Var Provence
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Var Provence Think 480 km of coastline and 300 days of sunshine each year Think unspoilt nature, quaint villages, old churches and museums Think lavender, art, luxury, marinas, beaches and fun Think 10 coastal cruise destinations from Saint Tropez to Toulon 2 Var Provence Executive summary Along 50 nautical miles of France’s beautiful Mediterranean coastline there are ten ports that provide access to the natural beauty of the Var region. he Provençal department of the Var The Var is blessed with a generous soil, deluxe and premium class small ships is situated on the Mediterranean which forms the basis for the production that can access the smaller ports. Tcoast in the southeast of France. of chestnuts, fi gs, olive oil and wines – in • Toulon offers cruise lines the best With 430km of coastline and 300 days of particular rosé varieties and the famous protected natural harbour in the sunshine each year it is the country’s most Bandol AOC wine. Mediterranean, with no tides, currents or popular region for tourists after Paris. Its The people of the Var have their own wind to deal with – all year round. It has climate makes it France’s largest producer ‘art of living’, celebrated in fl ower festivals become the safe and reliable option of fresh fl owers, and also its second most (the Corso), the bravades, and of course among captains during the winter forested area. pétanque tournaments. And authentic season in the western Mediterranean. The Var is home to some of France’s local arts and crafts include production of • The city centre terminal is just a fi ve most important national parks and areas cork and earthenware goods – including minute walk from Toulon’s old quarter of natural beauty. Among them are Port- Salernes pottery, which has been with its bustling Provençal market, Cros, home of Europe’s fi rst submarine produced here for 4,000 years. cathedral, shady squares, monuments garden; the national botanical • The Var’s Mediterranean coastline and fountains surrounded by cafés, conservatory at Porquerolles; and the stretches from Saint-Cyr, Bandol and boutiques and restaurants. regional park Gorges du Verdon, Europe’s Sanary, east of Toulon, to St Tropez and • Toulon-Hyères airport is a short 20 minute largest canyon. Some of France’s St Raphael to the west. There is one drive from the port. From Hyères there foremost national monuments are also to protected deep water harbour for are over 10 fl ights a day to London, be found in the Var: Le Thoronet Abbey, even the largest of cruise ships, and Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Breast. Fréjus cloister and Saint-Maximin basilica nine anchorages alongside chic and Nice International airport is 90 minutes among them. beautiful marina harbours – ideal for from Toulon and Marseille International Var Provence 3 airport is just 60 minutes. Var Provence Cruise Club Cruise companies calling in • The Var region is ideal for pre- and Var Provence post-cruise stays as it has many luxury Launched in 2008 by the Var Chamber MSC, Iberocruceros, Thomson Cruises, and boutique hotels equipped to the of Commerce and Industry and the Var General Council, the Var Provence Island Cruises, Royal Caribbean highest international standards. Many International, Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruise Club represents a network of are located in chic St Tropez. Cruises, Silversea, Noble Caledonia, ten ports to berth and/or anchor in • The Var region is gateway to medieval Seabourn, Star Clippers, Hapag Lloyd, Provence d’Azur: Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, hilltop villages, arts and craft workshops, Windstar Cruises, Seadream Yacht Bandol, Sanary sur Mer, Six Fours/ Club, Sea Cloud Cruises, Crystal cruises, monasteries and exceptional natural Les Embiez, Toulon/La Seyne, Hyères/ Azamara cruises, Regent Seven Seas, sites such as the Verdon Gorge – Europe’s Porquerolles, Le Lavandou, Cavalaire Club Med, Compagnie des Iles du largest canyon. sur Mer, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Raphaël. Ponant, Holland America Line and • The Var region is rich in activities for Ocean Village. golfers, mountain bikers, white water Contact the Var Provence Cruise rafters and gliding enthusiasts – and of Club for detailed information about course there are plenty of water sports operations in Var Provence region: to go with the 40km of beaches. transit or turnaround requests, excursion • The Var offers wine tasting, cooking offers, events, nautical distances between ports, marine maps, distances classes, off-the-beaten-track walking www.varprovence-cruise.com and access, technical and useful tours, exclusive picnics on beaches [email protected] contacts and information about all ten alongside vineyards, famous botanical Tel: +33 (0)4 94 22 80 60 ports. gardens and helicopter tours. 4 Var Provence Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer An unspoiled irst stop at Saint-Cyr is the Statue AROUND SAINT-CYR of Liberty! Sculpted and signed by Cassis is a pretty little port tucked in introduction to FBartholdi, the creator of the original, between the massif of the calanques and the breathtaking this gilded small-scale model stands in the majestic Cap Canaille to the east, the centre of this pretty Provençal village. and is a great day excursion. The village, Calanques Here you can fi nd cafés, shops and a with its Museum of the Mediterranean, is market on Sunday. full of ancient Greek artefacts recovered Pack your swimming gear and head for from the seabed. There are boat trips to the nearby seaside resort and port of Les explore the secluded calanques to the Lecques. This is perfect for a day out, with west. Artists such as Dufy, Matisse and a long sandy beach and a promenade even Winston Churchill were persuaded humming with shops and restaurants. by the beauty of the scenery to set up There is also the Museum of Tauroentum, their easels here. which commemorates the town’s history For wine and olive oil, there is the as a Greek trading port. Domaine de Souviou, an estate with a One must-do while you are here is the 16th century bastide or farmhouse. Here Underwater Trail along the Port d’Alon there are guided tours of the estate with calanque. There are several of these tastings of wine and olive oil – the twin rocky, fjord-like inlets along the coast fl avours of Provence. from Saint-Cyr west to Marseille, and they provide a fantastic opportunity to bathe in sheltered, clear blue waters and study the marine environment below. Tel: +33 (0)4 94 26 39 81 Bandol The vineyard capital andol is one of the oldest and la Bégude, however, is the highest and largest Riviera resorts. It is also most northerly and, housed in a building of Provence Bfamous for its wines – red, white and chapel dating from the 7th century and rosé – which benefi t from the unique where wine-tasting and Provençal Provençal combination of cold northerly cooking courses can be enjoyed in nthe mistral winds and hot ripening sun. Bandol most beautiful surroundings. itself is set in a sheltered bay with many Golfers will enjoy the Ronald Fream-designed sandy beaches. It is a friendly seaside golf course at the Dolce Frégate Provence resort with a tree-lined promenade, a resort. The setting of its 27 holes overlooking the casino and a large yacht harbour, with blue Mediterranean, is considered one of the pretty boutiques along the seafront most beautiful in Europe. open every day of the week. The tiny The Paul Ricard motor-racing circuit streets around the 18th century church at Castellet has been renovated and of St François de Sales are also lively with modernised to Formula 1 standards. restaurants and shops. The pretty village of Le Castellet is built on a fortifi ed hilltop, with a 15th century AROUND BANDOL château. With its arts and crafts shops The vineyards of Bandol extend 15km and medieval history, Le Castellet and inland; they are built on terraces known its neighbour, La Cadière d’Azur, make a as restanques. Organised wine-tasting fascinating day excursion. trips can be arranged by appointment Tel: +33 (0)4 94 29 42 64 at any of the wine estates. Domaine de Email: [email protected] Var Provence 5 Sanary-sur-Mer A picture postcard setting anary-sur-Mer is a pretty little village with colourful ‘pointu’ fi shing boats Sbobbing at the quay. White and pink cottages line the shallow sandy beach. The small shady squares, local shops and cafés are all typically Provençal. The atmosphere oozes security and the comfort of old traditions. German intellectuals such as Thomas Mann and his brother Heinrich, museum here that bears his name has a AROUND SANARY Bertolt Brecht, Stephan Zweig and the collection of old-fashioned diving gear. The pretty village of Ollioules has at its painter Lion Feuchtwanger fl ed to this The Exotic Garden and Zoo has a display centre a huge 11thcentury Romanesque haven in the late 1930s to escape Nazism. of hundreds of rare and beautiful plants, church. Winding streets lead up to a 13th British writer Aldous Huxley lived here in the and a collection of typical animals of the century ruined château, surrounded early 1930s, a period his biographer Sybille region. Dolphin-watching excursions depart by terraced hills, where the locals grow Bedford captures in her novel Jigsaw. from the port; you can spend all day oranges and lemons as well as fl owers to The underwater explorer Jacques observing these gentle creatures frolicking supply the huge wholesale fl ower market. Cousteau carried out his experiments in the azure waters of the Mediterranean. The village is set at the entrance to a here that led to the development of the deep gorge with many mysterious caves, modern aqualung.