France's Mediterranean coast runs from Cerbère on the Spanish border to Menton on the Italian frontier in a 310-mile (500km) ribbon of sunshine and sand.
Some destinations resonate with centuries of art, architecture and maritime history, such as Marseille, European capital of culture in 2013. Other towns, such as neighbouring Cassis, hide behind fjord-like calanque creeks where azure seas crash against cliff-top peaks. The latter region became France's newest national park in 2012.
The coastline's western half is soft and sandy, with seemingly endless beaches shaded by Aleppo pines. Leucate mixes sand dunes and seafood with world-class windsurfing, while La Grande Motte lays claim to being Europe's greenest seaside resort, with nearly 200 hectares of parks and gardens, in addition to a plethora of seaside attractions, including a rowing and sailing centre and a thalassotherapy institute.
Nearby Montpellier is one of the most popular university towns in France. Yet on the city's doorstep lies Unesco biosphere reserve the Camargue, 360 sq miles (930 sq kms) of wetlands populated by cowboys, pink flamingos and wild white horses. Take note: the river Rhône that flows through the Camargue can be followed from the vineyards of Avignon to the white sands of Le Grau-du-Roi.
The big attraction here is the Seaquarium, a giant aquarium with a special section, the "Requinarium", devoted to sharks (from "requin", the French for shark). Over 25 creatures of this fascinating species can be observed over two impressive floors.
Further west, close to the elegant town of Béziers, lies Cap d'Agde. Formerly a remote village, this has grown over the last 40 years to become the largest purpose-built tourist resort in France, and its 400m "submarine path" allows divers of all levels to marvel at the sealife that populates the volcanic ocean floor.
For elegance and elan, try France's eastern Mediterranean shores. The coastal road weaves between beach clubs and boutiques, past Michelin-starred restaurants and belle époque resorts, such as the spectacular Six Fours-les-Plages with its sandy islands and peninsulas, and Hyères-les-Palmiers, whose main export to the world is palm trees.
In the hills above Hyères is the Villa Noailles, an exhibition space for the visual arts that was once the family home of Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, wealthy patrons of the arts who commissioned their lavish house in 1923 in a modernist style. It now hosts regularly changing shows of photography, fashion and design.
Further east, destinations such as Cannes and Nice have been bywords for glamour since Queen Victoria sojourned on the Côte d'Azur in 1882.
In St Tropez, sophistication is raised to another level. This chichi spot has been painted by Paul Signac, personified by Brigitte Bardot, and partied in by A-listers from Jack Nicholson to Jay-Z.
Yet outside the summer season, St Tropez reverts to being an overgrown fishing village, albeit one that now turns its catch into sushi and tuna tartare. October's Voiles de St Tropez classic sailing race is an opportunity to witness the world's finest yachts, rather than an occasion to pose or preen.
Just across the bay sits Sainte-Maxime, the perfect antidote to St Tropez's occasional excess. A belle époque promenade lines its seafront, and hotels are half the price. What's more, all year local ferries putter out to places where Porsches and paparazzi simply cannot reach: the islands of Port-Cros, Porquerolles and the Embiez, to name a few.
If there's one place on the coast that combines the beach with culture and cuisine, it's Menton, the coastline's easternmost town before Italy. Blessed with two long beaches, sprinkled with seven botanical gardens and a new Jean Cocteau museum, it's the sunniest spot in mainland France.
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/seaside-lifestyle/mediterranean-coast
Holiday offer
Spend five nights self-catering at the four-star MMV Resport and Spa in Cannes, plus two nights B&B at the five-star Intercontinental Marseille, the 2013 European Capital of Culture, with flights into Nice with car hire. For two people, from £628 per person. Visit crestaholidays.co.uk/atout-france/mediterranean-coast/ for details.
