When it comes to holidays in France, historic cities, the French Riviera, and the Alps, often hit the headlines first. Yet across the country, tiny coastal towns, national parks, and sleepy rural villages all offer something different. From dune-backed beaches to archaeological sites, artisanal cheese producers to farmhouse stays, here is an alternative guide, by region, of things to see and do this summer.
Hauts-de-France
Instead of the glitzy Cote d’Azur, opt for the Côte d’Opale, which was named by 20th-century painter Édouard Lévêque after its dramatic, constantly-changing light, and stretches across 120km of coastline in the north, from Calais to Berck-sur-Mer. Just as St Tropez and Cannes steal much of the spotlight in the south, here it’s Le Touquet and Boulogne-sur-Mer that are the big draws for Parisians wanting a weekend by the seaside. A more low-key base is the town of Dannes, where gorgeous four-suite guesthouse Moulin Moulin is set in the main building of a former flour mill. From here, there are peaceful walking trails through sand dunes to Mont Saint-Frieux beach.
Other appealing hikes in the area include in the Canche Bay Nature Park (excellent for birdwatching) where routes combine pine forests with sea views, and the coastal path from Équihen to Le Portel, past Les Ningles beach. Of Pas-de-Calais’s many coves, dune-backed Pointe aux Oies, north of the town of Wimereux, and Cran d’Escalles, at the foot of the Blanc-Nez cliffs, are both worth checking out. Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering that Hauts-de-France was European Region of Gastronomy in 2023, food is a highlight – whether you take a tour of the artisanal Chocolaterie de Beussent workshop in Beussent or spend the afternoon in the taproom at Saint-Leonard’s microbrewery Brasserie Chromatique.
Franche-Comté
Until Franche-Comté was merged with its renowned neighbour Burgundy into a single region just under a decade ago, this eastern part of France was perhaps best known for cheese and clocks. The fortified town of Poligny is the Comté capital, where visitors can learn about cheese-making techniques and have a tasting session at Maison du Comté (at the Poligny-Tourmont dairy, which also sells Morbier cheese and Raclette, you can see the production workshop from the shop). The city of Besançon, with its UNESCO World Heritage citadel, was once the heart of the country’s artisanal watch making industry.
South from here, the grape-growing Jura landscape contrasts vineyard-carpeted hills and forested mountains with wildflower meadows and must-visit villages such as Chateau-Chalon – the birthplace of Vin Jaune, a sherry-like dry white wine, made from Savagnin grapes and aged for a minimum of six years. Less than a two-hour hike away is the equally charming valley village of Baume-les-Messieurs – attractions include a network of caves and a Cluny abbey – or hop in the car to wander around the village of Arbois, followed by a picnic lunch at the Cascade des Tufs waterfall. There are also countless lakes such as Saint-Point for wild swimming and watersports, turquoise water Chalain and glacial Narlay (fishermen like the latter for its trout and perch). Alternatively, north of Besancon is the Chapel Notre-Dame du Haut, in Ronchamp, which was designed by Le Corbusier and is now a UNESCO Wild Heritage Site.
Occitanie
Blockbuster cities such as Toulouse and Montpelier aside, there are plenty of lesser-known rural patches in the southwest region of Occitanie, which comprises both Mediterranean coast and mountains (it was once two separate areas, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Midi-Pyrénées). Just outside the hilltop spa town of Lectoure, siblings Kirk and Keeley Haworth (who are behind Michelin-star plant-based restaurant Plates in London’s Shoreditch) recently opened secluded seven-room Plates Farm for six-night stays over the summer. From here, towns nearby worth exploring include tranquil La Romieu, with its UNESCO-listed collegiate church (climb the tower for panoramic views) and medieval Nerac, on the Baïse river, which has an eponymous chateau where Henry IV spent his childhood.
The northernmost part of the region is Lozère, marked by heather-covered hillsides, chestnut forests, and the Cevennes National Park, an international dark sky reserve. Highlights of the latter include the Gorges du Tarn, one of the largest canyons in Europe – ideal for activities such as rafting, canoeing or hiking – and Mont-Lozère. The area’s main hub is the town of Mende where you can pick up a bag of its signature croquants (almond biscuits) to take home. Closer to the coast, in Narbonne, Foster + Partners-designed Narbo Via is dedicated to the city’s Roman history across three spaces: a museum, underground galleries of the Horreum built in the 1st century BC, and an archaeological site of Amphoralis, a former pottery factory which produced Gallic amphorae, unearthed in 1976.
Islands
Think of easy-to-reach islands from the French mainland and perhaps places such as Ile de Re spring to mind but there are many less obvious destinations too, all a boat ride away. In Brittany, it’s a two-hour ferry from Le Conquet to Ile Molene in the Natural Iroise Marine Park for hiking and bird spotting while on Ile de Groix (45-minutes from Lorient to Groililon), those who take the steep path down to cliff-flanked Poulziorec beach are rewarded with a serene spot for sunbathing. Elsewhere, on the French Riviera, the largest of the Hyères Islands, Porquerolles, is 50-minutes by boat from Le Lavandou. The best way to explore is by bicycle: although only seven kilometres by three, much of the car-free island is protected as part of the Port-Cros National Park and there are over 50km of trails to discover.
Further east, off the coast of Cannes, are the Lerins Islands. Sainte-Marguerite is known for the Royal Fort where the man in the iron mask was imprisoned in the 17th-century and the underwater eco-museum: six submerged sculptures of faces by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor that can be reached by snorkelling out from one of the pebbly bays. Neighbouring Saint-Honorat Island is home to Lerins Abbey whose monks produce wine from the onsite vineyard. It is sold at nearby La Tonnelle restaurant and wine shop.
