{"id":135165,"date":"2025-05-27T05:55:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/135165\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T05:55:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:55:16","slug":"how-to-dodge-the-crowds-5-hidden-gems-you-should-visit-in-the-south-of-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/135165\/","title":{"rendered":"How to dodge the crowds: 5 hidden gems you should visit in the South of France"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The summer holiday season is upon us. And for many people looking to get away for a bit of sunshine this year, the French Riviera<\/a> beckons. <\/p>\n

For good reason. France\u2019s south is famously beautiful<\/a>, boasting stretches of gorgeous coastline, fields waving with lavender as far as the eye can see, and tiny medieval fort villages that perch in the mountains waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the perfect place for a getaway; the only issue is that everybody else thinks so too. France attracted 100 million tourists last year, making it the world\u2019s most visited country \u2013 and many of those went south. These days, it\u2019s hard to enjoy a stroll down the wide boulevards of Aix-en-Provence<\/a> without having to contend with thousands of other holidaymakers wanting to do the same. <\/p>\n

However! There\u2019s more to this region that meets the eye, and the south of France<\/a> is still bursting with gorgeous gems to discover. So this year, maybe it\u2019s time to skip some of its most overtouristed locations in favour of the shadier, quieter streets of their dupe counterparts. Here\u2019s where to go: and where to skip in favour of an underrated gem.<\/p>\n

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Photo by bapt miller on Unsplash<\/p>\n

Breezy, beautiful Saint-Tropez<\/a> is a favourite for a reason: an old fishing village turned hub for the glitterati. Located right on the seafront, its shaded streets and old terracotta rooves are still bursting with cafes, boutiques and the odd farmers market. <\/p>\n

Where to go instead: Collioure<\/p>\n

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The exceptionally sweet harbour town of Collioure is still a hidden gem for locals in the know. Small and compact, its main attraction is the seafront, where a street of brightly coloured houses face directly onto a wide sandy sweep of beach. <\/p>\n

Situated on the Vermeille coast, right on the border with Spain, it\u2019s a stone\u2019s throw from other towns like Le Mour\u00e9 and Port D\u2019Avall (which boast equally beautiful, colourful streets), as well as the golden, sandy beaches of Boramar and Port D\u2019Avall. Plus, there\u2019s a lot of culture here; the city inspired painters like Henri Matisse and Andr\u00e9 Derain and gave rise to the Fauvism movement. A coffee on the harbour front is a must.<\/p>\n

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Avignon Bridge in Avignon, Provence, France<\/p>\n

Shutterstock \/ Samot<\/p>\n

The grand old dame of the south is a must-visit for history lovers \u2013 or even just people who enjoy a spot of beautiful architecture. <\/p>\n

Avignon was the home of the Pope (briefly), and today still boasts a gorgeous old chateau, bridges and winding, cobbled streets, which have made it a hotspot for tourists. The Palace du Papes welcomes 650,000 visitors on average each year, which in turn puts pressure on its 100,000 strong population. <\/p>\n

Where to go instead: Villefranche-de-Conflent<\/p>\n

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\u00a9OTConflentCanigo<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t get much cuter than Villefranche-de-Conflent. Located in the hills above Perpignan, this ancient, fortified town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and that dates all the way back to the 11th century, where it was founded by a Count of Cerdanya. The town boasts amazing views thanks to its elevated location, and is the perfect jumping off point for exploring the Cerdanya plateau \u2013 but it\u2019s worth spending a day or so just exploring the streets, which are packed with ramparts, old house fronts, towers and the beautiful Saint-Pierre bridge over the T\u00eat. Pleasingly, these streets are also a haven for art shops and small boutiques \u2013 in case you needed to buy souvenirs.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Linh Nguyen on Unsplash<\/p>\n

The quintessential French town, Aix-en-Provence\u2019s broad, symmetrical streets are the perfect location for a lazy afternoon walk (even more so because of the way its trees block out the hot sun). There\u2019s also a lot to see: the town has long been a haven for some of France\u2019s best artists, including Paul C\u00e9zanne, who painted the limestone peak of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. <\/p>\n

Come to sip coffees and soak in the ambiance; stay to see the beautiful baroque hotels in the Quartier Mazarin and follow in the footsteps of Camus and Hemingway.<\/p>\n

Where to go instead: Narbonne<\/p>\n

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Photo by Ian Kirkland on Unsplash<\/p>\n

Situated slap-bang between Perpignan and Montpellier, Narbonne dates all the way back to the Middle Ages and beyond: it was the capital of the first Roman colony in Gaul. These days, it\u2019s a decidedly more civilised place to hang out, with an old town centre, wide streets and a canal (the Canal de la Robine) that runs through its centre. <\/p>\n

Stop by the beautiful old cathedral, before exploring the network of old, red-roofed buildings that surround it \u2013 if you visit at the end of August, the Trenet Festival will be in full swing, celebrating French song with concerts and outdoor shows. <\/p>\n

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Pat on stock – stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The imposing fortified city of Carcassonne is a tourist favourite for a reason. It\u2019s in wine country, for one: nothing tastes better than a glass of local red wine sipped in one of the city\u2019s famous wine caves. <\/p>\n

In recent years, the city has taken off as a destination for Brits \u2013 helped by EasyJet\u2019s regular flights there \u2013 but there\u2019s still a bit of respite to be had from the crowds by venturing down to the Lower City, which offers plenty of shopping destinations and bistros for those seeking a bit of lunch, or retail therapy. <\/p>\n

Where to go instead: Saint-R\u00e9my-de-Provence<\/p>\n

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Image by Marcel Dominic from Pixabay<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not as big or as famous as Carcassonne, but there\u2019s still plenty to love about this sleepy French fortified town. The capital of the Alpilles region, it\u2019s set among the rolling hills that dominate this part of Provence. Enter through the imposing gateways of Porte Saint Paul or the Port du Trou and explore the pleasingly airy, shadowed streets.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of history here. It was in Saint-Remy that Van Gogh came for treatment after cutting off his own ear: staying at the asylum and monastery at Saint Paul de Mausole. The building\u2019s pretty cloisters are a breath of cool air after the heat of the sun \u2013 a perfect final stop after touring the many locations in the town\u2019s surrounding streets that he painted.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Constantin on Unsplash<\/p>\n

Ahh, Nice<\/a>: the jewel of the French Riviera. Tourists flock here in their millions every year to promenade along the famous seafront, to go celebrity spotting in its restaurants and to shop in its many boutique stores. Blessed with good weather and a gorgeous, sparkling blue sea, Nice has suffered from overtourism in recent years: at the start of 2025, the city announced that it wanted to ban cruise ships for good.<\/p>\n

Where to go instead: Porquerolles<\/p>\n

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Shutterstock<\/p>\n

What Porquerolles lacks in history (it was only built back in the 18th century, unusual for this region of 15th century villages) it makes up for in charm. <\/p>\n

Set on a secluded island just off the coast of Hy\u00e8res on the French Riviera, the town nestles amidst rolling vineyards and beautiful, untouched beaches \u2013 on top of everything else, it\u2019s also a conservation area, slap-bang in the middle of France\u2019s Post-Cros National Park. The whole crescent-shaped island feels more like it belongs in the Caribbean: so make the most of it and soak up the atmosphere, while also enjoying some of the best beaches France has to offer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The summer holiday season is upon us. And for many people looking to get away for a bit…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5309],"tags":[2000,299,36,6652,28931,11970,59304,5330],"class_list":{"0":"post-135165","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-france","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-france","11":"tag-french-riviera","12":"tag-nice","13":"tag-provence","14":"tag-saint-tropez","15":"tag-south-of-france"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114578255213168269","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}