Saint Laurent du Var, Alpes-Maritimes

Halfway between Cannes and Monaco, built at the mouth of the Var river, its marina is one of the largest on the Riviera.

The Var river itself used to be the border between France and Nice (then Italian) and the town was created in the 11th century when a hospice was founded under Saint-Laurent himself to aid those passengers crossing the river. Gueyeurs transported travellers on their backs across the river until the construction of a bridge in 1792, before then mostly a ferry was used for travellers and traders, who used the Gueyeurs to carry heavier goods and animals across. 

Due to its strategic location, the town has suffered in addition to floods, invasions, wars and epidemics, and the plague decimated the entire population. It was repopulated by Italian immigrants from Liguria.

Cut through some of the smaller side streets and you’ll find yourself in what remains of the old town; Place Adrien Castillon is a charming little square with an 11th century church.

Just beyond the church is the “Hotel de Ville”, or town hall - an extremely grand building set in pleasantly shaded landscaped gardens. There is a children’s playground nearby and a number of boules pitches, as well as a theatre.

Saint-Laurent-du-Var is a shopper’s paradise; the enormous Cap 3,000 shopping mall has all the high street favourites such as H&M, Mango, Zara, etc as well as some designer brands along the lines of Tommy Hilfiger, Guess and Desigual. If you prefer your holiday shopping to be a little more “local” then you’ll love the markets that are held every Sunday morning on the Esplanade du Levant, where you can find regional produce and typical Provençal goods.

Also, the stretch of sea beside the Plage des Flots Bleus is a protected marine area; an artificial cove has been created to encourage sealife to the area and visits are organised each morning (before 10:00) for families and school groups so that children can meet the fish. Call in at L'Aquarium Naturel des Flots Bleus to join in one of the visits.

Saint-Laurent-du-Var sits on the long curve of stony beach on the Bay of Angels that runs right from Nice down to Antibes.

There are plenty of watersports to keep you occupied, including jetskis, pontoons, paddleboards and pedalos - or you could just rent a deckchair in a beach club and have a long leisurely lunch overlooking the water. Your move.

Twitchers and nature lovers should remember to pack their binoculars; the river Var is a renowned bird reserve where you may spot plovers, sandpipers, grey herons, egrets, flamingos and many more.

There's good fishing to be had too - although the stretch of sea beside the Plage des Flots Bleus is a protected marine area with a total ban on fishing. 

The hills rising up behind Saint-Laurent-du-Var are popular with road cyclists and once you get beyond the towns, they are riddled with hiking trails.

Most nightlife is centred around the harbour, where you’ll find more bars and restaurants as well as a couple of nightclubs and where the majority of events will take place. Shimmy over to Le Spey River on Wednesday evenings for a free salsa lesson and tex-mex tapas.

There are some chain hotels here, handy for the airport at Nice, but for something more boutique-styled you will need to go further afield, either into Nice or into the hills above the coast.

Easy to access, Saint-Laurent-du-Var is little more than a short bus ride from Nice airport; you can even cycle there using the Vélobleu bikes that are stationed all along the coastline. The no.200 bus also runs regularly between Nice and Cannes, passing through Saint-Laurent-du-Var along the way.