Seafront accommodation in St-RaphaA«l is available on promenade RenA©-Coty at the Beau SA©jour (tel 04.94.95.03.75, fax 04.94.83.89.99; 220-300F/a?¬34-46; closed Nov-March), one of the cheaper hotels along here, with a pleasant terrace; or at the Excelsior (tel 04.94.95.02.42, fax 04.94.95.33.82, www.excelsior-hotel.com ; 700-800F/a?¬107-122), whose rooms are luxurious and well equipped. Bellevue , 22 bd FA©lix-Martin (tel 04.94.19.90.10, fax 04.94.19.90.11; 160-220F/a?¬24-34), is good value for its central location; and La Bonne Auberge , 54 rue de la Garonne (tel 04.94.95.69.72; 220-300F/a?¬34-46; closed Dec-Feb), is a cheapie close to the old port. East of the centre, the HA?tel du Soleil , 47 bd du Domaine de Soleil, off boulevard Christian-Lafon (tel 04.94.83.10.00, fax 04.94.83.84.70; 300-400F/a?¬46-61; closed Oct-March), is a small, pretty villa with its own garden. There's hostel accommodation and double rooms in Boulouris, 5km east of St-RaphaA«l, at the Centre International Le Manoir , impasse Raoul Blanchard, chemin de l'Escale (tel 04.94.95.20.58, fax 04.94.83.85.06). The Centre has friendly, helpful staff and is close to the beach right by the Boulouris gare SNCF (trains or buses every 30min from St-RaphaA«l). A four-star campsite close to the beach, Le Val Fleury , on the N98 in Boulouris (tel 04.94.95.21.52, fax 04.94.19.09.47), is open all year.

Food markets are held every day on place Victor-Hugo and place de la RA©publique. You'll find reasonably priced cafA©s and brasseries around these, and plenty of pizzerias, crA?peries and restaurants of varying quality around Port Santa Lucia and along the promenades. Of the more expensive establishments, two of the best are Le Sirocco , 35 quai Albert-1er (tel 04.94.95.39.99), a smart restaurant specializing in fish, with menus around 90-200F/a?¬13.73-30.50 plus a view of the sea; and Pastorel , 54 rue de la LibertA© (tel 04.94.95.02.36; closed Sun & Mon), with menus from around 160F/a?¬24.40, which has decently priced ProvenA§al wines, aA?oli on Fridays and wonderful hors d'A?uvres.

For drinking , try the selection of beers at the Blue Bar on boulevard de la LibA©ration plage du Veillat (open till 4am in summer); for expensive cocktails with piano accompaniment, there's the Madison Club at the Casino (7pm-4am) or the Coco-Club at Port Santa Lucia (till dawn); or there are a series of beachfront discos open in the summer along the promenade to the west of town. If you're staying outside the centre though, note that late-night taxis are almost impossible to come by in this part of the world.