Biking the Esterel massif

Skirting the northern flank of the Esterel massif is the old N7 trunk road that used to be the main route for the 38km (23 miles) from Fréjus to Cannes. Now designated DN7, the road is well made and graded, reliably wide and the curves are usefully banked. Heavy traffic is discouraged leaving sports bikes, sports cars and white vans to enjoy the ride and views. The residences (ie swanky villas) in the hills around are what you might expect up the road from Cannes: private pools of course, plus tennis courts and outdoor entertainment areas.

The road section eastbound up from Fréjus is the most sporty with sweeping long curves ascending the red volcanic rock. A relatively level section between the Col du Testanier (312 m.) and the Col du Logis de Paris (315 m.) presents some challenging curves as the route hugs the ravines on the north slopes of the Esterel's highest peak, Mt. Vinaigre (538 m.).
There are plenty of pull-outs to enjoy the views over the forest of cork trees. I returned the same route back to Fréjus, thermometers by now indicating 31°C. Although the coast route offers magnificent views, it's not really possible to open up and enjoy some sport, that route is more about showing-off your open-top car (or your latest passenger) than actual road sport.