If you hanker for the easy, sun-kissed charm of St Tropez 50 years ago, then just look a few miles west along the coast to Cassis. To my mind, the French Rivera is swamped by tourists, traffic jams, its ocean front is lined with high-rise ugly concrete condominiums and its beaches are mobbed with sun loungers packed cheek to jowl.
To be honest, it is not my favorite area. But....west past St Tropez and east of Marseilles is an area of almost secret, under-appreciated places. You won't find 5 star hotels here, hardly even a 4 star hotel, but the scenery and charm make up for the lack of grand hotels. I will at length later, talk about what there is to do and see, but for the moment, One of the drives in this part of the France is the 16 kilometer Route des Cretes ( road of Crests) where you can drive a car, a motorbike or walk eastward from Cassis to La Ciotat. The journey starts from the base of Cap Cannaille; the highest sea-coast cliff in Europe, and when you reach the top you can see Cassis, The Mediterranean and Les Calanques (inlets ranging from shallow indentations to jagged, deep water canyons).
( seasonal boat rides to view the French Fjords are possible)
The road along here is narrow and winding, but is not for anyone who suffers from vertigo; but the route is very high and exciting and every turn brings a new unbelievable view., BUT if the wind gets too strong, the road is closed.
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