Anthéor is a tiny seaside hamlet on the Corniche d'Or, the coast road between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes, and it sits in a spot where the red rock of the Esterel meets the Mediterranean in a way that no guidebook has ever made seem exaggerated. The cliffs here are a volcanic rock, rust-red and purple, ancient lava that cooled around three hundred million years ago, and they plunge straight into water so blue it seems inked. Above the hamlet the peak of Cap Roux rises, a bare, rose-coloured crag over the sea.
The road itself, the N98, dates from the early twentieth century and was cut and blasted along the shoreline with a stubborn commitment to staying close to the water. It twists in and out of coves, dips under cliffs and runs past tiny beaches, with the railway line threading through the same landscape on stone viaducts. The Anthéor viaduct was blown up in the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards, a reminder that this lovely coast was once a front line. The riding is slow, rhythmic and beautiful rather than demanding, with plenty of bends and constant views, and the main danger is a lack of attention to the scenery rather than the road.
Traffic is the one drawback. In July and August the Corniche d'Or is packed, and the narrow road and lack of passing places make progress a crawl. Early mornings in May, June, September or October are the answer, when the light is clear and the tarmac nearly empty. Parking at the small beaches can be difficult in summer, and the surface is sometimes gritty where red sand blows across.
The Esterel massif behind the coast is a wild, low range of red rock covered in cork oak, maritime pine and aromatic scrub, and it has been shaped by fire repeatedly. Walking trails climb to viewpoints, but make sure you check fire restrictions, since access to the forest is sometimes closed in dry summers. Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince, is linked to this coast, since he lived near Agay, a few kilometres to the west.
Anthéor itself has little beyond a couple of beach cafés in season, so Saint-Raphaël, ten kilometres away, is where you will find fuel, supermarkets and a good range of restaurants.