Discovering Var: a practical guide
Var combines one of the most beautiful coastlines in the Mediterranean, unspoilt islands and a Provençal hinterland of hilltop villages, vineyards and forests. To the north, the Gorges du Verdon form one of the largest canyons in Europe. An ideal département for combining sea, nature and heritage.
This practical guide helps you choose your stops and organise your trip. Underlined site names link to their detailed pages.
Understanding Var in a few minutes
The coast stretches from Bandol to the Estérel: Toulon and its harbour, Hyères and the Giens peninsula, the Golden Isles (Porquerolles, Port-Cros), the Maures coast road, then Saint-Tropez and its gulf, and finally the Estérel massif with its red rocks. Inland, green Provence and the Haut-Var with its hilltop villages rise up to the Gorges du Verdon and the Lac de Sainte-Croix.
Toulon is served by the TGV, and Nice airport is close to the east of the département. In summer, traffic is heavy on the coast, especially towards Saint-Tropez. For a trip of a few days, one base on the coast and another inland let you see everything.
- In summer, take the boat to Saint-Tropez from Sainte-Maxime.
- The Golden Isles are reached by boat from Hyères and La Londe.
- The hinterland is much quieter than the coast in July and August.
Saint-Tropez
A former fishing village become a worldwide symbol of Mediterranean glamour, dominated by its citadel.
Île de Porquerolles
The island of Porquerolles is the largest and westernmost of the three Golden Isles of the Gulf of Hyères, with an area of 12.54 km².
Canyon du verdon
A famous canyon with limestone walls. Above all see: the Point Sublime (400 m high), the Barre de l'Escalès (cliff), the Baume aux Bœufs tunnel cave, the St-Maurin waterfalls...
Toulon
The main town of the Var and France's leading naval port, nestled around its natural harbour.
Culture, history and heritage
Le Thoronet Abbey, one of the three great Cistercian abbeys of Provence, is a masterpiece of simplicity. Hilltop villages are numerous and full of charm: Tourtour, Cotignac, Seillans, Bargème, Gassin, Le Castellet and Bormes-les-Mimosas. Castles complete this heritage: the Château d'Entrecasteaux, the Château de Bargème and the Fort de Brégançon.
In Toulon, the National Maritime Museum tells the history of the great naval port, and the Hôtel des Arts presents contemporary art. In Hyères, the Villa de Noailles is an icon of modern architecture. In Saint-Tropez, the Gendarmerie and Cinema Museum recalls the Louis de Funès films.
- Visit Le Thoronet early in the morning to enjoy the calm.
- Hilltop villages are explored on foot: park at the entrance.
- The Villa de Noailles is free.
Abbaye du Thoronet
Le Thoronet Abbey is a Cistercian abbey in the commune of Le Thoronet, in the Var.
Tourtour
In Tourtour, the narrow streets are lined with stone houses capped with round tiles.
Le Castellet
A medieval perched village of the Var, surrounded by ramparts, in the heart of the Bandol vineyard.
Fort de Brégançon
In the commune of Bormes-les-Mimosas, the Fort de Brégançon stands on a 35-metre rocky peak that for many centuries was separated from the Mediterranean shore by a few fathoms of water.
Food and local produce
Var is France's leading rosé wine area: Côtes de Provence, Coteaux Varois and the famous Bandol, red and rosé. Provençal cooking takes pride of place: bouillabaisse, aïoli, tapenade, olive oil, Haut-Var truffles and Collobrières chestnuts.
Provençal markets, such as those of Saint-Tropez, Hyères and Toulon, are not to be missed. Wine estates readily welcome visitors for a tasting.
- The Place des Lices market in Saint-Tropez is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
- Nominate a driver for the cellars.
- Try Collobrières marrons glacés in autumn.
Le Castellet
A medieval perched village of the Var, surrounded by ramparts, in the heart of the Bandol vineyard.
Bormes-les-Mimosas
A perched village of the Var between the Maures massif and the Mediterranean, famous for its mimosas and the Fort de Brégançon.
Cotignac
A village of the Provence Verte backed against a tufa cliff, among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.
Nature and wide open spaces
The Gorges du Verdon are spectacular, with their viewpoints and the Lac de Sainte-Croix. The coast has very fine beaches: Pampelonne beach, Notre-Dame beach on Porquerolles, Estagnol beach and Gigaro beach. The Port-Cros National Park, one of the oldest marine parks in Europe, protects the islands and their seabed.
Inland, the Sillans waterfall, the Vallon des Carmes, the Plaine des Maures, a refuge of Hermann's tortoise, and the Sainte-Baume massif invite you to hike. Mont Faron overlooks Toulon. With children, the Tortoise Village, the Parc Zoologique de Fréjus and the Zoo du Faron are popular outings.
- Swimming is forbidden at the foot of the Sillans waterfall: admire it from the viewpoint.
- In summer, some forests are closed when the fire risk is high: check before you go.
- On Porquerolles, hiring a bike is ideal for reaching the beaches.
Canyon du verdon
A famous canyon with limestone walls. Above all see: the Point Sublime (400 m high), the Barre de l'Escalès (cliff), the Baume aux Bœufs tunnel cave, the St-Maurin waterfalls...
Plage Notre-Dame (Porquerolles)
White-sand beach on the island of Porquerolles, often cited among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.
la cascade de Sillans
Between Sillans-la-Cascade and Salernes lies the Sillans waterfall, 42 metres high. It is the highest waterfall in the Var.
Parc National de Port Cros
Port-Cros National Park, abbreviated PNPC, is a French national park in the Mediterranean Sea.
When to go and how to plan
Spring and autumn are perfect: the sea is still warm in September, temperatures are mild and there are far fewer people. Summer is very hot and the coast very busy. Winter is mild, with mimosa in bloom in February at Bormes-les-Mimosas.
A five-day trip can combine a day on Porquerolles, a day between Hyères and Toulon, a day in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, a day in the Haut-Var villages and Le Thoronet Abbey, and a day in the Gorges du Verdon.
- Book accommodation and island boats in summer.
- Check the forest access map in summer.
- The mistral can make the sea rough: check the marine forecast.
Bargème
You enter the town by the Porte de Garde that opens in the ramparts, then you discover the little old streets, the vaults, the lanes lined with often flowered houses.
Seillans
Tightly graded around the campanile and the tower of the twelfth-century church, as well as the medieval castle, the ochre houses draw a mysterious labyrinth of cobbled, sloping lanes, marked by the steps of horses.
Château d'Entrecasteaux
An eleventh-century fortress, remodelled in the fifteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Buttresses, eleventh-century armoury, guardroom and dungeons. Gardens designed by Le Nôtre and an eighteenth-century rotunda ice house (inspired by Versailles).
Going further
Explore the départements of this area: