| Picturesque PIANA occupies a prime location overlooking the Calanches, but for some reason does not suffer the deluge of tourists that Porto endures. Retaining a sleepy feel, the village comprises a cluster of pink houses ranged around an eighteenth-century church and square, from the edge of which the panoramic views over the Golfe de Porto are sublime. If you want to stay, head straight for the Hôtel les Roches Rouges (tel 04.95.27.81.81, fax 04.95.27.81.76; April–Oct; €100–125), an elegant old grand hôtel rising from the eucalptus canopy on the outskirts. Having lain empty for two decades, the turn-of-the-century building was restored with most of its orignal fittings and furniture intact, and possesses loads of fin-de-siècle style. The rooms are huge and light, with large shuttered windows, but make sure you get one facing the water. Non-residents are welcome to drop in for a sundowner on the magnificent terrace, or for a meal in the fresco-covered restaurant, whose menus gastronomiques (at €23, €30 and €46), dominated by local seafood delicacies, are as sophisticated as the ambience. A cheaper alternative is the Continental, an old house with high wooden ceilings and a leafy garden, on the right as you leave Piana for Porto (tel 04.95.27.89.00; €30–40). On the west edge of the village there's also an excellent gîte d'étape (tel 04.95.27.84.03), offering dormitory bunk beds (€15 per person) and simple double rooms (€30–40) in addition to ample camping space on a grassy terrace overlooking the gulf.
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