Between Cannes and St Tropez, the corniche twists along the Esterel mountain range, where red volcanic rock drops straight into crystal clear water and the Île d'Or sits offshore. There's also an exceedingly lovely fishing village, Saint-Raphaël, and an even lovelier hotel: Les Roches Rouges. Taking its name from the red stone, it's a low modernist building of whitewash and polished concrete, marigold and ochre. Two swimming pools look onto the bay, one of them seawater and hewn out of the rocks at the water's edge. Kayaks and paddleboards are free to borrow, and a barefoot dinner for two on the pontoon can be arranged. This is where the Côte d'Azur drops its gloss and it's rather wonderful.
Modish and mid-century, the views are the centrepiece of the hotel - just endless blue for as far as the eye can see. Furniture and art is simple but striking and the enormous picture windows let the vistas do most of the talking. There are two restaurants (and lunch can be delivered straight to your lounger if so desired), plus a bar for summer sundowners, a boutique gym and spa, and a concierge who will organise all manner of activities from boat trips to wine tastings.
Pared-back rooms are split between the original 1950s building (closer to the pools) and a newer extension (better views). Deluxe rooms lean nautical, bathrooms are roomy throughout, and families or longer stays should ask for a Junior Suite with its sofa bed. Then pick your floor. Downstairs puts you at wave height, with a terrace and the knock of pebbles to fall asleep to. Upstairs swaps that for a balcony and the last of the evening light.
Snorkel straight off the rocks, borrow a kayak and paddle out to the Île d'Or, or ask the concierge to organise a boat to the little calanques cut into the red stone. The Esterel behind is peppered with hiking and mountain-biking trails, too, definitely best tackled before the heat arrives. For more of a buzz, Cannes is half an hour east, Saint-Tropez a longer run west, and there's also golf at Valescure, ten minutes from the front door. Otherwise, relax into this laidback slice of the Riviera, and stay well away from the madding crowds...
The seawater pool, hewn straight out of the shoreline with a pebble floor, is topped up by the Mediterranean itself.
Skip the restaurant one evening and book Le Ponton instead, a table for two on the jetty, feet in the water, with a lobster menu designed around whatever you fancy that day.
Sand is the one thing missing here. You get into the sea off rocks, ladders and a pontoon, which suits swimmers but frustrates bucket-and-spade families.
Les Roches Rouges, Saint Raphael can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made France trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended France trips featuring Les Roches Rouges, Saint Raphael or get advice and suggestions from one of our France specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at Les Roches Rouges, Saint Raphael start from around $250, or US$250, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
A refuge of Riviera chic, with palm trees blowing in the wind and a good dollop of glitz and glamour
/6.836411506607926,43.417002679621945,6/600x400?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidGltYnVrdHV0cmF2ZWwiLCJhIjoiY2poMGw1eHpkMmRkbDJ6bW8xYWZ5OGpjYyJ9.PYvAO7lUJ40SOpGvwmQLqw&attribution=false&logo=false)
