This is (according to the French) the most beautiful village in Provence… and in France

Agreeing on the time to determine which is the most beautiful town in an area is not an easy task. Numerous conditions participate in the choice, although the subjective factor – the perception of beauty is something totally personal – is conclusive. 

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In a country like France, which has more than 35,000 municipalities scattered over around 550,000 km², it is clearly especially complicated. The diversity is astonishing, so it is not surprising that a television program that challenges viewers is so successful. Its name is Village préféré des Français (the favorite village of the French) and, as every year around this time, it manages to get people off the streets and gather millions of people in front of the television. 

For weeks, this France 3 program, now in its 15th edition, invites internet users to vote among 14 villages with outstanding heritage and history. And live, amid great expectation, the name of the winner is announced. This time, it has been Bormes-les-Mimosas, a town of just over 8,500 inhabitants in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. With its choice, Bormes-les-Mimosas, which has taken over from Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, joins the fourteen towns that make up this unique list of the most beautiful villages in France.

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean, equidistant from Marseille and Cannes and just 50 minutes from Saint-Tropez and Toulon – separated by 40 kilometers -, Bormes-les-Mimosas does not go unnoticed. And the first village in Provence to enter the list of villages preferred by the French is a renowned tourist destination frequented by illustrious vacationers.

De Gaulle, Mitterrand, Sarkozy, or Macron are some of the French leaders who have stayed at Fort de Brégançon, the official summer residence of the presidents of the Republic located here. Built on top of a small islet and connected to the mainland by a small path that extends to Cabasson beach, the fort, open to the public, enjoys a beautiful garden and extraordinary views. 

The history of Bormes-les-Mimosas, a delightful medieval town on the Côte d’Azur, dates back to the 12th century. Its intact old town, where barely 400 souls live today, draws a network of winding alleys crowned by an old castle, one of the oldest in Lower Provence. The best way to discover it is on a quiet walk among colorful cobbled houses of traditional architecture connected by covered passages, churches, small boutiques, artist workshops, stepped alleys, fountains, and thousands of flowers.

Because Bormes-les-Mimosas, one of the most flowered villages in France, lives up to its name. During winter, the yellow of the mimosas invades its streets – it has 90 varieties of this plant -, filling them with a soft aroma, while the rest of the year, the bougainvilleas offer a chromatic spectacle that dazzles. 

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The last weekend of February each year, taking advantage of the spectacular blooming of the mimosas, the town dresses up to celebrate the historic Corso Fleuri, one of the oldest floral parades on the Côte d’Azur. The festival, which dates back to the 1920s, attracts tens of thousands of visitors eager to experience this unique Provençal tradition.

The event is an ideal occasion to immerse yourself in its gastronomy and discover its numerous markets, spaces that invite you to discover the flavors of Provence. Its stalls of sausages, liquors, jams, and oils mix with those of artisans offering typical regional products: Marseille soaps, glass jewelry, perfumes, and other products made with mimosa.

With a mild climate, this prized Mediterranean destination boasts a coastline of more than 17 kilometers of beaches. Living up to the fame that precedes the Côte d’Azur, its fine sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters and its wild coves surrounded by vegetation do not disappoint. 

Among them stand out Favière, next to the port, Le Lavandou, Pellegrin, with a beautiful environment and views, and Cabasson, the latter with views of Fort de Brégançon, one of the most beautiful spots on the coast.

Not far away, but already out at sea, are the Îles d’Or -Levant, Port-Cros, and Porquerolles-, small islets covered with vegetation where you can hike with extraordinary marine backgrounds. It is an attractive boat trip from Bormes-les-Mimosas and an excellent way to end a visit to the Village préféré des Français of 2026.

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