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Times
10-07-2025
- Times
26 of the best things to do in Corsica
When a place is nicknamed 'the isle of beauty', expectations are set high. Luckily, Corsica rises to the challenge, with platinum beaches, cerulean waters, wave-carved cliffs, hilltop villages, plunging gorges and miles of wild, scented maquis shrubland. Southeast of the Cote d'Azur and north of Sardinia, Corsica's culture, cuisine and language have dual influences — Balzac called it a 'French island basking in the Italian sun' — but more than anything it's fiercely independent, with a strong sense of local identity and pride. The fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean remains a little under-the-radar for UK visitors, so whether you come to bask on sandy Rondinara beach, taste Patrimonio wine, wander the backstreets of historic Bonifacio or hike the rugged GR20 trail, you won't hear huge numbers of other British accents. Here's a taste of what to do. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue The Ospedale Forest feels wilder than it should, considering it's about half an hour's drive from Porto-Vecchio. Hike through pine and beech glades, among dramatic granite boulders and under a waterfall tumbling 70 metres from a rock face, then swim in the limpid lake. When night falls, you needn't head back to habitation if you've booked a stay at Cocoon Village, an off-grid glamping site where the suspended bubble tents feature comfortable double beds. Each feels entirely remote — one is accessed by a via ferrata with a zipline for the way down — so you'll hear only birdsong and enjoy starry skies with little light mostly uninhabited Lavezzi Islands in southeastern Corsica show off some of the island's finest beaches and offer superb snorkelling opportunities. At the reefs here, schools of rainbow wrasse will swim up to inspect you. Among Bonifacio's various boat tours, SPMB's shuttles are the most flexible. After a 30-minute journey, you can board any hourly voyage back following a quick circuit of private Cavallo. There are ample coves on the main stop, Lavezzi itself, ensuring reasonable space for early arrivals. Don't forget to bring supplies and your snorkelling ferrata, rafting, hydrofoiling and paragliding are available around the island, but the most established high-octane sport here is canyoning. Take an expert-led adventure in the pine-perfumed Verghellu Canyon south of Corte where you will navigate rope courses, zoom along a long zip line, slide over chutes, abseil down rock faces and leap off into transparent plunge pools. There are great views along the way, and full safety equipment is provided. Pause to admire Gustave Eiffel's impressively minimal, train-carrying Pont du Vecchio viaduct, which towers 84m above the river. • Discover our full guide to FranceThe Agriates Desert represents Corsica at its wildest — the air carries the sweet scent of the maquis shrub, while rocky scrublands give way to Castaway-style coves, some of them pristine white and eerily empty. Boats from Saint-Florent can take you to the western coves, but those further east often require a challenging hike, horseback ride, or a rugged 4×4 journey. Guided day trips from Calvi also offer this adventure, including stops at caves and abandoned villages before a four-hour visit to Ghignu Beach, where couples may find themselves leaving the first footprints in the sand. Embark on a half-day boat trip from Marine de Porto or Ajaccio and encounter three unforgettable sights. First, marvel at the Calanches de Piana, where peaks and pinnacles in russet-red hues take on a pinkish shade in sunlight — a Unesco World Heritage Site. Although visible from cars, the charming coastal village of Girolata is accessible only by boat or on foot. After a 30-minute stop there, continue to the osprey-patrolled Scandola Nature Reserve, where coastal caves and sea stacks dot the landscape. On the return journey, keep an eye on the shoreline for passing pods of serves as an excellent starting point for many island breaks and is less touristy compared to its charming rival, Ajaccio. This ensures an authentic experience, despite there being plenty to see. You can arrange a walking tour led by a local guide and customise what is included. This could involve exploring the mazy Old Town nestled along the harbour, taking breaks at cafés, visiting the twin-towered Church of St Jean-Baptiste, or ascending to the citadel above. Of particular interest is Bastia's wine scene — ask your guide to take you to a specialist bar or shop for a fully immersive has several striking beaches, but none can quite compare to Rondinara, often hailed as one of Europe's most beautiful. As you snake along the access road, you'll gasp in awe at the tantalising glimpse of the white sand and crystal-clear waters. Rondinara's twin headlands curve dramatically towards one another to form a perfect horseshoe. Once in situ you'll find that such shelter from the ocean yields calm, lagoon-like turquoise water whose shallowness suits families. Arrive before 10am to enjoy thinner crowds and the shadiest parking spaces. Loungers and parasols can be hired and there's a good trails litter the Col de Bavella in southern Corsica, offering incredible views of its jagged, needle-like outcrops. Some trails are gruelling and tough, while others are more leisurely. During a guided half-day climb, you can ascend, escaping the crowds and venturing into valleys blanketed with Laricio pines. A scenic picnic spot provides a marvellous viewpoint, offering glimpses of Sardinia and a chance to spot Corsican mouflon sheep, with their lean brown bodies and distinctive curving horns — the island's most emblematic of Corsica's tipples hail from the Patrimonio region of Cap Corse — a spindly peninsula that extends 25 miles north of Bastia and St Florent. Vineyards are just one reason to visit: you'll also discover pretty ports, Nonza's black-pebble beaches and especially well-preserved Genoese watchtowers. Devote a day to lazily driving the Cap's wiggly roads, stopping whenever you wish, and proceed anticlockwise from Bastia to enjoy the sun's gaze on both on Corsica can fire up the imagination quite like Bonifacio. Built in AD828 to deter pirates, its citadel overlooks the sea from a narrow ledge atop precipitous white bluffs. Take a private personalised walking tour with a local and check out the shop and café-lined lanes, the busy marina below, various viewpoints and the white-walled tombs of Campu Santu on the cliff edge — as beautiful a graveyard as you'll ever see. Descents down (and back up) the rock-carved King of Aragon's Staircase, whose steps finish almost at sea level, are Sartène being five miles inland, its history is full of pirates. After an attack by Barbary corsairs in 1583, in which 400 people were kidnapped and enslaved, the red-roofed hill town suffered constantly from the same foes' hands for centuries. Learn more in the town's Musée Départemental de Préhistoire, which, true to its name, also has artefacts from prehistory as well as the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. After, wander through Sartène's tangle of shopping streets and admire glorious views over southwestern Corsica before lunch on the focal Place de la Libération. • Best small-ship Mediterranean cruise lines• Best no-fly holidaysTake a boat trip from Bonifacio to explore the picturesque grottos lining this limestone coast in either direction. Right by southern Corsica's tip, the Saint-Antoine Grotto is memorably shaped exactly like Napoleon's bicorne hat; west of Bonifacio, the Sdragonato Grotto abounds with white stalactites, while its vivid green waters are full of fish. Allowing for their illuminate is an opening said to mimic the island's shape precisely. Boats will expertly enter right inside, with ample time taken so everyone can capture a zillion photographs. You'll also pass the King of Aragon's Pasquale Paoli's short-lived Corsican republic, Corte served as the capital. It's easy to understand why when visiting: aloft on pinnacle and fortified for more than 2,000 years, what remains of its original stronghold is regally circled by high peaks. The Musée de la Corse up there has more history, while things are far mellower in the newer, still-nationalist below, connected via steep stairways and cobbled alleys. It's where you'll find Corsica's only university (founded by Paoli and reopened in the 1980s), craft shops and hundreds of hikers, bikers and rock climbers every there's excellent grilled seafood to be devoured around the coast, Corsica's true cuisine is the meatier, more wholesome fare found inland. The most totemic dish is civet de sanglier (wild boar stew), the succulent, nutty meat usually slow-cooked with carrots, chestnuts, fennel and lots of red wine. Mountain restaurants and many in Corte, such as À Casa di L'Orsu, usually serve it. For pudding, see if fiadone — a lemony cheesecake minus the biscuit base, made with ricotta-like brocciu — is on the to those Corsican wines. The island's sunny, dry climate and constant range of altitudes make for optimum viticulture across nine designated AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) areas. That may come as a surprise: with relatively few getting exported, the excellent wines here have something of an under-the-radar vibe. The vermentino grape dominates fruity, dry whites at Lumio's hangar-sized Clos Culombu — one of a few in La Balagne — alongside earthier, unoaked reds. Explore that Patrimonio region, and buy from Ajaccio's La Cave du Cardinal wild, the 1,500m-high Coscione Plateau is a little-visited mesa of rocks and spongy, flower-filled grass in central Corsica. Numerous streams crisscross it to form distinctive shallow pools known as pozzines. Adding to the winsome vibe are herds of free-ranging pigs, goats, cows and, most commonly, amiable wild horses. A rutted road leads from Quenza to a car park at the Bucchinera refuge, and from there several walking trails can be followed, each very gentle and free of people. Those coming on guided tours can leave navigation to an are more than 100 Grand Randonnée hiking trails in Europe and the GR20 in Corsica is reputedly one of the toughest. Covering 180km, the 16-stage trail follows the granite spine of the island from Conca in the south-east to Calanzana in the north-west (or vice versa), with lots of exposed ridges and steep ascents and descents along the way. The reward is ravishing mountain scenery, from the needle-like peaks of the Aiguilles de Bavella to the glacial Lac de Nino, limpid in grassy meadows. Tackle it in late June or early September, sleeping and eating in mountain refuges or carrying your own tent and food. From October to May the refugios are not manned and in winter the path can be Filitosa, a hillside site north of Propriano, you'll find a plethora of granite standing stones — some thought to date back to the 6th millennium BC and virtually unchanged except for minor weathering. However, it's the stones from the Bronze Age that will truly amaze you at Corsica's pre-eminent historical site. These stones feature intricately detailed faces and depictions of weapons, believed to honour notable individuals. Guided tours in English are available and afterwards you're free to explore the adjacent museum. Corsica's most chichi town is undoubtedly Porto-Vecchio. In another walled citadel, its old town lanes are full of natty clothing shops and restaurants built into the ramparts, each with a candlelit sea vista better than the last. Shoes clack on stony floors and noise emanates from the central piazza, almost every inch covered by café terraces and a great place in which to while away a few hours. So too is the old defensive Bastion de France's rooftop; its views are the best of all. Below sparkles one of Europe's foremost yacht harbours. Known to all as the Trinichellu (Little Train), Corsica's limited Chemins de fer de la Corse rail network impressively traverses its rugged interior. Most scenic is the two-hour ascent from Ajaccio to Corte — a riot of soaring views, chestnut forests, Gustave Eiffel's viaduct and the Bridal Veil waterfall. If heading north, sit on the left for the best scenery. After Corte, the line to Ponte Leccia bisects flatter mountain valleys; continue to Calvi and you'll pass river rapids and eventually follow sandy beaches right into town. Sant'Antonino has quite the CV. Not only has its good looks earned membership of the Most Beautiful Villages of France association, but this hilltop hamlet is one of Corsica's oldest inhabited settlements. Here in the Balagne region most neighbouring villages are equally handsome and well situated, especially Lumio, where lemon trees abound, and pottery-making Pigna. Explore at your own pace astride an ebike, hiring one in L'Île-Rousse, or sign up for an all-day driving tour from there or Calvi, which concludes with a Mediterranean swim. Ajaccio was where it all began for the Little Corporal. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the capital's Rue Saint-Charles in 1769, living there with his Republican family for almost a decade and briefly returning years later. A large and austere residence, his old house is now Corsica's national museum, with its most famous son the understandable focus. Visitors can enter what is thought to have been Napoleon's bedroom and see a trapdoor through which he supposedly reached the port in 1799. Reservations are compulsory; the site is closed on Mondays. In central Corsica, nestled among picturesque valleys like Spelunca and Tavignano, is the small town of Corte. Here, the Restonica river winds through forested gorges, perfect for exploring by both road and foot. The river's shallow, blue-green pools are especially enjoyable on hot days. Smooth grey granite boulders provide spots to leave your clothes or bask in the sun, while pine trees and green-flowering hellebores add fragrance and shade. Just remember to keep your shoes on to avoid slipping. The haunting sound of a Corsican lament or lullaby, sung in a mountain village or ancient stone church, is one you're unlikely to forget. Traditionally performed a capella by groups of four to six men, the indigenous folk music was in danger of dying out until the 1970s, when it was revived alongside the independence movement. In the decades that followed, the vogue for World Music (especially Bulgarian chanting) brought it to the attention of an international audience, while groups such Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses, A Filetta and I Muvrini — who recorded a version of Fields of Gold with Sting — popularised it for modern tastes. The art form is celebrated every September at the Polyphonic Song Festival in the Calvi citadel, which brings together musicians from home and abroad. Blame the Genoans who, when they governed Corsica in the 16th century, decreed that each family should plant four trees annually, one of them a chestnut. Three centuries later, the hilly region southwest of Bastia was covered in the majestic trees, primarily producing flour to make bread. Emigration, war and chestnut blight changed all that, and today Castagniccia ('chestnut grove') has a fraction of its former population. With its winding lanes and charming villages, however, it is a gift to slow travellers, and chestnuts are still harvested in October and November to make cakes and other delicacies. Head to the Fiera di a Castagna in Bocognano in December to taste them and other Corsican treats, from olive oil to wine and jams, ewe's cheeses and cured ham from chestnut-fed pigs. To see the island's oldest woman, head to the Musee de l'Alta Rocca in the pretty mountain village of Levie. Dedicated to the island's rich archaeological heritage, its most famous exhibit is the Mesolithic Dame de Bonifacio, a roughly 9,000-year-old skeleton found in a rock shelter near the town. You can also see the remains of extinct animals which once roamed the island, plus Stone Age tools and Iron Age jewellery. Nearby, take a short circular hike to see Bronze Age hill forts of Cucuruzzu and Capula. • Best places for summer sun• Best family-friendly villas in France
Times
14-06-2025
- Times
Ooh la la! These are France's best beaches to laze on this summer
Holiday destinations need sunny beaches to make it big in world tourism. And France, being the top holiday destination in Europe, has a bucketful of the best, evenly distributed across three very distinctive coastlines. The northern coast, facing the UK, has some of the most magnificent stretches of sand, thanks to shallow seas and the wave action from galloping tides. However, the water quality (and temperature) can be mixed, so the emphasis falls more on the tradition and style of the resorts. The story changes further west. Around the jagged coastline of Finistère the water becomes clearer, the beaches smaller and more secretive, snuggled into creeks and coves. Finding them becomes a journey of discovery. Heading south, the Atlantic-facing coastline smooths out by Morbihan, where the beaches start to widen and lengthen. At the Vendée, down by Nantes, the weather is reliably warm, so this is family beach holiday territory par excellence, moderately priced and accessible by car from the UK. Towards the distant southern end of this coast and the Pays Basques, the surf's the thing, with Atlantic rollers grinding to a halt on the beaches of Biarritz. And finally, jumping across the foot of France to the Mediterranean shoreline, the focus changes again. Here the water is calmer, warmer and more luxurious. There's more glamour, more people-watching, and more splashing — of cash. The beaches in the obvious Cote d'Azur hot spots — Antibes, St Tropez — can also be very crowded, with everyone heading for the sea to escape the summer heat. So, wherever you go, there's something here for everyone. For the selection of beaches that follows we have taken water quality gradings from the French government website, which uses four categories: poor, adequate, good and excellent. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Water quality: excellentCurved and sheltered by 90m chalk cliffs, Étretat's (pebble) beach is famous for its sea-carved arch at one end, supposedly like an elephant dipping its trunk in the sea. The belle époque resort was popular with artists, including Monet, and remains a retreat for the elite. Where to stay and eatThere's inexpensive local produce in the lovely old wooden market hall, some of whose 19th-century ambiance is served up along with good food across the road in the Taverne des deux Augustins. Stay in Le Donjon Domaine Saint Clair, a glamorous spa property with a sea doubles from £117 ( Take the ferry to Dieppe • 10 of the most beautiful places in France (and how to see them) Water quality: goodWhile Le Touquet and Étretat are partly about socialising with the right kind of people, in Deauville the beach takes centre stage. Particularly down its more budget southwestern end, where extensive shallows make it ideal for families and uncertain swimmers. Where to stay and eatUp by town there's a catwalk boardwalk and fancy-coloured parasols, and this is where the fashionistas strut their stuff before tucking into oysters in the Peniche restaurant, a converted barge, then retiring to the town's neo-Tudor five-star hotel, Le Normandy. Room-only doubles from £341 ( Take the ferry to Caen Water quality: goodThe Normandy beaches are not just about recreation. Gold Beach by Arromanches is where British troops landed in the Second World War, while Omaha and Utah to the west are where the Americans came ashore. So enjoying these fantastic stretches of sand today is a bittersweet experience, as well as being very educational, particularly because Gold Beach has German bunker sites. Where to stay and eatFamilies will appreciate the burgers at Sergent Willys, just opposite the Normandy Landings museum in Arromanches (£11; and all the green space around the converted farm-hotel Ferme de la Rançonnière. Room-only doubles from £79 ( Take the ferry to Caen Water quality: excellentThe Chauseys are granite outcrops 45 minutes by passenger ferry offshore from Granville on Normandy's Cotentin peninsula. The tides here are huge, but Grande Greve is an immaculate, curved, south-facing strand whatever the water level. Day-trippers colonise the sand in summer, but early and late you're likely to have the whole thing to yourself. Where to stay and eatThe islands are famous for lobsters, so try the lobster roll in the only restaurant, Contre Vents et Marées ( and then amble across the path to the island's hotel, with its garden overlooking the anchorage. Half-board doubles from £180 ( Take the ferry to St Malo • 8 of the best beaches in Europe for summer 2025 Water quality: excellentA little beauty of a sheltered beach at the end of a sandy track through overhanging pines, Tahiti beach is something of a local secret. It sits at the end of the Carantec peninsula and looks out across the Bay of Morlaix at the castle on a rock that is Château du Taureau, the French Alcatraz. Where to stay and eatIn Carantec itself, the Michelin-starred restaurant Nicholas Carro makes the most of the 15 oyster farms in the bay (set lunch from £30). His restaurant is part of the Hôtel Carantec, whose stylish, modern rooms are perfect for foodie, beachy, people. Room-only doubles from £82 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThis narrow two-mile spit of white sand sticks out into turquoise waters, with rock pools and water sports. You couldn't really ask for more of a beach, especially as it is south-facing, secreted at the back of a sheltered bay. Sailboats saunter in, attracted by the likes of the medieval walled town of Concarneau over on the bay's eastern shore. Where to stay and eatBut there's no need to budge from Cap Coz, with the brasserie Le Canot right on the beach for crêpes and scallops and the Hôtel de la Pointe ideally placed mid-spit for early morning swims. Room-only doubles from £109 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentGauguin spent two years in the tiny village of Le Pouldu, on the softer southern side of Brittany's Finistère, where it is riddled with rias, seafood-rich creeks. The light here has a luminous intensity, the air so clean that it almost squeaks. Kerou is the best of a succession of small, dusky, wave-ribbonned beaches, where kitesurfers harvest the breeze. Where to stay and eatWalk the wildflower-rich GR34 coastal path and you'll reach the Bar des Îles, a London double-decker serving tapas on the beach. Return to the unassuming Hôtel Naéco Le Pouldu, with its dorms and apartments. Room-only doubles from £57 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThe Morbihan section of the Brittany coast is family-friendly, with big, broad, generous beaches ideal for sandcastles. Carnac distinguishes itself amongst them because it is south-facing with silky sand, its hinterland littered with neolithic standing stones, and it is right by the placid, island-rich inland sea of the Gulf of Morbihan. Where to stay and eatAt Carnac, the upmarket beach bar Le Fisher is great for sunset cocktails ( and the beach's main hotel, the Churchill, is a modern spa and pool property, despite the name. Room-only doubles from £100 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff • 10 of the best things to do in France for solo travellers Water quality: excellentYou can't go wrong with the beaches in the Vendée, particularly if you're travelling with young children. This section of Atlantic coastline is effectively an intermittent 90-mile ribbon of fine sand, southerly enough for good weather. It is broadest at St Jean de Monts, backed by pedestrian streets lined with resort-type shops, family attractions and extensive campsites. Where to stay and eatGet your crêpes at La Bolee (from £7.50; and rent a mobile home at all-singing, all-dancing Camping Zagarella. Three nights' self-catering for four from £139 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThe Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux is dune country. Europe's highest, at more than 100m above sea level, is at Pilat, but the best actual beach here is just across the water on the sun-washed hanging finger of land that is Cap Ferret. Here the long Plage des Dunes is pristine and uncommercialised, while the bay of Arcachon inside it has everything you'll need. Where to stay and eatThat includes a restaurant with a view of the Pilat dune, La Cabane du Mimbeau which combines seafood with Bordeaux's wines ( and a boutique hotel, Le Landerenis, with a pool and a bay view. Room-only doubles from £185 ( Fly to Bordeaux • Read our full guide to France Water quality: excellentSurfie culture has made Biarritz cool. Big Atlantic rollers sweep unhindered across the Bay of Biscay and come shuddering to a halt on the town's sands, with dudes with dreads hitching a ride for the last part of their journey. Where to stay and eatHardcore surfers may avoid a family-pleasing town beach like the Miramar, but it's a good place for surf lessons and people-watching, particularly for surf widows, who can adjourn to Milady for great food and cocktails (mains from £10; Or chill in the spa of the sumptuous Regina Experimental on the cliffs above. Room-only doubles from £166 ( Fly to Biarritz Water quality: excellentBlessed are the waters of Hendaye, for they refresh the pilgrims on the Camino en route to Compostela. Straddling the French-Spanish border, this wide, flat beach is simultaneously a learn-to-surf and family destination, while the town itself is a rail hub and old fishing port. Where to stay and eatA former casino on the shore hosts the Hegoa café (mains from £13, should a pilgrim want refreshment overlooking the Twins, Hendaye's distinctive offshore islets. The smart Ibaia hotel sits between the beach and the new marina in the old port. Room-only doubles from £110 ( Fly to Biarritz Water quality: excellentThe cove of L'Ouille sits just north of the pretty port of Collioure on France's southernmost Mediterranean shore. Many of its visitors arrive on foot along the coastal path. The beach is tiny pebbles rather than sand, but sheltering headlands ensure that the water is particularly calm, brilliant for snorkelling. Where to stay and eatCollioure was a favourite for artists such as Matisse, Derain and Picasso, drawn here by the light and the colour. No doubt they would have loved the hippie chic L'Imprevu café on the beach ( and appreciated the rooftop views from the Madeloc hotel too. Room-only doubles from £83 ( Fly to Perpignan or Montpellier Water quality: excellentMuch of France's Mediterranean coastline between Perpignan and Montpellier is a string of sunwashed beaches, backed by large campsites. Many are on a thin rib of sand separated from the mainland by an inland sea of connected lagoons. Palavas-les-Flots sits offshore from Montpellier, at a lagoon intersection, its five miles of sand busy with jet skis, stand-up paddleboarding and beach volleyball. Where to stay and eatThis is a place for serious tanning, with laidback beach cafés such as the Plage Bonaventure offering food and shade ( Keep cool by staying on a converted barge with a plunge pool. B&B doubles from £143 ( Fly to Montpellier Water quality: excellentThe south of France has one of the most intensely visited coasts in the world, but there are some secluded spots. This six-mile strand is on the west-facing cheek of the Camargue, a huge and protected area of marshes, lagoons and meadows. At Espiguette, reached via the small town of Grau du Roi, it seems like the sand goes on for ever. It's a place to find your own half-mile and let your soul hang. But there are facilities, even here. Where to stay and eatThe off-grid restaurant L'Oyat Plage is fashioned out of wood, reed and sailcloth ( And the Miramar, a more substantial café with rooms, is in town but still chilled. Room-only doubles from £101 ( Fly to Montpellier Water quality: excellentThe Calanques is a unique shorescape serrated by deep, cliffy creeks just south of Marseilles, one of which — En Vau — ends in a gem of a (stony) beach that can only be reached by sea or on foot from the small town of Cassis (two hours). It's a protected area and there are no facilities, but the clarity of the water creates a fantastic aquarium for fish, so bring goggles, but beware cliff jumpers. Where to stay and eatYour nearest refreshment is back in Cassis, where the Presquile serves oysters on its sea-view terrace (three courses £44, Here the Mahogany hotel sits above another more accessible beach, the Bestouan. Room-only doubles from £128 ( Fly to Marseilles Water quality: excellentThis is all you'd expect of a beach that is just down the road from St Tropez: iconic good looks with beautiful people, azure water and three miles of silky white sand. Superyachts, beach clubs, beach bars and water sports kiosks aplenty. Pricey, of course, but that comes with the territory. Where to stay and eatEat here, at Byblos (mains from £29, where every shades-wearer could be a star. And in the Ferme Augustin hotel, just up the road, they'll serve breakfast in your room into the early afternoon — how decadent is that! Room-only doubles from £265 ( Fly to Marseilles Water quality: goodAnother big name on the Cote d'Azur. There's a dozen little beaches sequestered around Cap d'Antibes, but the vast majority of visitors head for the heart of the action, on the long curve of the bay by Juan les Pins. The strand here is not very broad, so it can get busy, but that means buzzy too. The nightlife is animated and the horizon is a catwalk for superyachts. Where to stay and eatIf you have the budget, Effet Mer Plage has tables on the beach (mains from £24; and the art deco Juana hotel recreates the glamour of the 1930s. Room-only doubles from £196 ( Fly to Nice Water quality: excellentCap Ferrat is a dangling foot of land east of Nice, caught in the act of kicking a ball at Monte Carlo. Plage Paloma sits on its instep, a well kept slice of small pebbles and coarse sand, down a small flight of steps and shaded by pines. The water here is clean, but it is the outlook that makes Paloma special, with a distant Monaco gleaming like spilt paint on the flank of the Alpes Maritimes region. Where to stay and eatIn the evening, eat in Léo Léa by the St Jean marina just to the north, watching the lights come up (mains from £15; To complete the picture, stay in an Italianate villa, the Brise Marine, walking distance from Paloma. Room-only doubles from £148 ( Fly to Nice Water quality: poorThe water may not be tip top, but France's most fashionable resort between the wars has retained its art deco elegance and appeal, in part because it is so accessible from Paris. Given the water quality, many opt for sand yachting on its undeniably magnificent eight miles of flat sand. Where to stay and eatBack in the day, the likes of Noël Coward and Winston Churchill were Le Touquet regulars, and you can even buy scones in Elizabeth's, a British style tea-room. The imperious Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster is where everyone grand stays. You might see the Macrons, who have a holiday home here. Room-only doubles from £212 ( Take Le Shuttle to Calais Have we missed your favourite beach in France? Share your secret in the comments
Hospitality Net
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
A Riviera Icon Reimagined: Le Beauvallon Opens Its Doors to Guests for the First Time in Nearly a Decade
Le Beauvallon, which first opened in 1914, distils the essence of the Cote D'Azur lifestyle: a striking Belle Epoque palace, 10 acres of terraces and gardens with palms and umbrella pines overlooking the Bay of Saint-Tropez, a glamorous Mediterranean beach club, and a private pontoon for yacht tenders. Occupying a beachside location and adjacent to the renowned Golf Club de Beauvallon, the hotel is only eight minutes by boat from the vibrant heart of 'St Trop' on the other side of the bay. After nearly a decade of playing host to unforgettable celebrations and events, this Riviera icon is beginning a new chapter. Our 25 sea-facing suites will be available for individual guest stays. The shift, from a private events venue to a classic hotel, will appeal to guests in search of a last minute, hyper-exclusive summer vacation — with suites available from 1 July to 31 October 2025. The news also marks the first part of a significant two-phase development for Le Beauvallon in collaboration with the COMO brand — a family-owned, luxury hospitality company founded by Mrs Christina Ong. Over the last 30 years, COMO, headquartered in Singapore, has developed a portfolio hotels, resorts and private islands in 20 destinations worldwide. The brand is renowned for precise service, holistic wellness, and exceptional, Michelin-starred cuisine. Marking a vibrant new chapter, the hotel's iconic beach club unveils a bold and original culinary concept for summer 2025. Guests are invited to savour an inventive fusion of Asian and Mediterranean flavours, served with panoramic views of the Bay of Saint-Tropez in a relaxed, sun-soaked seaside atmosphere. For next year, COMO Le Beauvallon will launch new culinary concepts created by Yannick Alléno, a visionary chef and the most decorated talent in the Michelin Guide, with 17 stars to his name. For further information for 2025 visit or email [email protected] Beach club bookings for summer 2025: [email protected] For further information on the 2026 season visit Hotel website
BreakingNews.ie
25-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Suspected arson causes second major power outage in south of France
A second major power outage hit south-eastern France, this time in the city of Nice, after a suspected arson damaged an electrical facility. Police have not yet established a link between the blackout that affected parts of Nice as well as nearby cities of Cagnes-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-du-Var on Sunday, and a power outage on Saturday that disrupted the city of Cannes during the closing day of its renowned film festival. Advertisement The Nice blackout started around 2am and left some 45,000 households without electricity. Employees stand outside a shop during an electricity outage in Cannes, southern France (Natacha Pisarenko/AP) The city's trams stopped and power was briefly cut to the Nice Cote d'Azur airport during its overnight closure hours. Power was fully restored by 5.30am, according to the energy provider company Enedis. The Nice public prosecutor said a criminal investigation has been opened for 'organised arson'. Advertisement On Saturday, two other installations in the Alpes Maritime department were damaged in what officials also suspected to be arson, temporarily cutting power to 160,000 homes, including events at the Cannes Film Festival. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi condemned Sunday's attack and said the city had filed a complaint. 'I strongly denounce these malicious acts targeting our country,' he said on X. He ordered all sensitive electrical infrastructure in the city to be placed under police protection. Advertisement 'These actions can have serious consequences, particularly on hospitals,' Mr Estrosi said at a press briefing on Sunday. 'As long as the perpetrators haven't been caught, we will remain on high alert.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Cannes goes kinky! 'Fetish fashion' takes over red carpet as stars don their finest leather looks amid film festival's crackdown on 'naked' outfits
Movie stars have brought A-list fashion to the red carpet on the Cote d'Azur during this year's Cannes Film Festival - but as the organisers have implemented a dress code crackdown, an unexpected trend has emerged. In a first for the festival, a wave of celebrities appeared at premieres and photocalls donning their finest leather garments - whether in statement boots, biker jackets or full frocks. From Alexander Skarsgard's eyebrow-raising thigh-high 'fetish boots' to Zoe Saldana pairing her black gown with a biker jacket and Nicole Kidman in a corseted leather top, the celebs have truly embraced the divisive material on the traditionally formal Cannes red carpet. Skarsgård has taken a leaf out of Margot Robbie 's style book by 'method dressing' throughout the festival, wearing outfits that match the theme of his film Pillion, which he has been promoting. The 48-year-old plays Ray, a biker gang leader, in the film, which made its debut to rave reviews at the festival, and he's been dressing in leather as an homage to his character. During a screening for the film on Sunday, Skarsgård smiled alongside his costars wearing a pair of leather Loewe trousers and matching motorcycle boots, a white vintage t-shirt and aviator sunglasses. He posed up a storm, showing off his leather ensemble much to the delight of many of his fans. 'I'm never getting over Alexander Skarsgard in leather pants, GOOD LORD,' one woman tweeted. At the premiere of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Zoe Saldaña gave classic glamour an edgy twist by wearing an leather coat over the top of her sleek black Saint Laurent gown 'Alexander Skarsgård wearing leather pants for the premiere of his new queer film…I'm obsessed with this man, you don't understand,' another remarked. 'The one thing Alexander Skarsgård is going to do is play up the theme of his film on the red carpet,' someone added. Later that evening at the film The Phoenician Scheme's red carpet premiere, the actor upped the ante and wowed fans by pairing his sleek formal suit with a pair of Saint Laurent 'fetish' boots that went well up past his knees. The thigh-high boots with a loose fit and buckle detailing were a stark contrast to the dapper double-breasted tuxedo with silk lapels he styled them with. 'Alexander Skarsgård in these kinky Saint Laurent boots,' one fan commented online, and another wrote: 'Love a man in a thigh high.' And Skarsgård isn't the only one to jump aboard the 'fetish dressing' trend. Nicole Kidman donned an edgy Balenciaga leather corseted jacket as she was presented the 2025 Women In Motion Award during the film festival on Sunday. The A-lister looked incredible as she embodied 'motocore' style in the corset-style leather jacket, which she teamed with low-rise jeans and a chunky belt. At the premiere of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Zoe Saldaña gave classic glamour an edgy twist by wearing an oversized leather coat over the top of her sleek black Saint Laurent gown. Later that evening, the actor upped the ante and wowed fans by pairing his sleek formal suit with a pair of Saint Laurent 'fetish' boots that went well up past his knees She clutched the jacket so it sat below her shoulders while posing for and waving to the flurry of photographers alongside her husband, Marco Perego. Gabbriette brought out her inner spy at the Mission Impossible premiere, opting for a head-to-toe leather look. The model was oozing Gothic glamour as she wore a structured, floor-length black leather gown and chunky silver jewellery by brand Chrome Hearts. This year's Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche went for a Matrix-like leather look at the Trophee Chopard Dinner on Saturday. The French actress looked chic in the skin-tight off-shoulder dress with a front zip and thigh-high split. She wore latex-like boots under the dress and paired the rebellious look with a pair of black sunglasses. Other celebrities took a more subtle approach to 'fetish dressing'. At Sunday's The Phoenician premiere, Julianne Moore stunned in a simple Bottega Veneta dress with a risqué feature. The black sheath frock included one single strap made from strings of leather tied into a knot ,with its tassels not looking dissimilar to a whip. Gabbriette brought out her inner spy at the Mission Impossible premiere oozing Gothic glamour as she wore a structured, floor-length black leather gown and chunky silver jewellery The 'kinky' fashion fad comes after Cannes updated its dress code to ban 'nude dressing' just days before the festival was due to begin. According to organisers, the austere move is an attempt to stifle the celebrity trend for 'naked dresses' - namely provocative outfits that reveal considerably more than they conceal - on the red carpet. 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival,' states a Cannes festival document. 'The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.' The surprise new policy features in a recent festival-goers charter, released with a series of outlines regarding expected public behaviour. Guests are expected to converge on the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière for some of the highest profile film screenings across a packed seven-day schedule in Cannes. It's understood that the iconic venue now adopts a more conservative dress code, with suits, dinner jackets, and floor-length evening gowns generally favoured over headline-grabbing ensembles. Classic little black dresses, cocktail dresses, pant-suits, dressy tops and elegant sandals, 'with or without a heel', will also be permitted. While the decision to implement a more stringent policy will be a first, it is not known if French TV broadcasters, wary of airing nudity, played a role in its enforcement. Major red carpet events, including the Cannes Film Festival, are aired in France by France Télévisions. Recently attracting more models and influencers than actors and filmmakers, the annual ceremony has seen an increase in risque red carpet fashion statements.
