Saint-Raphaël is the starting point of one of the most colourful roads in France, and the colour is its subject. The Esterel massif, a low range of volcanic rock behind the town, is made of red porphyry, which glows an almost unreal brick-red against the blue Mediterranean and the dark green of the pines. The town itself is a relaxed seaside resort of about thirty-five thousand people, with a promenade, a casino, a harbour and a handsome church in Neo-Byzantine style, Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire, built in the nineteenth century.
History is thick here. Napoleon landed at Saint-Raphaël in October 1799, returning from Egypt, and left from the same shore for exile on Elba in 1814, so the town considers itself a footnote to imperial history. The neighbouring town, Fréjus, has Roman ruins, including an arena and an aqueduct, left from the days when it was a naval base of Julius Caesar. In the nineteenth century, the rise of the Riviera as a winter retreat brought writers and wealthy invalids, and Saint-Raphaël grew with them.
The Corniche d'Or, the Golden Corniche, runs southwest along the Esterel coast for about thirty kilometres to Théoule-sur-Mer, and it was built in the early twentieth century as one of the first tourist roads in France. The road clings to the cliffs, with the red rock on one side and the sea on the other, and it winds in and out of small coves, with views of rocks that rise from the water like carved sculptures. The bends are gentle and constant, the surface is good, and the pace is slow, because of the scenery and the traffic.
In July and August the Corniche can be clogged with cars, so ride early in the morning or in the shoulder seasons, and be careful about summer wildfires, which sometimes close the roads in the Esterel. Fuel, restaurants and bike shops are easy in Saint-Raphaël, so prepare there. The beaches along the coast are small and rocky, with clear water good for a swim, but the parking is limited. A plate of grilled fish and a chilled glass of Provence rosé in the old harbour will complete the picture.