Getting Oriented

Rough-hewn and fiercely beautiful, this is the sculpted land of Cézanne and Pagnol: from a coastline of lonely pine-studded cliffs and enchanting calanques to neat rows of touristy striped sun beds and seafood platters served with a saucy comment in the local patois. Sophisticated and posh Aix-en-Provence stands carefully aloof from Marseille, tough, vibrant, and larger-than-life. Yet the backcountry between them ambles along at a 19th-century pace with boules, pastis, and country markets.

• Aix-en-Provence. For one day, join all those fashionable folks for whom café-squatting, people-watching, and boutique-hopping are a way of life in Aix-en-Provence, then track the spirit of its most famous native son, Paul Cézanne. Head into the countryside to visit the Jas de Bouffan, his family estate, and Montagne Sainte-Victoire, the main "motif" for this giant of modern art.
• Marseille. France's second-largest city, Marseille is the place to enjoy the colorful sights and smells of a Mediterranean melting pot, where far-flung cultures have mingled ever since the Greeks invaded around 600 BC. Tour its cathedrals and museums, visit its spiffed-up Vieux Port's fabulous new architectural gems, then head east to Aubagne to walk its Circuit Pagnol.
• The Central Coast. Stretching along the eastern coastline from Marseille, the famously beautiful calanques form a sapphire chain of jagged fjordlike coves interspersed with rugged cliffs and lovely harbor towns that conjure up the St-Tropez of the 1940s. Take a boat excursion to these hidden coves, enjoy a picnic and a chilled bottle of Bandol rosé, or take in the view from Cassis's breathtaking heights. Not far from the big-city lights of Toulon are the idyllic Îles d'Hyères. Porquerolles, the largest, is an idyllic spot with several chic resorts.