Opio

The basics

Most visitors come to Opio and its environs to get a taste of French countryside living. Grasse—the world's perfume capital—is a stone’s throw away; olive-oil tastings and tours are an everyday delight; hiking the fields and olive groves is a worthwhile way to spend any day. History lovers should note traces of a medieval monastery in the Poudeirac quarter, not to mention the 15th-century olive-oil mill. For shopping, a collection of shops can be found up the hillside, technically out of town at Opio San-Peyre.

Things to know before you go

• If you see a medieval village perched on a hilltop, that's probably Chateauneuf-Grasse. Look lower—and for a clocktower.

• Chateau de la Begude (a hotel) operates a world-class golf course on the grounds of a former castle just outside Opio.

• Opio is under an hour’s drive from Cannes, Nice, and Monaco.

How to get there

As Opio barely exists, there is no public transportation to the village. If you have a vehicle, it’s about a 30-minute drive from Cannes via D6185 or the D3. You could also hire a private driver to get you there—it’s just 3.5 miles (5 kilometers) from Grasse, where tours abound.

When to get there

Opio gets all the Mediterranean joys of being in southern France without dealing with the crowds. This is to say, the weather is characteristically mild and temperate, and there’s no “bad” time to go. Since Opio doesn’t revel in tourists, there’s no bad time in terms of crowds either. For most, summer will be the best bet, with reliable sunny days and businesses operating with gusto.

History through the ages

“Opio” derives from the Latin “fortified city,” though that’s hardly the reality today. That being said, several remains from the Roman period have been discovered here, including a marble sculpture of a woman's head (catch it at the nearby Grasse Museum). Ceramics, tiles, and bone and bronze objects from the Iron Age have also been discovered in caves and hillsides.