Discover Saint-Raphaël

View of Saint-Raphaël
(a photo by big.marsellus)

Situated on the coast west of Cannes, Saint-Raphaël forms a large conurbation with neighboring Fréjus. This is one of the most populated and richest seaside resorts in Côte d'Azur. It boasts a long tradition in being a favorite holiday destination for many people, as Saint-Raphaël was founded by the Romans who built their seaside villas here. In the beginning of 20th century the town became a fashionable and very popular seaside resort, visited by many French and foreign tourists. Although many of the beautiful beachfront hotels and manor houses in the attractive Belle Époque architectural style were destroyed during the World War II, they were rebuilt after that with the utmost respect to their original features. The Old Town of Saint-Raphaël is located on the opposite side of the train line, starting from Place Carnot. It is not the main commercial area of the city, therefore being a very calm and pleasant place to walk around. The main attraction is an impressive fortified church in Romanesque style in rue des Templiers. The church’s courtyard houses the regional historic museum where you can see on their original place the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct which used to bring water from the nearby Roman city of Forum Julii (present day Fréjus).

The Chucrh of Saint-Raphaël
(a photo by Eric Borda)

The wonderful sandy beaches, stretching from the recently opened Jardin Bonaparte close to the Vieux Port and the beautiful Santa Lucia Marina, offer possibilities for various water sports. Interesting boat trips to the nearby calanques of the Esterel coastline and more distant destinations, such as Saint-Tropez and the Hyeres Islands, are organized regularly. After a memorable sightseeing day you can spend some money on the slot machines in the local Casino de Saint-Raphaël, situated on Square de Gand, adjacent of the old port, or relax with a drink in any of the nearby bars and night clubs.

If you need to buy food there is no better place than the daily market on Place Victor-Hugo, as well as those on Place de la Republique. In the areas of these two squares you can also find a variety of affordable cafés and brassieres. A number of good restaurants, pizzerias and crêperies are located in district of the Vieux Port, around Marina Santa Lucia and along the seafront promenade.