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“Every person has his own stars”, says the immortal fairy tale of Antoine de Saint-Exupery. One can look for stars not only in the sky. The array of Provence’s coastal towns on the Côte d’Azur will become a real constellation for someone. Perhaps the brightest star will be Agay, a splendid bay located 35 km to the east of Cannes. This bay’s lighthouse was the last landmark reported by Exupery’s pilot before crashing into the sea. Flowers, mountains and people in this bay were joyful and inspiring company for the writer in his life. Here, among lavender paths and fruit gardens, on rocks and quays the story-teller and philosopher wandered, who gave back the notion of humanity and beauty to the 20th century besotted by war.
Agay is an ancient bay, which was well known to the Greeks (they called it Port Agaphon, which means “kind”). To the present day, Agay remains worthy of its ancient name. Surrounded by green hills on the west and east, this kilometer-long bay with pristine water and magnificent beaches was the most popular place for recreation for tourists from all over Europe. Numerous restaurants, camp sites, shops and clubs lend variety to the even tenor of life. A railway station that opened when the Riviera was only starting its distinguished career as a health resort provides hourly connections with all major cities of the Côte d’Azur.
Agay is renowned for its red rocks, where both trees and flowers do so well. Just past the city is a forest reserve with an area of more than 100 square kilometers. By taking horseback rides or hikes in the forest, you can breathe plenty of wonderful air saturated with the fragrance of pine, lavender and mimosa, peer into the secrets of intact nature and see animals and birds. If you are interested in more mysterious secrets, you can take a short cruise to the lonely island of Île d'Or dominated by a strange tower. A hundred years ago, an eccentric Frenchman declared himself King Auguste I and founded a sovereign state on the island. This kingdom idea failed, but the palace on the deserted island remained. One more interesting piece of the ancient legacy is an abundance of treasures. Everyone has a chance to find ancient Roman coins while walking around the aqueduct ruins, vivaria (live fish ponds) or thermae (bathes) built by Caesar.
They also say that a hermit was once looking for a place where he could lead a solitary life. On his way he met a white wolf. Following the animal, the hermit came to a fresh water spring near a cave, where he stayed for many years. Of course, all this happened in Agay…
Agay is the kingdom of subtropics. The air temperature doesn’t fall below +10 degrees, even in the most severe winters, while the water temperature is usually not lower than +14 degrees Celsius. Sometimes a strong, fragrant wind called the Mistral here comes from the Rhône valley to Agay. It brings a chill and paints the sky about the mountains and sea with amazing and world-famous sunsets.
And at night there are stars shining above the bays. They shine in full effect because there are no large cities blinding the skies here. Everyone has a star. Maybe the name of your star is Agay.
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