Saint-Raphaël
Located next to the city of Fréjus, which, with Saint-Raphaël makes up the agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël and is located near the French border with Italy.
Coast and Caves
Saint-Raphaël is known especially for its astounding thirty-six kilometers of coastline, most of which is made up of caves and coves. These coastal edges are the perfect place for deep-sea dives: one of the most popular dive sites is Lion of the Sea, or Lion de Mer, which features some gorgeous reef to discover. Another popular dive, the Miro Cave or Grotte de Miro, is home to a gorgeous underwater cave.
The coastline of Saint-Raphaël features not only these caves, however, but also several sandy beaches. Sandy beaches are not available to the public in every city, but those that do have them, like Saint-Raphaël, are amazing locations to lay in the sun and look at the sea.
On top of all of this, Saint-Raphaël also contains several kilometers of forest and mountain range, making it incredibly geographically diverse. What does this mean for the visitor to the area? That Saint-Raphaël is possibly one of the most gorgeous locations on the French riviera.
History : From Napoleon to WWII
As well as being a gorgeous location for visiting, Saint-Raphaël also has an intriguing history that dates back several centuries.
In 1799, Napoleon arrived in Saint-Raphaël, then a fishing village, from Egypt. Wandering around the city, some of the elements of his arrival are still apparent in the architecture of the city.
Saint-Raphaël was also strategically important during the second World War, when the railway between Saint-Raphaël and Nice was used to transport material to armed forces. This railway still exists today and can be used by the public. Saint-Raphaël was also the site of a beach landing in 1944 during Operation Dragoon, which was a strategically important allied invasion of Southern France.
These historical elements only add to the natural beauty of this interesting and diverse city on the riviera.
