Splendid Cote d’Azur

The famed French coast is much more than just Cannes and Saint-Tropez. David Monagan explores the hidden gems of the area just waiting to be explored by visitors

FOR a rejuvenating break the Cote d’Azur with its summer jazz and perfume festivals is hard to beat. But unless you crave glitz, forget Cannes and Saint-Tropez and make your base at the more modest but charming Villefranche-sur-Mer, three miles beyond Nice.

Nestled in the crook of a truly azure bay beneath the sun-splashed Alpes-Maritimes, the place is an unspoilt gem.