Le Dramont and Agay

11-14 February 2007

Le Dramont and Agay are two Mediterranean towns that form part of the Commune de St.-Raphaël, about 50 km from St.-Tropez.

A brief and simplistic table of equivalency of government structures in Canada and France might help with understanding some terms.

Département = Province
Commune = Region or Metropolitan Government
Ville, Cité = City
Village = Town, village


The incredible, small, but beautiful campground we stayed in (Royal Camping) was located in Le Dramont and it was from that whistle stop train station what we took the train to Nice and To Cannes. This private campground was open only because the Northeastern Club of the Fédération Française des Associations et Clubs de Camping-Cars had booked it for the 6 weeks that cover the 2 week winter school vacations that are staggered throughout France in February and March (to ensure that the ski hills are not overwhelmed). This particular club covers the north-eastern region of France. While they would be using the entire campground (about 50 sites) by the 15th of February, we were able to get ocean-side spaces for the 4 nights leading up to then. After reading their literature and realizing that they had made organized motor-home trips to many parts of Europe and to Russia we joined their club as we were literally driving out of the campsite.

This clean, well run campsite is owned by a very nice young couple of Italian descent and they are very accommodating.



The major topographical features of the area are the amazing red mountains of l’Estérel and le Dramont and the bays of the Med.

For obvious reasons the area is known as the Red Rocks.


Above the campground on an ocean-side peak is an operational military radar site on the former site of a semaphore or signaling station. Different eras saw different methods of signalling, but its height and location at the edge of the sea made it a key lookout and signal center.

Looking more like a mountaintop, seaside villa this radar station can only be labelled "work with a view".

The beach at Le Dramont is also the landing site of American (36th Infantry Division – 7th American Army) and French troops (1st French Army) at 8 A.M. on 15 August 1944 as part of the invasion of Provence.

The landing is memorialized by a large park.

The commemoration plaque is the only one we have seen that uses the word “Nazi”.





In neighbouring Agay, the pre-landing bombing of the railway Viaduct d’Anthéor caused a number of civilian deaths and considerable property damage, so much of the physical infrastructure of Agay dates from the late 1940’s.

Like much of the rest of the Mediterranean coast there is an excellent coastal trail throughout this region. We sometimes have the impression that you could walk the entire coast on these trails.



This stranded sailboat attests to the ruggedness of much of the coast.
“BORDEL!” is apparently the name given to this boat after it was stranded – perhaps by the owners of the beach property, perhaps by the sailor who screwed up. Literally translated it means bordello, but in colloquial French it is just a slang explicative expressing anger.



Agay also has a Whistler-like village advertised as car-less. There are certainly many pedestrian trails and walks that give access to the more rugged trails of l’Estérel. The golf course was open but virtually deserted, as was most of the vacation village. There seems to be a deeply embedded belief that the only time the Mediterranean region of France is viable for tourists is July and August and perhaps the wings months of June and September. Even though the weather is good for at least another 6 months, at least ½ of the hotels, 90% of the campgrounds and 70% of the tourist-based businesses are closed. The campground owners were explaining that the villas, homes and apartments are owned by the well-to-do from northern France, Germany, England, Holland and Scandinavia, and that it is very difficult for the average family in the region to get above the poverty level.

This is tragic for these people. It is all the more tragic because it could be reversed or at least substantially improved by making this a vacation destination for at least 10 months of the year. All of the sites are here 24/7 year round. Why not use them?

We are writing this sitting in our motor home with 50 other motor homes on a gravel parking lot in Ste.-Maxime.

Certainly some are here because it is free and there is a sewage dump and water. But many are here because it is the only place they can find open. Last night in Fréjus we stayed in a similar place with 60 other motor homes for exactly the same reasons. Fréjus is part of the Commune of St.-Raphaël and actually abuts the city of St. Raphaël. The latter though much larger and with kilometers of empty water-front parking lots has no place for motor homes – no parking for them and no open campgrounds.

We’re not complaining that this place exists and that it accommodates that many motor homes in what seem to be crowded conditions. We’re glad that it exists and it is a safe, comfortable place to stay. But the irony is that it can be closed to motor homes at any time by putting the barrier on top of the two white posts and allowing only car access. It will be closed in summer. There is definitely something wrong with this tourism picture, especially for an area of such physical beauty.