Explore Mediterranean Life With Provence Tours

By Maryanne Goff


With its sunny Mediterranean climate, the south of France is the ultimate destination for a summer vacation. Beautiful people from all over the world flock to the French Riviera to enjoy the gorgeous beaches while those who want to experience country life head to the towns and villages a little more inland and rent a chateau. If you're pressed for time, however, you may want to consider one of the Provence tours on offer to explore this magical region.

The Provence region is located in the south-eastern corner of France. It stretches from the Rhone River in the west to the Italian border in the east. Its southern border is made up of the Mediterranean Sea and includes the famous Cote D'Azur.

Marseilles is the major port in the region and the starting point for many tours. Many tours also include cities like Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles and Nice. You can go on a day trip of the region but it's better to spend a little more time here to see the charming little villages dotting the breath-taking landscape.

A general tour is a great introduction to the region but you may also want to consider a themed tour to focus on only one aspect of Provencal life. Since it's one of France's important wine regions, especially for the production of rose wines, a wine tour here is a must if you're an oenophile. Include a trip to a pastis distillery as well if you can, so that you can try the local anise-flavored liqueur.

Many of the world's top chefs cite Provence as a favorite for its variety of fresh produce and its rich culinary tradition. This is, after all, the birthplace of dishes like bouillabaisse and ratatouille and people here are so serious about food that at Christmas, they traditionally serve no less than thirteen desserts. You may want to get some Provencal herbs from the local market and go on a food tour that will tantalize your taste buds.

For an olfactory sensation, try a perfume tour. The little medieval town of Grasse is the heartbeat of the perfume industry and the surrounding area is fragrant with the smell of roses, jasmine, lavender and other flowers. You may visit some of the traditional perfumeries here and learn how fragrances are made.

The area is steeped in history and if culture or art is your passion, you may want to go on a cultural tour. For example, a tour of ancient Roman sites can be fascinating. You can also follow in the footsteps of artists or writers who spent time here, from Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse to F Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton and Robert Louis Stevenson.

There are many companies that offer Provence tours. You simply need to check online to find a tour that may interest you or ask your travel agent to draw up a tailor-made itinerary with your particular interests in mind. Just be warned: Once you've fallen in love with the region, you may not want to return home.




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