Massif de l'Esterel

The Esterel is made of rhyolite, a volcanic rock stained deep red by iron, and where it meets the sea the contrast with the water is the whole attraction: red cliffs, red coves, red offshore rocks. The Corniche d'Or, opened in 1903, runs about thirty kilometres along it between Saint-Raphael and Cannes with constant sea views and small calanques below. Inland the massif rises to Mont Vinaigre at six hundred and eighteen metres, covered in cork oak, pine and scrub, with forest tracks and marked paths. Fire has repeatedly burned large areas, and access is controlled in summer.

What you actually see

• The red rock coast - rhyolite cliffs and coves against blue water.
• The Corniche d'Or - a thirty-kilometre coast road of 1903.
• Mont Vinaigre - the massif's high point with a wide view.
• The forest tracks - marked routes through cork oak and pine.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer brings fire closures on the inland paths, checked daily, and heavy traffic on the corniche. Spring flowering on the scrub is good.

Honest expectations

Fire restrictions close inland access on many summer days without warning. The corniche is slow and congested in season. There is little shade and no water on the trails.

Nearby

Cannes lies east; Saint-Raphael is west.