Camp by lavender fields, alpine peaks, and French Riviera beaches.
If you’re looking for seen-on-a-postcard French landscapes, you’ve come to the right place. France’s southeastern corner is forged from burly alpine peaks, white-sand shores, and an endless patchwork of lavender, sunflowers, and vineyards. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is made up of six departments, from the French Alps through the countryside of Provence down to the Mediterranean Coast of the French Riviera, leaving plenty of scope for outdoor adventures. Campers have it all: check into a beachside campground with all the frills, park your campervan at a Hipcamp amid the vineyards, or escape to the Alps for a wild camping experience.
The central and northern departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes are the spot for adventurers. In the heart of Provence, there’s epic hiking, white-water rafting, and canyoning at the Verdon Gorge—the largest canyon in Europe—while a choice of alpine hikes await at Mercantour National Park. Or, continue north into the Haute-Alpes, where the wild landscapes are equally tempting for winter skiers and summer hikers, and rock climbers.
The southeastern stretch of the Mediterranean Coast is hemmed in by the borders of Italy and Monaco to the east, and the elegant shores of the Côte d’Azur to the South. Join the jet-set for a 5-star camping experience in the French Riviera towns of Nice, Cannes, and Antibes, set sail on a yacht cruise, or climb the hills to discover idyllic villages and dazzling ocean views.
Follow the French Riviera coast west as it curls around to the pretty port of Saint-Raphaël and celebrity-studded St Tropez, where coastal campers have a wide pick of campgrounds and holiday parks. Inland, a road trip to the Verdon Gorge will take you through picturesque Provencal villages and rolling vineyards, while along the coast, Port-Cros National Park and the Golden Isles are a slice of paradise for hikers, scuba divers, and campers.
Marseille, France’s largest port, dominates the coast of the Bouches-du-Rhône, and the vibrant maritime city is the gateway to Provence. Wind-whittled sea cliffs and crescents of white sand stretch east of Marseille in the Calanques National Park, while to the west, the vast coastal marshlands of the Camargue are renowned for their native white horses and pink flamingos.
Vine-clad hills, hilltop medieval villages, and swathes of purple lavender fields (visit in summer to see them in bloom) blanket the Luberon, the northern section of Provence. This region was made for leisurely road trips and countryside camping, so leave yourself plenty of time to explore. Tag on a visit to the mighty Palais de Popes in Avignon, or the mighty Mont Ventoux, a popular feat for hikers, mountain bikers, and skiers.