Located 65 km from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and half-way between Cannes and Saint-Tropez (38 km), Saint-Raphaël is a delightful Mediterranean sea resort set at the foot of the magnificent Estérel Hills.

Home to 36,000 inhabitants, Saint-Raphaël's pretty town centre borders the sea front. The town is divided into a number of different quarters (Old Town, Town Centre, Ports, Valescure, Boulouris, Le Dramont, Agay, Anthéor and Le Trayas), each offering a host of tourist attractions and an original personality.

Saint-Raphaël's key assets are of course its seascapes and temperate climate, although the town also offers a vast and rich natural heritage, plus year-round leisure sporting activities and an exciting events calendar. Benefiting from the "France Station Nautique" water sports quality label, Saint-Raphaël is also the ideal location for diving, golfing or walking holidays, plus business tourism, thanks to its superb "Palais des Congrès" convention center.

The town's highly prestigious history is still witnessed by its many magnificent residences dating back to the late 19th - early 20th centuries, delightful old streets and beautiful seafront promenade.

Mediterranean Seascapes	Countryside
Thirty-six kilometres of jagged coast line alternating marinas, 27 sandy and shingle beaches (Boulouris, Dramont, Agay). Little inlets and accessible creeks.	Overlooking Agay Bay, the 79,000-acre volcanic Estérel Hills - 32,000 acres of which are protected - offer walkers a wide choice of exciting itineraries in fragrant and unspoiled Provençal countryside.

What to do, what to see

Saint-Raphaël's fabulous natural heritage and choice of leisure and sporting activities makes it a coveted year-round destination.

4 golf courses, including the Var's oldest and France's 5th oldest course -the "Golf de Valescure" - built in 1895.

Water sports: 7 diving clubs, 3 sailing clubs (sailing, funboard, sea canoeing, etc.),waterskiing, water jousting, and boat trips.

Nature activities: the 8.5-km coastal footpath or "Sentier du Littoral", formerly used bycustoms officers to track down smugglers, hiking adventure trails, riding, mountain-biking in the Estérel Hills, climbing, tennis, archery.

Faites le plein de loisirs : More than 112 activities are offered all year-round to match everyone's level: water-sports, outdoor activities, well-being and children's activities available from Saint-Raphaël's Tourist Office.

The fabulous 20-km "Corniche d'Or" coast road.

The Old Town and Provençal Markets
The Tourist Office organizes guided tours every Thursday at 10 am (duration 2hours, price: 2.50 €).

The 12th-century Parish Church (a listed monument since 1907) - Europe's oldest sanctuary dedicated to the Archangel Raphaël.

The Archaeological Museum, featuring exhibits from wrecks discovered in the Bay ofSaint-Raphaël.

The superb neo-Byzantine "Notre-Dame de la Victoire" Basilique, designed by Pierre Aublé and built between 1883 and 1887.

An excellent choice of tourist accomodation

Saint-Raphaël offers the Var region's biggest accommodation choice including:
38 Hotels (12 three-star and 21 two-star); 18 holiday residences ( 3 three-star and 4 two-star) ; 13 Campsites, 3 Villages or Holiday Centres, 1 berthed boat, and 276 Seasonal Rentals.

Saint-Raphaël is the Var's leading tourist town and the 4th most visited tourist town in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region as a whole, following Marseilles, Nice and Aix-En-Provence (in terms of nights spent).

How to get there

By air:
- 45 mins. from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport,
- 1 hour from Toulon-Hyères Airport,
- 1 1/2 hours from Marseilles International Airport.

By rail: Served daily by the "TGV Méditerranée" high-speed train (4 3/4hours from Paris).

By road: 5 km from the A8 highway Fréjus/Saint-Raphaël exit (exit 38).

More Information

Office de Tourisme - Et des Congres
Quai Albert 1er - BP 210 - 83702 Saint-Raphaël Cedex
http://www.saint-raphael.com

Quote this article on your site