The region of Côte d’Azur loves the limelight and is famous for its lively nightlife and glitzy reputation, but there are also a few publicity-shy places that are worth their salt. It has a star-studded history as the play place for rich tourists looking for a healthy winter retreat, and then for Kings, Queens and the glitterati of the early 20th century, an association that has been reinforced through the annual Cannes Film Festival, and from starts from Becks to Elton John who buy luxurious holiday homes on the coast.

Best beaches

The best value and indeed the most beautiful beach we went to was in St Aygulf – absolutely fantastic. Great early evening music and waiter service on the beach [TripAdvisor member, Waterford]

Families in Fréjus head to the long, sandy, sheltered beach that stretches to the next town.

Attractions and Adventure

For a more ‘epic’ experience visit the Gorges d’Heric; it is one of the most impressive and magnificent gorges in the region. This long deep crack in the ground is wild, lush and incredible.

For a fantastic day out with the kids then you can do no better than Aqualand (check out www.aqualand.fr and click through on ‘Frejus’).  This is the biggest water park on the Cote d’Azur with slides, lagoons, spa baths as well as play areas, restaurants and bars.  You can buy tickets on parc and it’s an easy 10 minute drive (approx).

Cities and towns

The seaside town of Fréjus is an historic port balanced on a rock plateau, and there are Roman ruins, sandy beaches and chic bars. There’s a typical Med coast holiday feel, with streets lined with ice cream parlours, souvenir shops and restaurants. The bustling town is filled with classical remnants and medieval ruins, contrasting with the modern marina of Port Fréjus.

Frejus itself is a very beautiful place to visit and we enjoyed exploring all the lovely bays and the wonderful mountains that surrounded this area [TripAdvisor member, Fife]

Port Grimaud is St Tropez without the fake tan. It’s a French version of Venice, with winding streets and canals.

St Tropez is a chic town where you can mingle with the ‘jet set’. Relax into one of the many cafés and spend an afternoon celebrity spotting, and watch your kids stare wide-eyed at the yachts.

Cannes is famed for its film festival, but you’ll also be impressed by the gorgeous sandy beaches and cafés on La Croisette; perfect for watching the world go by.

The locals whizz up and down Nice’s magnificent palm-lined ‘Promenade des Anglais’ on roller skates, but the trick to enjoying the star studded town is to take things easy and milk every last detail.

Monaco is home of the rich and famous and famed for its fabulous casino. Of course the beautiful people who hang out here have beautiful yachts, so the marina should be near to the top of your ‘to see’ list.

Food and restaurants

Frejus hosts two food festivals: the Fête du Raisin celebrates the arrival of the first grapes through the medium of wine tasting and traditional dances, and every September there is an Omelette Géante – that’s right, a giant omelette – festival. 

Port-Grimaud has an organic bio market which takes place on Mondays and Fridays. There are organic fruit and vegetables, fresh products, food bread and bio wine, plus natural beauty products.

St Tropez is known for its tans, but every Tuesday and Saturday the Place des Lices in this famous town transforms into one of the biggest markets in Provence. Stalls sell a range of products, including fish and locally sourced food. 

The pretty squares of Aix-en-Provence are transformed into a sea of colours, sounds and appetising smells as the Grand Marché sets up its stalls on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 08h to 12h30. 

Marseille’s famous fish market on the Quai des Belges is a wonderful place to wander around. The local traders use the phrase Peché le nuit, vendu le matin to describe the freshness of their goods: “Caught in the night, sold in the morning”. 

Where to stay

Le Montourey has been described as siblu’s most relaxed site ever; it’s very quiet and you can hear the birds chirping through the day. The parc is a great base for touring the region’s most famous towns, with St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Grasse nearby.

The frogs are out in Charente Maritime, which local tradition decrees is a sign that August will be hot (this method seems at least as accurate as the Met Office!)

Indeed, Charente Maritime is officially the sunniest part of France after the south coast, so a holiday here is sure to shine.

We still have accommodation at La Pignade holiday parc in August. For a family, staying seven nights from 14 August, accommodation with Dover/Calais ferries is available from just £1,145.

Slightly further north is the Vendée, which is also looking promising according to weather forecasts, hitting highs of 29oC in the next few days. A seven night stay at Le Bois Dormant for a family from 10 August is available from £1,121 with Dover to Calais ferries.

And there’s still a smattering of availability of the south coast, where it will be hot, hot, hot.

Le Montourey on the Côte d’Azur has two-bedroom holiday homes from 18 August, with prices from £1,038 for a family with Dover to Calais ferries.

Tourers can also find a deal on the south coast, with Les Sables du Midi on Languedoc offering pitches for seven nights from 14 August for just £482, with Dover/Calais ferries included.

So don’t pack away thoughts on burnt sausages and black burgers just yet, you can still enjoy a barbecue summer.

The siblu Summer Sale runs from 8 to 22 June and features siblu parcs in regions including Normandy, the Vendée and the Côte d’Azur.

We are selling the last of our capacity for the summer, so if you can be flexible on your departure date and destination, there are some really good late deals.

For example, La Pignade siblu parc in Charente Maritime has its own horse-riding school where pupils can trek through the nearby La Coubre forest to the golden sands of Plage du Galon d’Or. A seven-night August holiday at La Pignade starts from only £805 for a top of the range three-bedroom holiday home when booked during the Summer Sale, saving £428. Price includes Dover to Calais ferries and is based on 1 August departure.

Domaine de Kerlann, one of the largest and best-equipped holiday parcs in southern Brittany, is opening a 65m dry-ski slope and two toboggan runs from 8 July to 8 August. During the Summer Sale a seven-night holiday starts from just £749 for a large three-bedroom holiday home, departing 1 August; a saving of £392. Return Dover to Calais ferry crossings are included.

Even Cote d’Azur sunshine holidays are included in siblu’s Summer Sale. A seven night break at Le Montourey holiday parc on the outskirts of Frejus, a favourite beachside resort for French families, starts from just £749 for a three-bedroom holiday home from 8 August, saving an incredible £518. This price includes return Dover to Calais ferries.

Families can snap up some incredible bargains at a wide selection of siblu parcs. To see the full list of parcs and dates, go to the siblu website.

You can save even more money by buying the siblu EuroVouchers to use for spends on the parcs. Each EuroVoucher has an exchange rate of 1.25€, better than any other provider, and can be used in on-parc bars, restaurants, shops, and with selected activity providers.