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* Our Hotel *
We stayed in a lovely little hotel called the Relais D'Agay, which was just across the street from the beach. It consisted of two 3-storey, rustic-style buildings sideways to the beach but with all rooms having a sea view and most having balconies. We were quite lucky ... Read review
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Advantages: An unspoilt backwater in a sea of development Disadvantages: Could be too quiet for some
...were you? Have another look. AGAY - A small beach resort in the South of France between St. Raphael and Cannes. Phew! That's a relief!
Let's start with a little bit of advice: If you would like to search on the web for some pictures of this picturesque little town, be prepared for some explicit images of a non-family nature. How can I put it? If you're not interested in seeing large, hairy, naked men in various poses, don't do it! ... ...though.
Agay is situated midway, about 20 miles or so, between Cannes and St. Tropez so the possibilities for people-watching or gaping slack-jawed at the beautiful people are endless. We didn't bother...if you've seen one playground of the rich and famous, you've seen them all.
Our plan was to chill out on the beach and recharge our batteries for the next stage of our trip. As we arrived fairly early we had ... more
Calm down, there's no need to panic girls - it's not what you think. I haven't forsaken the lovely Mrs P. for the adventures of pastures new. Although there have been times whe.....
You just weren't reading the title properly, were you? Have another look. AGAY - A small beach resort in the South of France between St. Raphael and Cannes. Phew! That's a relief!
Let's start with a little bit of advice: If you would like to search on the web for some pictures of this picturesque little town, be prepared for some explicit images of a non-family nature. How can I put it? If you're not interested in seeing large, hairy, naked men in various poses, don't do it! If, on the other hand, you are - then feel free.
Anyway.... After our hectic culture overload in Arles, it was off to the beach for a couple of days R&R (that's rest and relaxation, not reading and rating!). * Things to do *
There's the beach. Seriously. There's a couple of hotels, a dozen or so shops and a similar number of restaurants. And a beach. This is not the fast-paced, sophisticated French Riviera of Nice and Monte Carlo. It's a very laid-back and relaxed, quiet little backwater....perfectamundo.
* Our Hotel *
We stayed in a lovely little hotel called the Relais D'Agay, which was just across the street from the beach. It consisted of two 3-storey, rustic-style buildings sideways to the beach but with all rooms having a sea view and most having balconies. We were quite lucky in that our room was on the 3rd floor and was right at the front of the hotel so I think we probably had the clearest view. The room was decorated in lemon and pale blue colours, all very bright and welcoming. There was ample storage space and we had the usual cable TV etc. The bathroom was a bit dated but it was clean and well equipped with towels and toiletries.
It was very difficult trying to book a hotel for these two days. Many hotels were fully booked and most that weren't were either ridiculously expensive, or insisted on us booking full board. This hotel was very reasonably priced at 60 euros per night on a room only basis. They did have a nice restaurant (which we dined in on our second night, and it was very good) but I don't like to be tied to where I'm going to eat so a room only basis is always my preferred option.
I would heartily recommend this hotel. http://www.relaisdagay.com/english/index.htm
If you're looking for some livelier pursuits, St. Raphael is about 5 miles along the coast. Here you'll find a wide variety of shopping and dining opportunities...there's even a casino for those who like to gamble. Life's a big enough gamble for me though!
A couple of miles along the coast towards St. Raphael there's a monument and a WW2 landing craft. This is where US and Free French troops landed in 1944 to kick some Nazi ass. There's not much to see though.
Agay is situated midway, about 20 miles or so, between Cannes and St. Tropez so the possibilities for people-watching or gaping slack-jawed at the beautiful people are endless. We didn't bother...if you've seen one playground of the rich and famous, you've seen them all.
Our plan was to chill out on the beach and recharge our batteries for the next stage of our trip. As we arrived fairly early we had a couple of hours on the beach that first day - nice. (That's nice, not Nice) That first evening we dined at a restaurant on the beach which was built on stilts and the waves were gently lapping below us. They specialized in seafood and as you'd expect, it was excellent - they even sold Belgian beer! It doesn't get much better than this. You can't miss this restaurant - it's one of only two on the beach side of the road.
We retired that evening full of relaxed anticipation of our leisurely day in the sun to follow. Can you guess what happened next?
About 3am we were awoken by the loudest thunder and the brightest lightning I've ever seen and I've been to the Gulf coast in the states so I've seen T-storms. OK, just because there's thunder it doesn't always mean it will rain. About 4am we were awoken by some of the most torrential rain I've ever heard and being from Scotland, I know a bit about rain. As the French say: That's life!
It had stopped raining by morning but it was still overcast so the beach was not really an option. The road towards Cannes from Agay is one of those twisting clifftop jobs you see in the movies so we had a little jaunt along that for some entertainment before turning back and visiting St. Raphael for a spot of lunch. On the way to St. Raphael we noticed that there were a lot of houses that had been victims of flash floods. We learned later that there had been serious flooding on the Rhone and there had been quite a few deaths. I suppose not getting on the beach isn't the worst thing that can happen.
By mid afternoon the skies were clear so we managed to have a little while on the beach, eventually.
Agay is certainly not somewhere to visit if you are looking for a lively time mingling with the jet-set on the French Riviera. But, if you're looking for a relaxing couple of days on the beach away from the hustle and bustle, and take your pleasures simple, it's ideal. Just make sure to check the weather forecast first!
