Local chef and owner “Rene” offers a delicious Provencale cuisine (bouillabaisse, grilled fishes, tians of vegetables, aioli, …) at “The Maurin des Maures” located on the Corniche des Maures in the center of the village. Closer to the villa, the hotel Bailly de Suffren has a gastronomic restaurant open for lunch and dinners, and blessed with spectacular views of the bay. On the East beach, the Poisson Volant, and on the West beach, the Grand Bleu, compete with excellent lunch menus at a short distance from the villa if you do not want to bother cooking for your guests.

.

Le Domaine du Rayol is a property of the Conservatoire du Littoral, 20 ha located in the Rayol-Canadel. Open every day of the year the Domaine du Rayol welcomes you to a guided  tour or just a peaceful walk. You will discover the gardens designed as evocation of the landscapes and flora of the regions of Mediterranean climate. You can also participate in training workshops and immersion in the site and discover the "Gardener Bookstore specializing on the subjects of botany, gardens and gardening (more than 1200 references!) And to complement your visit to the garden you can pause at the "Café des Jardiniers," a nice stop with a menu that changes with the seasons. For more information see: www.domainedurayol.org .

Across a 12 mile distance, just in front of the villa are the Iles d'Hyères (also known as Les Iles d'Or or The Golden Isles) which seem a million miles away from the glitz of the Côte d'Azur. Boat shuttles are available several times a day from Cavalaire (7km) or Le Lavandou (12km). Of the three islands, Porquerolles and Port-Cros are the quietest and most beautiful. Both are privately owned by two ecologically-minded families and have been turned into National Parks to protect the breathtaking cliffs, crystalline coves and fine sandy beaches. They consequently offer a number of botanical walks and bicycle tours. Porquerolles hosts a Jazz festival in July. L'Ile du Levant, the third island, does not offer the same haven but it features the world renowned nudists' village of Heliopolis with its beaches, hotels and shops.

Place Michel Goy,
on the D559 at Le Rayol. Tel: 0494 056 569
Open all year; closed Sunday in the winter (http://www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/le-rayol-canadel-sur-mer.htm)

Road
The main road access is along the D559 coast road between Port-Grimaud/Saint-Tropez and Bormes-les-Mimosas/Le Lavandou. This is a very pretty drive, but in the Summer months you'll need a flexible schedule and lots of patience. There's a handy north-south road across the hills, joining the east-west N98 highway directly with Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer. The northern end is beside the little village of La Môle, turning off at La Môle's "international" airport. This road is a very lovely drive through the forested hills and over the Col du Canadel, but it is very, very narrow for its whole length of 11 km, so not for the timid — and patience could be required here as well.

Bus
Line 103: St Tropez, Le Lavandou, Toulon stops in Rayol-Canadel at the Office de Tourisme. There are several buses a day during the week, and 2 or 3 on Sunday. (Bus-7 schedules)