St Raphael easily qualifies as the best vacation spot on the French Coast.  It is an hour west of Nice and 30 minutes west of Cannes.  It is 30 minutes east of St Tropez.  These larger cities are crowded, and can be sheer madness in the tourist season.  St Raphael offers plenty of nightlife, shopping malls, and countless restaurants with spectacular harbour views.  It offers more sandy beaches than anywhere on the Cote d'Zur as beaches elsewhere are rocky.  Harbour ferries shuttle from St Raphael to all these destinations.

St Tropez makes a wonderful day trip excursion especially by ferry.  But there is so much more to enjoy than its artistic atmosphere during a full week holiday.  Take for example, the Dramont. Just minutes from the house, the Dramont offers spectacular views from its steep cliffs and is less than an hour hike to the top.  It's a popular hike even for families with small children.  Its popular with snorkelers and great for swimming as the rocky cliffs are as spectacular underwater as they are above.  Scuba diving is of course available as well.  A most charming restaurant is at the base.  In the big cities you just find crowds.  Downtown beach parking in Nice for example, is an expensive four-level parking garage.  Free waterfront parking can be found in downtown in St Raphael, offering a leisurely stroll down it's linear waterfront park to its quaint downtown. 

You simply could not have move choices for a healthy walk . The Esterel Forest is a kilometer away, and offers several more access points within a couple kilometers.   Hiking trails are right from the house, leading around the many golf courses or into the Esteral Forest.