Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël sit exactly halfway between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, at the point where the Estérel’s red porphyry runs down into the sea. Port-Fréjus is a modern marina built into the old Roman harbour basin, Fréjus was Forum Julii and was a naval base before Nice existed, and Saint-Raphaël’s port adjoins it.

It is the practical staging point on this coast. A yacht moving between the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and the Bay of Cannes passes here, the berths are considerably easier to get and cheaper than either end, and the road access is good. For crews, that makes it a sensible place to take on stores before going somewhere where taking on stores is difficult.

Our own van reaches Fréjus same or next day from Antibes, so the cellar can be filled here on the way through rather than at the destination. We would much rather load a yacht properly at Port-Fréjus on the Thursday than attempt a Saint-Tropez quayside delivery on the Saturday of a regatta, and we will suggest it when the itinerary allows.

The Estérel corniche and the coves between here and Agay are some of the prettiest anchorages on the coast and see far fewer people than the famous bays. The wine country behind is Côtes de Provence, with Fréjus one of the named terroirs, so the rosé here is genuinely local rather than simply regional.