Provence is without doubt one of the most idyllic and dreamy corners of France, and if you understand the place to look, there are many locations that may go away you breathless at their quaint magnificence and sense of historical past. Ophorus Excursions, a French, household run tour group, know precisely the place to search for probably the most stunning, genuine and outright beautiful sights and experiences – together with a day tour of Aix-en-Provence and past…
Aix en Provence
Aix en Provence is a superb place to make use of as a base for exploring the area. Based by the Romans, it’s merely dripping in historical past. A metropolis of lovely structure, its slim streets, café crammed squares and historic monuments have impressed many various artists over the centuries, such because the well-known Paul Cezanne. And from Aix, you may take a number of day excursions with Ophorus excursions, of the scorching metropolis itself, the vineyards, historic cities and little villages. One in all our favourites although is a tour that takes you to probably the most charming of locations – Cassis, the Calanques and the unimaginable Cosquer Collapse Marseilles. You’ll have an English-speaking information, journey in a premium air-conditioned article and entry tickets are included.
Cassis
From Aix, head to the coast and uncover enchanting Cassis. With a historical past that dates again to 600 BC, Cassis was an necessary commerce route cease, and sooner or later it grew to become a fortified city. It has a stunningly fairly fishing port and harbour the place the refection of shuttered homes in muted tones of ochre, mushy pinks and sandstone, shimmer within the dazzling blue Mediterranean Sea to a theme tune of the mild chime of yachts and boats moored in entrance of quayside eating places and cafés.
Surrounded by pine forests, rocky hills and vineyards, Cassis has oodles of attraction. You’ll have time for buying within the beautiful boutiques and revel in lunch on the harbour’s edge, the place you’ll get pleasure from native produce – don’t miss the freshly caught seafood washed down with the realm’s well-known native rosé wines.
Calanques Nationwide Park
Earlier than lunch in Cassis, you’ll take boat experience (ticked included) within the Calanques Nationwide Park, a UNESCO-listed space and nature at its most gorgeous. There are hidden fjords and inlets, and sandy seashores with crystal clear water while above, huge rocky limestone hills well-known for his or her wildlife grasp over the water. The boat journey features a go to to 2 of probably the most well-known, beautiful inlets – Port-Miou and Port-Pin.
The Calanques have a dramatically lovely panorama and crusing alongside the tranquil cuts and curves of the coast with little greater than the sound of the lapping water and the cicadas singing from the shore, provides you an actual sense of the previous in addition to the impressiveness of nature on this area.
Cosquer Cave
After lunch, your driver will take you, through the scenic path to Marseille with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, to go to the magnificent Cosquer Cave duplicate web site. Found in 1985 by skilled diver Henri Cosquer, the doorway to the cave is 37 metres below the water and the partitions are lined in an unimaginable show of practically 500 prehistoric drawings on the rock partitions a few of which date again between 33,000 and 19,000 years. The drawings embrace quite a lot of animals, people and marine life and it’s an extremely uncommon illustration of life within the Paleolithic interval.
With a view to defend the cave, while nonetheless giving guests a possibility to expertise this extraordinary pocket of the previous, the Cosquer Cave duplicate (ticket included), is an interesting expertise as you discover in a particular car (Jurassic Park-like!) that takes you thru the duplicate of the unique underwater entrance and into the cave so as to see and really feel the ambiance inside. With useful info and interpretation of the numerous drawings, it’s an interesting expertise and an opportunity to get underwater with out truly getting moist.
A novel method to discover and uncover
Ophorus excursions have created quite a lot of distinctive methods to find a few of these gorgeous and unforgettable corners of Provence. Higher nonetheless, they take all the trouble out of visiting locations like Cassis (the place parking is extraordinarily restricted) and likewise function on a Sunday when this nook of France tends to go a bit quiet with many points of interest shut.
To search out out extra or to ebook, go to: ophorus.com and use the code FRANCEWITHOPHORUS to get 15% off…
