CASSIS, France — Most people making their first trip to France head to Paris.
After all, the country's most famous attractions are in the Olympic host city. But if you travel several hours outside Paris in any direction, you will find incredible places to visit. However, if sun and beaches are what you crave, head south.
Cannes has beautiful beaches, expensive yachts and designer stores.
"The south of France kind of speaks for itself," tour guide Matthew Parker said. "The vibe in Marseille, in particular, is really artsy. There's a great art and food scene here. It's a really dynamic cosmopolitan city. Further afield in the south of France, you've got all the images we all have of the south of France. Beautiful landscapes, historic villages and the French Riviera."
This part of the French Riviera is home to the annual Cannes Film Festival drawing Hollywood's biggest stars.
"It's the playground for the rich and famous," Parker said.
But the south of France is more than Cannes. We discovered Cassis.
It is a lovely village with a beach on the Mediterranean Sea offering a variety of water activities.
"There's a whole strip of cafes next to each other that all look out on the marina which is really lovely," said one tourist from Australia. "The water is a great temperature to cool down."
A short boat ride gets you into the middle of the fun.
"We're right in the heart of the Calanques National Park," Parker said. "We're coming into and out of the creeks. Gliding along. Seeing people on the rocks, jumping into the water, some of them jumping quite high up. Some pretty fearless jumpers."
People from all over the world come to the south of France.
"It was really lovely," said another visitor from Australia. "You see all the lovely white cliffs and the sparkling blue water."
A trip to the south of France would be a bucket-list experience for many people. But people who live in this part of the Olympic host country get this every day.
"This is like our backyard in Marseille," Parker said.
The beaches of the French Riviera may grab the headlines. But the landscapes in the south of France are stunning, including the famous lavender fields in Provence.
"We're all suckers for flowers. Like the bright purple. Quite pretty. Photo ops. Obviously, it smells pretty good," tourist Ruby Hansen said.
Terre Ugo is a family-run lavender field featuring seven acres of lavender.
"We create various products, such as essential oil and lavender soaps," Lisa Ugo said.
The lavender products fuel the agrotourism business in France. But the stunning pictures on Instagram seem to be the biggest draw for visitors.
"You see it online, and we're big Instagram users, and you see people wandering around. It looks quite peaceful, bit of a change from the vast big cities that we've been seeing," Hansen said.
The southern part of the Olympic host country also features the Via Caritatis vineyard, where the winemakers are Benedictine monks.
"They say most of the great vineyards in France in Burgundy and Bordeaux, the really top wines are created by monks," said Father Michael, who grew up in Virginia and moved to France.
So, if you're traveling to Paris, enjoy the famous sites. But if you want a different vibe, head south.
"It's the perfect place to relax," said an Australian tourist. "It's kind of like a movie. Really relaxed, just strolling along and enjoying their vacation. Feels pretty authentic French."
There is no place quite like the south of France.