20 Best Places to Visit in the South of France
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When I moved to Nice from Australia 17 years ago, so dazzled was I by the colors and landscapes of the region that I thought there was nowhere else in France I could ever love as much as the Côte d’Azur and Provence. Over the years, however, I’ve learned the south of France is much more than the glimmering coastline around Cannes and St. Tropez. Southern France is also the lesser-known southwest of France, encompassing Nouvelle-Aquitaine (with Bordeaux its capital) and Occitanie (likewise, Toulouse). As I spend more and more time in the “other south of France,” I’ve realized villages clinging to riverbanks are just as charming as those tumbling into the Mediterranean Sea—and that the south of France, in its entire form, is my absolute favorite part of the world.
Best Time to Visit the South of France
It can feel as if everyone has come to the south of France during the hot, humid summer months, but there’s beauty in the shoulder seasons of April, May, early June, late September, and October, too. That’s when the perched villages and coastal resorts have stirred from—or have yet to fall into—their winter slumber, but are free from the crowds that surge through their narrow alleyways in July and August. Winters are sunny and mild, but many tourist spots shutter.
How to Get Around the South of France
If you’re sticking to the coastline and main tourist centers, the bus and train public transport networks deliver a comprehensive service and great value fares—although this is France, so les grèves (strikes) can be called on short notice. In Provence and the Côte d’Azur, the combined bus and train network is called Zou. The equivalent in Occitanie is Lio Train, and in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, it’s the regional TER. Everywhere else, it’s best to have your own transport. Here are 20 of the best places to visit in the south of France.
Nice
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Nice is one of the most exciting cities in France right now, so if you haven’t visited before, or if you haven’t been in a while, the capital of the Côte d’Azur should be on your radar. Whole blocks have been torn down and replaced by leafy gardens, particularly along La Coulée Verte, a green corridor that cuts through the center of the city. A group of chefs are opening restaurants with local specialities at the top of the menu, plus there has been such a flurry of new five-star hotels that the city now rivals Cannes and Monaco for luxe accommodations.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
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In season two of the Netflix hit series, Emily in Paris, Villefranche-sur-Mer stood in for many scenes supposedly set in St. Tropez. For those of us who live here, myself included, the decision was no surprise: We all know this low-key fishing village next door to Nice is one of the most beautiful spots on France’s coastline. Plenty of day-trippers come for the beach, but they don’t always venture into the town itself. That means they miss out on some of the highlights, including Chapelle Saint-Pierre, where every surface (including the facade) is painted by Jean Cocteau, and the Citadelle Saint-Elme, with a magical garden and fascinating museums inside its dense walls.
Sainte-Agnès
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Not every perched village along the Côte d’Azur is on the tourist trail, and although Èze, which hovers above the sea between Nice and Monaco, is rightfully considered one of France’s most breathtaking locations, there are places that offer similarly scene-stealing views without the crowds. One of the best examples of this is the village of Sainte-Agnès, which rises 800 meters above sea level behind Menton, the last inch of France before Italy. Labeled one of “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” (an official title for France’s most beautiful villages), Sainte-Agnès is the highest coastal town in Europe. It’s a sun-kissed warren of narrow alleyways leading toward a ruined settlement at even higher altitude, from where an enchanting garden now grows.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
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There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to art galleries and museums on the Côte d’Azur, but if there’s one spot fine art lovers shouldn’t miss, it’s the walled medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Marc Chagall is buried in the cemetery at the edge of its ramparts; his canvases hang on the walls of the nearby Fondation Maeght, a sprawling gallery home to one of France’s finest art collections. Like other artists—among them Matisse, Léger, and Picasso—he was a regular at La Colombe d’Or, a restaurant and inn at the entrance of the village that has grown to house the most incredible private art collection—much of it out on display around the property.
Île Saint-Honorat
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If you had to pick just one of the Lérins Islands to visit, my suggestion would be Île Saint-Honorat. The smaller of the two low-slung, pine-scented islands, Île Saint-Honorat is just 15 minutes by ferry from Cannes, though it feels disconnected from the buzz of La Croisette. That’s also because it’s a monastic island, and the small religious community that calls it home has been living peacefully here for centuries. Unlike its neighbour, Île Sainte-Marguerite, there’s no chic beach club or water sports equipment to rent. Instead, visitors come to picnic by secluded sea coves and sip on the wine from the island’s vineyard. Parts of the monastery are also open to tour.
Grasse
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There’s no wrong time to visit Grasse, but the capital of perfume is at its most fragrant in May, when its signature scent—the rose—bursts into bloom. That’s when Domaine de Manon, whose roses are grown exclusively for Christian Dior, opens to visitors (once a week, on Tuesday). More evergreen attractions include the excellent Musée International de la Parfumerie and the trio of local fragrance houses: Molinard, Galimard, and Fragonard. Of the create-your-own perfume workshops each proposes, Molinard’s Petit Parfumeur experience for kids ages 4 to 8 is a particular favorite in our house.
Plage de Pampelonne
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My favorite beach in France? That’s an easy one. Plage de Pampelonne, a 10-minute drive from St. Tropez, is a 2.8-mile stretch of buttercream-colored soft sand and gin-clear waters surrounded by coastal shrub and rosé-colored vineyards. There’s plenty of public beachfront that’s free to access, but Pampelonne’s private beaches and their weekend parties are legendary: Le Club 55, which helped put St. Tropez on the jet-set map, has now been joined by the likes of Nikki Beach. The island vibe and tiki huts of Kon Tiki, a glamping site on the beach, is more my style with the kids. Prices can be prohibitively expensive in the summer, but some great deals for short stays can be found outside of July and August.
Île de Porquerolles
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Île de Porquerolles, just a short hop from the mainland, is a nudge over four miles long and 1.5 miles wide. It’s the largest in a small archipelago known as Îles d’Or and can be easily accessed via ferry from Hyères. For a small area, it packs in a lot, including 30 miles of hiking trails, plenty of bike rental outfits, and some of the best snorkeling and diving in France, alongside an excellent art gallery—the Fondation Carmignac—a pair of rosé-hued vineyards, and a stylish hotel hidden among Provençal shrub, Le Mas du Langoustier.
Cassis
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Cassis is separated from the sprawl of Marseille by a 12-mile series of calanques (a glorious stretch of steep limestone inlets rising out of clear, turquoise waters). Its colorful port is a jumping-off point for numerous hiking trails in the car-free Parc National des Calanques. Visitors can also hop on an electric boat or hire a kayak to explore by water. And there’s plenty of reason to linger longer, too, including the crisp, aromatic white wines that grow in the hills around the town.
Cotignac
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Provence isn’t short of beautiful villages. Those in the Luberon region—Gordes, Ménerbes, and Bonnieux, for example—are particularly well known, but there’s another little-known spot worth adding to your list: Cotignac. In the heart of Provence Verte, an area north of St. Tropez that’s beloved for its natural landscapes, Cotignac stands out for its backdrop: set against a vast cliff with ancient cave dwellings scooped out of it. Another thing that makes the village a great place to visit is the environmentally conscious people who have set up business here, including those behind Maison Mirabeau, a B Corp-certified wine producer, and Lou Calen, an eco-resort and restaurant with a Michelin Green Star.
Roussillon
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Ochre has been mined near the red-tinted Luberon village of Roussillon since Roman times, the palette of rich natural pigments used for painting, decoration, and pottery. The industry has tapered off, but the landscape remains a rich swirl of cliffs, fairy chimneys, cirques, and hills. In an old quarry now known as Le Colorado Provençal (or Provence’s Colorado), two marked walking trails trace the history of what was once a booming trade. It’s a fascinating site carved out by both nature and industry.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
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Snuggled beneath sheer limestone cliffs, the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie oozes chic Provençal style. Devote a day to wandering around the cobbled streets and learning about local ceramic traditions at the excellent Musée de la Faïence. High above the main settlement, the 14th-century Chapelle Notre-Dame de Beauvoir watches over the village—you can reach it on a sporty trail, so pack your sneakers. Moustiers is also the gateway to the Gorges du Verdon, considered Europe’s equivalent of the Grand Canyon.
Valensole
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It’s easy to see why the Valensole plateau attracts so many visitors when its famed lavender crop bursts into bloom in June and July: There’s nothing quite like the sight of rows upon rows of purple set against clear, blue skies, or huddled around age-old monasteries such as Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque. Yet, a small group of growers are cultivating a less-manicured image, with their sweetly fragranced crops sprouting alongside other flora as they embrace agroecology. By seeking these fields, visitors can have their lavender experience more responsibly.
Camargue
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The Camargue straddles Provence and Occitanie, but is unlike anywhere else in France. This vast, windswept wetland is home to marshland, lagoons, and salt plains, where wild horses, black bulls, Camargue “guardians” (cowboys), pink flamingos, and more than 300 bird species roam. The Roman town of Arles is considered its gateway, while Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the coast is another main center from where you can head out into the Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau nature reserve. The recently opened Les Bains Gardians is the place to live out your luxe Provençal ranch dreams.
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
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If Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was on the Côte d’Azur, it would have a queue of tour buses outside its entrance every day in the summer. That’s not to say this storybook village in southwest France’s little-known Lot region isn’t popular. It’s one of those places the French are happy to keep to themselves—in fact, they officially voted it their favorite village back in 2012. Perched high on sheer limestone cliffs above the Lot river, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie served as an important defensive outpost in the Middle Ages; today, the cobbled streets, with their artisan shops, are nothing but inviting. The best views can be had from the lookout at the Rocher Lapopie, amid the ruins of a 10th-century fortress.
Albas la Jolie
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Another photogenic village along the banks of the Lot, Albas la Jolie (Albas the Pretty) lives up to its name, with a cluster of stone buildings shaded by a palette of lush greens. Even in the height of summer, it’s the type of place you feel like you have all to yourself, especially if you rent a canoe or kayak—the most popular pastime in the area. There’s also a small but charming Tuscan garden that sprouts inside its medieval castle and a breezy guinguette (open-air bar) that serves up chilled beer and live music. You’ll notice vineyards aplenty; the great wine of these parts is Cahors, the deep red that put Malbec on the map.
Monpazier
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Interestingly, it was actually an English king, Edward I, who founded Monpazier at the end of the 13th century. So well preserved is this bastide (a town built on a grid around a central square) in the Dordogne, it will feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Middle Ages. Its main square, Place des Cornières, comes alive with fresh produce and local gossip on Thursday mornings (it’s a particularly popular spot with vacationing Brits), and the cobbled alleys that fan out from it are full of artisan workshops selling homemade stained glass, ceramics, and other crafts.
Cordes-sur-Ciel
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A landscape of gentle, vine-covered slopes crowned by atmospheric hilltop villages has earned the triangle between Toulouse, Albi, and Montauban in southwest France the nickname the Occitan Tuscany. A cascade of medieval houses spilling down the hillside, Cordes-sur-Ciel is the jewel of the region. Images of colorful shutters and flower boxes hanging off Gothic facades are ideal for social media feeds, but there’s also a rich arts and crafts heritage here, including a museum devoted to chocolate and a serene botanical garden.
Collioure
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Every summer since 2012, a popular nationwide TV show has seen the French elect their favorite village in the country. In 2024, the accolade went to Collioure, a fishing village just 15 miles from the Spanish border in Occitanie. It’s easy to see why the nation’s viewers were charmed: The pretty waterfront is a splash of brightly colored houses and traditional wooden boats. It’s an idyllic setting to feast on fresh anchovies—a town specialty—and sip local Banyuls wine.
Biarritz
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The home of surfing in France, Biarritz has big Atlantic waves and laid-back California vibes. Surfers flock to legendary spots like Plage de la Côte des Basques, considered the beach where the city’s love affair with the surfboard began. But there’s something about the old-school glamour of the central La Grande Plage and its mix of belle époque, art deco, and neo-Basque waterfront buildings that charms, too. If you’re new to the sport, you’ll find more than 20 surf schools here; summer, when the swell is calmer, is considered the best season for beginners to take to the water.
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