Saint-Raphaël lies at the foot of the Massif de l’Esterel, two kilometres south-east of Fréjus. Saint-Raphaël is a large seafront resort town with an attractive promenade and a good sandy beach. It’s known to be one of the wealthiest towns on the Côte d’Azur, but don’t let this put you off, parts of Saint-Raphaël are pleasantly low key.
Saint-Raphaël beaches
Sandy beaches stretch north from the Vieux Port with plenty of options for watersports. In the summer months, floating platforms 100m off the beach make swimming more fun. Boats leave the Gare Maritime for St Tropez, the islands off Cannes and the stunning calanques of the Esterel (natural red-ochre coves).
Photo credit: ©marinas.com
Eating out in Saint-Raphaël
You’ll find plenty of pizzerias, brasseries, cafés and restaurants along the promenade and around the port. They’re generally of reasonable quality, but La Menara (Moroccan) and La Cave stand out on Trip Advisor.
The old quarter (vieux quartier) behind Rue de la Liberté, is nice for a stroll and has some good small restaurants. Le Patio stands out for its creative Provencal cooking.
A food market is held everyday except Mondays in Place Victor-Hugo and Place de la Républque and you can buy fish fresh from the boats at the Vieux Port.
Saint-Raphaël entertainment
St-Raphael is a vibrant place in summer and has its share of typical Cote d’Azur discos and bars. If you’re in town in early July, try to catch some of the New Orleans international jazz competition. Ask at the tourist office for venues. If you fancy a flutter, the Casino Barrière will happily take your money.
Saint-Raphaël Travel Info
Book a hotel
Saint-Raphaël Tourist Office
Office Municipal de Tourisme
Quai Albert 1er, BP 210
83 702 Saint-Raphaël
Tel: 04.94.19.52.52
www.saint-raphael.com
Bike hire
Atout Cycles
330 Boulervard Jean Moulin
Tel: 04.94.95.56.91
www.atoutcycles.com
