

Collection..Clients are collected from Marseille Marignan Airport at 3pm approximately and the transfer is about 2hrs.45 . For clients using NICE Airport there is an excellent express coach service to Hyeres..1hr 15..and we can collect from there

 

Sunday...The Isle of Porquerolles via the ferry from Hyeres..Superb day with lovely views , beaches and easy paths.4hrs easy walks with picnic lunch , wine provided. .A 30 minute transfer takes us to La Tour Ronde near Hyeres and our ferry crossing.The 20 minute crossing can be quite exciting if the skipper speeds up ..The island itself  has  a very interesting history which I will tell you all about during the walk . After leaving the village the path wends its way along the southern coast with its lovely beaches and photogenic old forts. Lunch ,which is always a fresh salad picnic , is taken in the shade close to an ideal swimming beach .The combination of white sand , colourful yachts and azur sea are so special to this region.

After  a leisuredly lunch the walk continues up onto the highest point of the island at 110m! From here there are views over the whole island . The walk continues along the very rugged northern coast with its sea cliffs similar to Cornwall before returning back to the village along a track lined with olive groves and fruit orchards . Back by about 3pm in time for a nice cold drink in our favourite bar before catching the ferry to the mainland.Once back at the hotel there is still time for another swim and relax on the beach before dinner .

Typical view along the coastline of the island with the mainland in the background.A haunt of pirates and later invaded by the British its recent history is linked to the French colonies and some rich families ..more stories when you are on the island.

Monday .The Massif Des Maures..From Collobriere the walk leads up onto the plateau des Maures and then traverses to the Chartreuse de la Verne Road .We then drive up to this famous old Monastery for a visit . return via Collobriere for a drink and Marron Glace.4hrs comfortable walking with 500m ascent on an easy path .Lots of wild life here. The transfer to Collobrieres is via a very interesting and scenic road which gives a good idea of the size and emptiness of this forest region . Collobriere is quite different to the coastal towns and villages and that is one reason for visiting it . Once famous for cork production and mining it now relies on the chestnut industry  , producing excellent Marron Glacee..Our walk takes us through the village and up into  attractive forest . The path climbs a bit and then levels off as we enter another valley which is teeming with wild flowers in the spring . We counted 120 varieties in 2004 so walking the route at this time of the year is a botanists' dream .After about 2hrs the plateau area ,and our lunch stop , is reached . The usual varied salads are on offer along with 3 different cheeses and a bottle of red of course..fresh fruit to follow .At the shaded picnic site there are some standing stones and a1000yr old chestnut with a girth of 8m...absolutely true as I have measured it !!We sometimes have the company of a semi tame vixen in the spring  by the way . After lunch a very leisuredly stroll on a comfortable track leads to a rendezvous with the minibus on the road to the Chartreuse de la Verne. Wild boar are often seen on this track. This 12C monastery hidden away deep in the forest is closely linked to the whole history of the region  and is well worth the visit . Time for a drink  and stroll in the village before returning to our hotel.

Tuesday. Visit to Bormes les Mimosas.

A short drive takes us up to this very attractive hilltop village . After exploring the tiny streets we set off for a 2 hr walk up to the Chapel overlooking the village.  There is a remarkable panorama from here looking over to the famous golden Isles.This a great spot for a picnic . The track then meanders down through  a forest of cork oaks, wild plants and butterflies..back to the village.We should be back at the Hotel by early afternoon leaving clients time to enjoy the beach , swim and relax .

Wednesday. The Cap Lardier Walk. A 5hr walk that leads around the Cap and then to the Plage d'Escalet .The path is quite stony in places but with only one real ascent of 20 minutes . The rest of the time it meanders along the coast very close to the sea and passes pretty coves with sandy beaches ,in and out of the shade of the umbrella pines  and up onto the main headland itself . Again in the spring this is a very colourful walk with masses of wild flowers..poppies,roses, hottentot figs and many others..After rounding the cape the walk descends to the sea and our picnic lunch is on the beach under the shade of an old pine ..lots of driftwood to provide seating as well .The walk then continues to a lovely white sand beach popular with nudists where we stop  for a swim....usually not nude by the way .The walk continues around to our destination at Les   Escalets where we normally arrive by about 3pm . A very welcome cold drink or ice cream is available in the little cafe at the carpark. After a good rest clients will be taken to Ramatuelle for a short visit before returning home . We often also stop at the wine cooperative in the village for a quick tasting !!

Thursday.Market day in Le Lavandou, Bregancon coast walk  .This is a very varied day as we start off with a chance to wander around the extensive provencal market in the town .Clients like to buy their own picnic lunch today as there is such a variety of food on offer ..Suitably loaded down with rations we then take a 10 minute drive to the beach of Pellegrine and the start of the prettiest walk of the week.The path wanders along the picturesque coast in and out of little coves with white sand beaches The blue of the sea contrast with the sand and the greenery and the photo opportunities are excellent . Many of the postcard views have been taken along this short stretch of the coast . The walk takes about 3hrs with a lengthy lunch break on the best beach with a convenient bar/restaurant hidden in the forest. The walk culminates with views of the Fort of Bregancon , one of the official residences of the President and therefore out of bounds. 

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Friday . St Tropez Day .We walk from the famous Pamplonne Beach to the headland of St Tropez with its superb views of the snow covered mountains behind Nice.Allow 3 hrs for the easy walk round . We then backtrack to a beachside restaurant where we have lunch right on the beach . At 2pm a short drive leads to St Tropez itself . Although much maligned St Tropez is a joy to visit with its narrow back streets, lovely shops and , of course , the harbour with its multitude of gin palaces and yachts.. We include a delightful 1hr cruise in the wooden schooner the Brigantin which cruises out from the harbour past the town and around to millionaires' bay..Full commentary in English is provided.

Our restaurant on the beach..

This walk is very easy and is ideal for the last day . \we can extend this day by not stopping at the lunchtime restaurant but somehow eveyone prefers to return to this lovely spot .This is after we have walked to Cap St Tropez with its views . The restaurant is very french with cheerful staff ,lots of interesting fellow diners..as its one of the few restaurants in the area where you actually do eat on the waters edge ! The beach is also excellent for swimming between courses. St Tropez has much to offer but just sitting on the breakwater with those great views across the bay or strolling along the harbour is the most interesting..The transfers can take up to an hour if the traffic is heavy leaving St Tropez. On our return to the hotel we normally arrange to meet for drinks before having a final meal together in the restaurant the clients prefer...

Saturday . Depart for Marseille  or Nice at 9am . Please allow up to 3hrs for the transfer and the usual 1hr 30 pre flight wait .

DATES FOR 2009 .   23 to 30 May . 5 to 12 Sept.  PLUS extra week at end of September.

 .Note that the famous regatta with ocean going yachts and tall ships takes place over the period of the last  week of September..A dramatic and unforgettable sight both from land and sea and made even more interesting as we can see it all whilst on our yacht and on the walks ..a must for those who love sailing  in all its forms.

PRICE..E1000..This includes  transfers from Marseille Airport ,accommodation in a 3 Star hotel on a bed and breakfast basis for 7 nights . 5 evening meals, 3 picnics, schooner cruise in St Tropez  ,   guiding and transport throughout the week , all ferry charges and entry to Chartreuse de la Verne....    EXCLUDED are drinks with evening meals , 2 evening meals (transport arranged however) , lunch on Thursday and Friday.