Day 3012 (Saturday) 6th  September 2025

Both these photos are Villefranche-sur-Mer in the old days, it hasn’t changed at all.

I found this article about natural wonders in France, it’s a bit long so I’ll post it over two days… 

France's best natural wonders: 10 incredible, unfiltered, pinch-me encounters that are pretty much as Mother Nature intended

From alpine peaks to startling stretches of coast, here are some of the most beautiful natural spots in France © Shutterstock / PHILIPIMAGE

Everyone raves about France for its cuisine and culture, but the country also enthralls with its natural wonders – from the highest peaks in Europe to colossal canyons, lyrical rivers, crash-bang waterfalls, and fields of purple lavender and pink-granite coastlines ripe for an impressionist painting.

Venture beyond the usual tourist trail of cities and towns and you’ll stumble across scenes that beggar belief – from mighty sand dunes backdropped by the crashing Atlantic to pink salt lakes fizzing with flamingos. Here are 10 of our favourites to get you started.

Hike in the Gorges du Verdon in Haute-Provence

For drama, few sights in France beat the ragged, plunging cliffs of the Gorges du Verdon, where the surreally turquoise Verdon River slips through a 25km (15.5-mile) limestone plateau to the foothills of the Alps.

Eroded by the elements over millennia, this gorge is the centerpiece of the Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon. Towering up to 700m (2297ft) high, the cliffs attract birds including golden eagles and a colony of reintroduced vautours fauves (griffon vultures). The canyon has been dubbed "Europe’s Grand Canyon," but frankly, why would you want to imagine yourself anywhere else?

This southern French valley is a magnet to adventure travellers (as well as a favorite spot for that less-adrenaline-fueled pastime, le pique-nique). Kayakers and climbers test their limits on the rocky outcrops, but stunning views are on show to road trippers too (the scenery from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to Castellane is truly sensational).

Climb above the Aiguilles de Bavella in Corsica

In southern Corsica, no sight is more arresting than the Aiguilles de Bavella © John Elk III / Getty Images

Corsica feels like a world apart from mainland France, particularly in summer when the island is aflame with wildflowers. In the south, no sight is more arresting than the Aiguilles de Bavella (Bavella Needles), soaring over 1600m (5249ft). These great spires and turrets of granite are captivating, whether you glimpse them in the golden shadow of morning or the rosy tint of dusk.

For stellar views, hike from Col de Bavella (Bavella Pass; 1218m/3996ft), keeping an eye out for mouflons (wild mountain sheep). To glimpse them from above, hook onto the long-distance GR20 hiking trail, which hoofs it up to Mt Incudine (2134m/7001ft). The area is also a rocky wonderland for climbers and canyoners.

Swan around summer lavender fields in Provence

What could be more French than a field of fragrant lavender bowing in the summer breeze?

OK, so there’s nothing "natural" about the neatly tended rows, but the vivid purple hills of Provence are rightly legendary. Every summer, roughly from late June to early August, flowering lavender sets the hills of southern France alight with color and perfume.

One of the most iconic views is at the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Sénanque, its medieval abbey idyllically framed by a serried sea of lavender. But if you want to dive properly into the violet deep end, plan a road trip or bike ride along Les Routes de la Lavande, which bring together oil distilleries, farms, parks and lavender museums. Mid-July is the best time to visit for blooms.

Think pink on the Côte de Granit Rose in Côtes d'Armor

Brittany has such a sensuous stretch of coast that even the boulders blush. The Côte de Granit Rose (Pink Granite Coast) flushes a delicate shade of copper pink, giving a surreal air to this breezy, Celtic-spirited slice of northern France.

Running some 30km (19 miles) from Penvern to Trégastel and Ploumanach, this stretch of coast is a real natural beauty, with spectacularly eroded rock formations, rock pools, caves and coves washed by a sea of pure turquoise. Drink in the views on a coastal walk through pines, gorse and mimosa. After hitting the trail, Breton favourites like mussels, cider and galettes (buckwheat pancakes) await.

Race down mighty Dune du Pilat in Pyla-sur-Mer

Located in southern France, Dune du Pilat is Europe's highest sand dune © John Harper / Getty Images

Rippling above Atlantic surf and forests of maritime pine, oak and strawberry trees, Europe’s highest sand dune draws paragliders, sun-worshippers and – believe it or not – the occasional skier (when winter brings a dusting of snow to the Saharan scene). Scale this southern French gem, barely an hour from wine-rich Bordeaux, and you'll be shaking golden sand out of your socks for days.

More of these tomorrow…