A weekend in the south of France may conjure up thoughts of Cannes or St-Tropez, but if you’re looking to escape the hordes, Hyères is a unique hideaway.
Located between Marseille and Nice, Hyères is considered the original French Riviera, with the aristocracy regularly retreating to its winter warmth in the 18th century, followed by the artistic (Leo Tolstoy, Rudyard Kipling, DH Lawrence) not to mention royalty (Queen Victoria). Today the French (comprising 70% of Hyères’ tourism industry) have been largely keeping it to themselves. Not surprising, given the picturesque panoramas, award-winning beaches, exquisite food, gardens and maritime national park. Sorry France, the secret’s out: here’s our guide to the perfect weekend in Hyères.
Read the full article on Lonely Planet’s site here.
