LE RAYOL-CANADEL... the Riviera Garden

If you were unfamiliar with the name LE RAYOL-CANADEL up to now, we can guarantee you won't be forgetting it in the near future! If you have the choice, do try and arrive in the village by the hilltops - take the RD27 road next to the international airfield in La Mole and cross this wild and unspoiled area of the Maures Hills via Les Pradels, which separates the valley from the coast.

The road is about 12 km long, wild and little-frequented, except by the rare cyclists who are not afraid of tackling this steep incline. It alternates dense valleys, thick maquis and sheer khaki-coloured rocky spurs. The road winds round the Maures national forest, sometimes crossing old stone bridges - arched just enough to let the stream's trickle of water pass underneath. Don't be fooled by appearances though - in this area, the rare but very heavy and unexpected rainfall causes the local streams to swell into powerful rivers.

In the distance, the hill is bare and is constantly being replanted - on each side of the narrow road, the woods still bear the black wounds of terrible forest fires in recent years. At the foot of the cork oaks, little yellow flowers and soft, cottony purple rockrose peep out from the Winter moss.

Then suddenly, just when you were lulled into thinking the pretty broom and evergreen forests were going to stretch on forever, you will be amazed to come across one of the Var region's most spectacular coastal panoramas, as the immense Mediterranean Sea literally explodes into view. 180° of divine blue! Blue blue everywhere! Heart-stopping blue! A blue silk gown on which a few jewels in the form of islands have been delicately sewn! To your left, Cape Lardier. Opposite, a group of lazy little islands basking in the sun, just waiting for you to disembark. To your right, the shores of Pramousquier peninsula and the steep cliffs of Cape Nègre.

In the far distance, two curious fingers of sand linking the town of Hyères to Giens peninsula... It's definitely time to stop the engine. After all, it's not every day you come across a setting like this. What did you say the director's name was? The narrow road leads you gently down nearly to sea level, but there's another surprise to come!... "le Domaine du Rayol, le Jardin des Méditerranées". The story of these magnificent gardens kicks off in 1910, and involves a Parisian businessman, an Art Nouveau residence and garden, a famous aeronautics engineer called Henri Potez, and some pretty wild parties...

But the brochure will tell you more! Today, the gardens form a sort of natural outdoor exhibition. The "Conservatoire du Littoral" (Botanical Conservatory), which is now the owner, has put the landscape gardener Gilles Clément in charge of restoring and re-designing the site: 12 acres of flora from Mediterranean climates the world over!

Mediterranean carob trees, Australian acacias, South African strelitzias, Mexican agaves, Asian bamboo, New-Zealand linseed and Chilean palm trees - all in a truly magnificent setting. A guided tour is a real must - and you can continue your insight into Mediterranean plant and animal life in the adjacent underwater garden in Summer!