Special-Interest Vacations

Barge Cruises

Before the advent of the railways, many of the crops, building supplies, raw materials, and other products that sustained France were barged through a series of rivers, canals, and estuaries. Many of these are still graced with their old-fashioned locks and pumps, allowing shallow-draft barges easy passage through idyllic countryside.

Le Boat, 980 Awald Rd., Annapolis, MD 21403 (tel. 800/992-0291 or 410/972-3008; www.leboat.com), focuses on regions of France not covered by many other barge operators. The company's trio of barges are luxury craft of a size and shape that fit through the relatively narrow canals and locks of the Camargue, Languedoc, and Provence. Each 6-night tour accommodates no more than 10 passengers in five cabins outfitted with mahogany and brass, plus meals prepared by a cordon bleu chef. Prices depend on many factors and are highly variable, but call for information.

Bicycling

A well-recommended company since 1979 is the California-based Backroads, 801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA 94710 (tel. 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555; www.backroads.com). Its well-organized tours of Provence last between 6 and 8 days and include stays in everything from Relais & Châteaux hotels to campgrounds where staff members prepare meals featuring local cuisine. All tours include an accompanying vehicle that provides liquid refreshments and assists in the event of breakdowns. A 6-day tour starts at $2,798 and an 8-day tour starts at $4,798 per person.

Euro-Bike & Walking Tours, P.O. Box 990, DeKalb, IL 60115 (tel. 800/321-6060 or 815/758-8851; www.eurobike.com), offers 11-day tours in Provence ($3,250-$4,340 per person), and 7-day tours of Provence ($2,295-$3,395 per person). All are escorted and include room, breakfast, and dinner.

If you're interested in bicycling through selected regions of the south of France, the local tourist offices of each of the towns covered in this guide are, to an increasing degree, able to provide addresses, maps, and contacts for whatever a cyclist might need. In many cases, bikes can be rented within railway stations of any given town. For general advice on biking in France, contact the Fédération Française du Cyclotourisme, 12 rue Louis Bertrand, 94207 Paris (tel. 01-56-20-88-88; www.ffct.org).

Fishing

The Mediterranean provides a variety of fish and fishing methods. You can line fish from the rocks along the coast or from small boats known as pointu. Local fishermen often take visitors along when fishing in the sea for tuna. The rivers provide sea trout, speckled trout, and silver eel, and the sandy shores of the Camargue offer the tellina, or sunset shell, which are small shellfish. For more information on regulations and access to fishing areas, contact the Comité Régional PACA de la Fédération Française des Pècheurs en Mer (tel. 05-59-31-00-73; www.ffpm-national.com).

Golf

The area around Bouches-du-Rhône has many fine golf courses, with seven 18-hole courses, five 9-hole courses, and several practice courses in the Provence area. One excellent 18-hole course is Golf de Marseille la Salette, impasse des Vaudrans, 13011 Marseille (tel. 04-91-27-12-16; www.opengolfclub.com). One of the finest courses is Golf de Valcros, La Londe-Les Maures, 37km (23 miles) east of Toulouse off N98. Call tel. 04-94-66-81-02 for more information.

Golf International, Inc., 14 East 38th St., New York, NY 10016 (tel. 800/833-1389 or 212/986-9176; www.golfinternational.com), offers the Golfing Epicurean package: a weeklong trip based in the historic hilltop village of Mougins, a 10-minute drive from Cannes. Mougins is the golfing capital of southern France and provides a wealth of fine dining opportunities. As part of this package, you spend 6 nights at the luxurious Les Mas Candille, a 200-year-old converted farmhouse in the village. The price includes golf on four of the area's best courses: Royal Mougins, Cannes-Mougins, Valbonne, and Cannes-Mandelieu. Also included is a car rental with collision-damage waiver insurance and unlimited mileage. The cost is $2,885 to $3,485. Call the number above to request a copy of Golf International's Complete Golfing Vacation Guide.

For more information on the options available, contact the Fédération Française de Golf, 68 rue Anatole, 92300 Levallois-Perret (tel. 01-41-49-77-00; www.ffg.org).

Gourmet Tours

Cuisine International, P.O. Box 25228, Dallas, TX 75225 (tel. 214/373-1161; www.cuisineinternational.com), offers a 6-day culinary experience in Provence. Accommodations are in hotels and private homes, such as the one overlooking a lake in Provence that houses the school. Classes are arranged to allow time for sightseeing, and meals are eaten in restaurants and private homes. Rates are inclusive, except for airfare: The price is $2,750 to $3,400. The French Kitchen, 5 Ledgewood Way, no. 6, Peabody, MA 01960 (tel. 800/852-2625; www.thefrenchkitchen.com), presents culinary vacations where you stay in an 18th-century farmhouse (also the school) between Bordeaux and Toulouse. The price of a 6-day/5-night tour is 3,250€ ($4,225) per person, including lodging, cooking classes, most meals, touring, and local transportation. In addition, four people can charter a 26m (85-ft.) barge for a week of cooking, dining, and touring.

Hiking

The Bouches-du-Rhône area is a walker's heaven, whether you enjoy a stroll or a strenuous long-distance hike or even mountain climbing. Walking challenges include the wetlands of the Camargue, the semiarid desert of La Crau, and the mountainous hills to the wild rocky inlets of Les Calanques. Long-distance hiking paths, Sentiers de Grande Randonnée (GRs), join the area's major places of interest. GR6 starts in Tarascon, runs along the foot of the Lubéron Hills, and crosses the Alpilles Hills. GR9 goes down the Lubéron, passes Mont Ste-Victoire, and ends in Ste-Baume. GR98 is an alternative path linking Ste-Baume with Les Calanques and ends in Marseille. GR51 links Marseille and Arles via La Crau. GR99A links GR9 to the highlands of the Var département.

Spring and autumn are the best for hiking; many of the paths are closed in summer because of forest fires. Be sure to check with the département before you begin your walk. For information, call tel. 02-38-58-49-64; or Comité Départmental Mont-Alp-Escalade (Bouches-du-Rhône Mountaineering & Climbing Committee), Daniel Gorgeon, 5 impasse du Figuier, 13114 Puyloubier (tel. 04-42-66-35-05).

Adventure Center, 1311 63rd St., Suite 200, Emeryville, CA 94608 (tel. 800/228-8747 or 510/654-1879; www.adventurecenter.com), sponsors 8-day hiking/camping trips in Provence, beginning and ending in Nice. The cost of an outing, exclusive of airfare and other travel-related expenses, is $1,100 per person, 160€ ($208) of which is a local fee added in France. Included are 4 nights of campground accommodations. Eight evening meals are provided; the other seven lunches are usually purchased in Provençal restaurants along the way. Campers are also expected to purchase three lunches. The company offers 12 trips per year, and though dates might vary, these include departures from May to September.

Horseback Riding

One of the best ways to see the wildlife, salt swamps, and marshlands of the Camargue or the wooded hills around Alpilles, Ste-Baume, and Mont Ste-Victoire is on horseback. For more information, contact Manade Saliérène, 13123 Arles (tel. 04-66-87-45-57; www.manadesalierene.com) or the Association Camarguaise de Tourisme Equestre (Camargue Equestrian Tourism Association), Centre de Ginès-Pont de Gau, 13460 Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer (tel. 04-90-97-86-32; www.parc-camargue.fr).

A clearinghouse for at least eight French stables is Equitours (The Soul of Provence), P.O. Box 807, Dubois, WY 82513 (tel. 800/545-0019 or 307/455-3363; www.ridingtours.com). It can arrange 8-day cross-country treks through Provence and the Camargue regions, with prices starting from $2,215 per person.

Language Schools

A clearinghouse for information on French-language schools is Lingua Service Worldwide, 42 Artillery Rd., Woodbury, CT 06798 (tel. 800/394-5327 or 203/263/6294; www.linguaserviceworldwide.com). Its programs cover Antibes, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Cannes, Juan-les-Pins, Montpellier, and Nice. Courses can be long- or short-term, the latter with 20 lessons per week. They range from $708 to $1,890 for 2 weeks, depending on the city, the school, and the accommodations.