Campsite between the sea & the Esterel in the Var
Between Saint-Raphaël, Agay & the Esterel Mountains
The city of Saint Raphaël in the Var, on the Côte d'Azur
Located in the Var, the City of Saint-Raphaël / Agay offers a privileged location for camping on the Côte d’Azur
Leaning against the foot of the Estérel mountains, Saint-Raphaël is a renowned seaside resort on the French Riviera, halfway between Cannes and Saint-Tropez.
With 36 kilometres of coastline stretching to the limit of the Alpes-Maritimes, passing by the Corniche d’Or, Saint-Raphaël has 28 beaches: large sandy beaches, pebble beaches, coves, secret creeks … if you are more lazy or nautical activities, you will always find what you are looking for in the Var. Classified as a “nautical resort”, Saint-Raphaël has 5 ports, each with its unique charm, from yachts to fishing boats: the old port, Santa-Lucia (the largest with 1600 rings), Boulouris, Poussaï and Agay.
A resort since the 19th century, St Raphaël quickly turned into a seaside resort, under the leadership of its mayor Félix Martin. Many public buildings were built such as the hospital, the casino and especially the Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire basilica, in Byzantine neo-Romanesque style, easily identifiable with its dome with glazed tiles.
Frequented in the 19th century by Lyonnais, Parisians and English, Saint-Raphaël is enriched with beautiful villas in Palladian, Anglo-Norman and Moorish styles. To find out more about the beautiful homes of St-Raphael, note that the tourist office organizes tours on this theme.
Take some time to visit the Saint-Raphaël Archaeological Museum, housed in the old presbytery of San Rafeù Church. It brings together pieces from local, regional and underwater excavations. You will see, for example, amphorae, coins, engraved menhirs… So many testimonies of the ancient past of the city.
In the garden, you can also observe the ruins of the “castrum” with the remains of its ramparts and, from the tower (16th century), you will admire a beautiful panoramic view of the bay of Saint-Raphaël.
Saint-Raphaël has become an important seaside resort on the French Riviera, the pearl of the East Var. However, she has not forgotten her Provençal soul. Saint-Raphaël thus bears witness to a unique art of living with its colourful markets that converge to bring Provence to life: fruit and vegetable markets, flower markets or even night markets …
Stroll through the shopping streets before going to laze on Veillat beach, along the promenade, while admiring the boats docked in the Old Port of Saint-Raphaël.
Saint-Raphaël also has a wide range of restaurants where you can taste regional cuisine from the Mediterranean, where you often find fish and other seafood products in the spotlight.
French and international tourists indeed come to admire, touch and smell the Provence that emerges, thanks to the artisanal and typically Provençal productions available from the stalls on market days. Whether it’s at the fruit & veg markets, the flower markets, the fish markets or the coveted seasonal night markets, you will always find traditional Provençal products available to take home as a lovely souvenir of your trip.
This is just a taste of the joys and delights of the city of Saint-Raphaël … the rest must be discovered and enjoyed for real!
Agay, the Pearl of the Riviera
Known as the Pearl of the French Riviera, the bay of Agay stretches its translucent and crystalline waters at the foot of the red rocks of Rastel d’Agay. From Cape Dramont in the west to Pointe de la Baumette in the east, Agay Bay is the natural gateway to the Esterel mountains.
The bay is home to beautiful sandy beaches: Tiki, Agay and Baumette. Family destinations par excellence, the beaches of Agay offer gently sloping shores, entertainment with beach volleyball and a mickey’s club.
There are many nautical activities in Agay: sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, paddleboarding, towed buoys, parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing and even boat rentals … Agay also has a small port with 166 berths.
Within the Esterel mountains, you will have plenty of time to explore the surrounding nature. Esterel Caravaning offers mountain bike rentals, electric mountain bike rides (VTTAE), Nordic walking and hikes in the Esterel accompanied by experienced guides. And for the more adventurous, we offer you, with our entertainment team, to go up to the orientation table at the top of the Rastel d’Agay (360 m above sea level) to discover a view of the harbour of Agay at take your breath away.
You will never be bored in Agay!
Le Dramont
Le Dramont is one of the districts of the city of Saint-Raphaël. Cap Dramont is one of the must-see tourist spots on the French Riviera, protected by the National Forestry Office. It offers breathtaking panoramas on the cliffs of red rocks whose azure blue pigments fill the Mediterranean Sea along the banks of the famous Ile d’Or, on Agay bay and along the beautiful Estérel Côte d’Azur coastline. Filled with history, Le Dramont is well worth a visit. Its history goes back to 1860 with the blue porphyry quarries now transformed into a lake and a tourist circuit.
The Ile d’Or is a private island, made of red rocks and topped by a square tower in medieval style. It faces the landing beach. This island would have inspired Hergé for the album “Black Island” by the famous comic book character: Tintin.
It was in front of the Île d’Or, on Le Dramont beach that part of the Provence landings took place during the night of August 14th & 15th, 1944. It was a great battle to reconquer Provence and continue the liberation of France.
Today, on the “Plage de Débarquement” aka Le Dramont beach in Saint-Raphaël, a landing craft and a commemorative monument remind us of this moment in history. Le Dramont beach with its huge car park is one of the longest in Saint-Raphaël. It is a blue porphyry pebble beach. And why is it the only beach in the Var with blue porphyry pebbles? Ask your local guide on your arrival at Esterel Caravaning for the answer… It’s free!
Le Dramont district is also famous for its semaphore built in 1860 on the ruins of a watchtower dating from 1562.
Of the 59 semaphores in France, the one in Le Dramont is the main semaphore in the region. The “sea traffic controllers” have a breathtaking panoramic view from the semaphore lookout glazed at 360 ° and located 150 meters high. These lookouts keep a close watch over the bay of Saint-Raphaël and the port of Agay, with each controller taking turns to keep their eyes peeled from dawn to dusk.