Property For Sale In Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, also known as PACA, is a region bordered by Italy to the east, the Mediterranean sea to the south and the Rhone river to the west. Its departments are Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhone, Var and Vaucluse. Its administrative capital is the city of Marseille. This rich region attracts many tourists throughout the year, in particular along its coast, often called the French Riviera, as well as in the Alps mountain range.

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Houses For Sale In Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur

The region of Property Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, also known as PACA, covers 31,400 km2 in the South East of France. The region borders with Italy to the East and the Mediterranean sea runs along the coastline to the South. The population is 4,951,388 and growing quite quickly as opposed to other regions in France. Overall, PACA has a fairly high density of population already with 157.7 people per km2 where most of the people live in cities and towns rather than in the countryside.

The region consists of 6 departments: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Vaucluse.

The largest city in PACA is Marseille with 1,715,000 inhabitants (including suburbs). The three other largest towns in the region are Nice, Toulon and Avignon; accounting for 78.5% of the region's population. In contrast, some of the mountainous areas number as few as 23 inhabitants per km2.

All along the Mediteranean coast are smaller towns, such as Grasse, Cannes, Antibes, Frejus, and Cassis which boast a high number holiday properties. Indeed, the French Riviera is a popular holiday destination with so many lovely beaches and coves to choose from. The Alps also attract equal numbers looking for outdoor pursuits. This makes Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur the most popular region in terms of visiting French tourists and the second most popular for foreign tourists.

Apart from tourism, some of the main economic activities are still in agriculture with the growing of grapes, olive trees, lavender and vegetables being the most prevalent. This area also produces wines from the Cotes-du-Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-pape, Bandol, Cotes-de-Provence and Ventoux to name a few. Industry and research are also major players in this region with shipyards, petrochemical plants, oil refineries in proximity to large dockyards and high tech research centres such as Sophia Antipolis and INRA.

One of the greatest assets of the region is its natural diversity and rugged beauty. Moreover, the contrast between the Mediterranean climate of the South and the mountain climate in the north have a strong influence on the fauna and flora of the region. You can find the most varied species of animals and plants in this region, often protected by regional or national parks.

The history and cultural diversity in PACA are ever present. The people are actively proud of their culture with the famous annual festivals at Aix, Orange, Cannes and Avignon. In addition, the many mediterranean and alpine dishes (lots are world famous) add even more pleasure to living in this area.

In summary, if you are looking for a luxurious seaside apartment in Antibes or a provencal stone farmhouse inland, you will be delighted by the stunning region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur.