Bypassing Saint-Tropez for Sainte-Maxime (its low-key but charming neighbour across the bay), the D559 continues past pétanque courts and waterfront restaurants towards the popular resort town of Saint-Raphaël. The 30km stretch between Saint-Raphaël and Mandelieu-La Napoule, where majestic red ochre rocks tumble into the sparkling Mediterranean Sea below, is one to savour: known as the Corniche d"Or, the road mimics the twists and turns of the craggy coastline before opening out onto the Bay of Cannes.