Europe’s new deal: Four rising destinations

By Ondine Cohane

updated 4:27 p.m. ET Feb. 5, 2009

How does $2,500 a week sound, including the flight across the pond?

The quest begins with a Mediterranean port, then on to a Spanish cultural powerhouse, an English water-sports mecca, and a gem of a Portuguese city. Plus — the art of tracking the best deals for flights to get you there.

CASSIS
The Côte d'Azur without the attitude — or the price tag

Near: Marseille, Provence's underrated rough-diamond metropolis

Here was a good place to test the thesis of unsuspected values: that right next to one of Europe's most legendary playgrounds, the French Riviera, you can find a jewel of a seaside hideaway which, in turn, leads to a dreamy corner of Provence and a gutsy port city — all at a cost that's as soothing as the experience, with authentic B&Bs for under $200 a night and stellar restaurants with prices that won't induce heartburn.

Unlike the magnets of the Côte d'Azur — St-Tropez, Cannes and Nice — Cassis, a former fishing village, remains a low-key, glitz-free Provençal getaway that's a favorite of French insiders. In fact, the very absence of celebs is a matter of civic pride.

And Cassis's position, tucked under the spectacular red rocks of Cap Canaille, means that development is relatively limited, with the main action centered along the waterfront. Getting there from neighboring La Ciotat reinforces the sense of isolation: The Route des Crêtes is a dizzying mountain pass with the sea on one side and white sculpturelike rocks that look plucked out of the American West on the other.

When you do break away, it's less than an hour's drive to cultural centers such as Aix-en-Provence and Marseille and to the excellent vineyards surrounding Bandol.

The perfect itinerary combines the beach, the countryside, and Marseille, a port town that's quickly becoming a gastronomic center and is one of the most culturally diverse cities in southern France.

The traffic gets snarled in summer, but the roads are easy to navigate outside the peak months. And if you avoid high season, hotel room rates are a fraction of their usual cost, especially if you book into the family-owned (and often charmingly eccentric) chambres d'hôtes that lie among the olive trees.

Essentials
Sleep: There are several atmospheric, affordable bed-and-breakfasts in the area, but be warned: Most owners don’t speak English. The simple dinner at the three-room Le Clos de la Chêvre Sud, near Cassis, was the best meal of the trip (33-4-94-32-31-54; closdelachevre.com; doubles, $114–$134; three-course prix fixe, $40). Near Aix, in the pretty village of Peynier, Mas Sainte An has two rooms and a pool (44-1275-395430; sawdays.co.uk; doubles, $120–$134).

Eat: Find incredible fresh produce for picnics at farm stands — including one right by Domaines Ott (domaines-ott.com) — and at Aix’s markets. At Cassis’s Poissonnerie Laurent, you choose your seafood at the counter (5 Quai Barthélémy; 33-4-42-01-71-56; entrées, $20–$40). In Aix, Le Zinc d’Hugo has a delicious cheese plate for $9, and the entrées include rump steak (22 rue Lieutaud; 33-4-42-27-69-69; entrées, $16–$25). Splurge on bouillabaisse, Marseille’s signature dish, at Chez FonFon, overlooking the fishing boats (140 Vallon des Auffes; 33-4-91-52-14-38; bouillabaisse, $61).

See and do: Les Calanques stretch 12 miles along the coast from Cassis to Marseille and are great for hiking — the most picturesque are Port-Pin and d’En-Vau. Or take a boat tour from the harbor (cassis-calanques.com; $17–$28). In Marseille, check out the bookshop and art gallery at the restaurant Les Arcenaulx (25 Cours d’Estienne-d’Orvres; 33-4-91-59-80-37) and the exhibitions at the Centre de la Vieille Charité, in the old city center (2 rue de la Charité; 33-4-91-14-58-80).

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VALENCIA
Cutting-edge architecture courtesy of Santiago Calatrava, a laid-back lifestyle at a fraction of the price of Barcelona and Madrid

A harp. A dinosaur skeleton. A viking helmet. A human eye.

It's hard, standing in the middle of Santiago Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, looking at the work of the town's most famous architect, to find a reference equal to his imagination.

The local politicians hoped that these buildings would do for Valencia what Frank Gehry's Guggenheim did for Bilbao — and they have. In addition to drawing architecture buffs, the project has become a portal to the rest of the city.

Valencia's culture is deep, spanning the Roman occupation to the twenty-first century. Add to that a relaxed attitude, a charming network of bars and cafés, and prices far lower than in Barcelona and Madrid.

Essentials
Sleep: The Hotel Puerta Valencia is a 20-minute walk from the main attractions — the price, service and comfy rooms make up for the inconvenience (34-96-393-6395; hoteles-silken.com; doubles, $75–$100), while the Hotel Neptuno has brought style to the waterfront (34-96-356-7777; hotelneptuno valencia; doubles, $166–$194).

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Eat: In the heart of medieval Valencia, Tasca Ángel is a tiny 1940s bar with the best sardines in town (1 Calle Purísima; 34-96-391-7835; tapas, $3–$12). Local favorite Tasca el Botijo serves delicious tapas like goat cheese with marmalade (Calle San Miguel; 34-96-323-9890; tapas, $6–$18). My favorite tapas were at Bodega Montaña, in El Cabanyal (69 Calle José Benlliure; 34-96-367-2314; tapas, $5–$25). For avant-garde fare, try the $29 five-course lunch menu at Seu-Xerea (4 Calle Conde Almodóvar; 34-96-392-4000; entrées, $22–$28). For paella, hit the beach: Ernest Hemingway made La Pepica famous (6-8 Paseo Neptuno; 34-96-371-0366; entrées, $20–$28); La Rosa is more of a local favorite (70 Paseo Neptuno; 34-96-371-2076; entrées, $15–$25). For Valencian fartons and horchata, go to Horchatería de Santa Catalina (6 Plaza de Santa Catalina; 34-96-391-2379).

See and do: Rent a bike at Do You Bike (34-963-155-551; doyoubike.com; from $3–$5 per hour). At the 90-acre City of Arts and Sciences complex (inset), the buildings are more impressive than the collections (34-902-100-031; cac.es; admission, $40). In the old part of town, don’t miss the Cathedral, the Mercado Central and the Silk Exchange.

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