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Top 10 Things to Do in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ

The thought that comes to mind when you think of being in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ is all things water, sun, fun, sand and culture. There are so many things that you would do if you paid a visit to ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ for summer fun from having a cocktail, lazing by the sea with your feet in the cool white sand to watersports, matchless conditions for sailing and diving to experiencing an explosion of culture from an old town that winds up a hill.

Its culture has especially been an attraction on its own to a point of being the muse of many an artist. Picasso, Giacometti and Jean Cocteau all spent time at Villa Noaille on a roost above the town the most brilliant thing is that it accommodates all types of tourists there are even things you could do with the kids. It is a vibrant place that has so much to offer mostly, beaches, outdoor activities, nature and parks, sights and landmarks.

There are almost one million things you could get in to while in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ but today, let’s get in to the top ten things you could do in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ .Ìý

1. Visit the Old Town

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Old Town ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ is a jewel to visit. Often many people overlook the historic center of the town, which is a mistake because it’s a dream to potter around. It is a really a cozy place with a lot of character and culture with friendly people around and plenty of good photography shots around every corner on a sunny day.

The walled city is fun to explore and the Templars have a fortification inside the city. Lots of history and things to see. The village-like ambience and lack of cars has a lot to do with the steepness of the terrain, which gives rise to dusky, curving streets hugging the hill’s contours. If you are up to climbing high up to the highest point of the city and the old ruins, the view is to die for. Your eyes will be filled with bougainvillea, wooden shutters, street markets and restaurant terraces crossed by the Rue Portalet that powers up the hill and brings you to Place Massillon.

Here the restaurant terraces are surrounded by the ochre walls of old apartment buildings and a fortified chapel built by the Knights Templar. It will be one of the most memorable walks you will have on the Cote D’Azure.

Just get lost in the small streets and sit down for a meal, a coffee, or a cup of ice cream, relax and soak in all that culture and some sunshine can give.

2. Enjoy Château d’±á²âè°ù±ð²õ

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

The Chateau d’±á²âè°ù±ð²õ  translates to The Castle of it is a castle which is located at the top of the which rises sharply and crests at almost 200 meters. One of the summits of , dominating the city of , The motto of the castle, Arearum Castrum ( the castle of the area ) is engraved in the entrance of the castle which was also the city’s name at the beginning of the .Ìý

The old chateau is a perfect place to get a bird’s eye view of Hyeres and surroundings as far as Ile de Porquerolles and beyond. Over the roof tops you can clearly see the church of St Paul in the old town, villa Noailles, Toulon/±á²âè°ù±ð²õ airport and the bay of ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ over to presque Ile Giens. You can walk up from the old town but it is quite steep. It is also possible to drive up to the nearby car park and walk the rest of the 50m altitude.

Although The castle has been in ruins since the French Wars of Religion, after a siege by Henri IV that lasted five long months, recently the town hall of ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ renovated the three towers of the entrance as well as some . At the top of the castle, two orientation tables have been set up the landscapes from up here will take your breath away and there are special platforms from where you can gaze out over the wooded Maurettes hills to the north.

3. See the Villa Noailles

Cubist Garden at Villa de Noailles, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

A visit of the villa is a visit to the life of the European aristocracy between the two world wars. It is an early modernist house with its harsh right-angles and concrete walls that caused a bit of a fuss when it was built by an architect called Mallet Stevens for art patrons and -hence its name.

The couple commissioned paintings and funded all kinds of projects, so many stars of the 20th-century art world, like Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray, have been through these doors. The villa and its gardens offer a nice overview of the life of Charles and Marie-Laure, two art lovers and collectionneurs. It has an awesome setting, near the highest point of the town, that offers a great view over ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ and the Mediterranean Sea.

4. Take a stroll in Parc Saint-Bernard

On the slopes beneath Villa Noaille the garden St Bernard is another creation by the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. He built it between 1924 and 1930. most of the parc is made of staircases. Sharp stairways lifting you to stone terraces.

That said it is very interesting to see it planted with fragrant Mediterranean plants like lavender, myrtle and rosemary, as well as a host of exotic species including acacia, begonia and angel’s trumpet. The flowers here are so beautiful. Be here in spring when much of the gardens are in bloom and linger over the sight of ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ’ terracotta rooftops and the azure Mediterranean.

In a town that built its fortune on palm plantations in would be a shame not to call in at this ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ’ sublime garden. It’s a jardin remarquable.

5. Explore the Plage de la Bergerie

±á²âè°ù±ð²õ beach, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Located on the road to the Giens peninsula after the village of La Capte. It extends to the beginning of the Giens peninsula with a very fine stretch of fine sand which is quite narrow, approximately about 3 km long. It is the more inhabited part, with little holiday communities and campsites.

Between Capte beach and Badine, this long and narrow strip of sand allows easy swimming for children. It is the shelter of the mistral. That said, it is suitable for children but on the other hand, swimming is impossible when there is an east wind. Generally, its shallow waters allow easy and safe swimming facing the Iles d’Or but exposed to the east wind coming from the islands.

So for people holidaying with young ones or in the mood for some water-based fun Plage de la Bergerie could be the way to go. There are many activities the whole family and especially the kids could enjoy, like board or catamaran rentals, paddle and other jet-ski.Ìý There is a bonus too,as you sit back you’ll have the ÃŽles d’±á²âè°ù±ð²õ to meet your gaze.

 6. Go windsurfing

±á²âè°ù±ð²õ, image sourced from Pixabay

Literally whatever floats your boat, be it jet-skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, canoeing, kitesurfing or sailing, you’ll find it or rather it will find you in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ.

If you’re experienced, then spring and autumn are an exciting if occasionally dicey time to be out on the waves as this is when the northwesterly Mistral wind is at its absolute best. If you do not know a thing about these exciting water sports, dip your feet in the sandy beaches get an ice cold drink under a shade and you can watch the action from dry land.

There will probably be a tribe of dry land watchers anyway, as ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ has been on the ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit every year since this was founded in 2008. The race usually takes place towards the last weekend of April and is just one of seven major sailing events and regattas held in these waters. So either jump into the action filled water or work on your tan on the beach, either way, you can enjoy watersports in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ.

7. Go diving

±á²âè°ù±ð²õ is considered the Mecca by divers. Dive centers are ten-a-penny all over. Actually, over forty spots in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ and the Golden Isles: because ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ is up there with best scuba locations in Europe thanks to the crazy variety of things to see and do beneath the waves, like drops, shipwrecks, varied underwater fauna and flora. The Giens peninsula has submarine caves, while the waters around Port-Cros are inside a Natural Park and abound with wildlife.

Come scuba dive in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ and enter the underwater world of silence. Seasoned divers will be itching for adventure while novices won’t find many better places in the world to take the plunge for the first time. It is safe to say they have a very diverse diving program.

8. Take a hike at Giens

Nature reserve at Giens, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

The Giens peninsula is Provece’s southernmost point, so far south it has the same latitude as the northern Corsican cape. To the newcomer, there isn’t a more peculiar sight than this salty land stretching between the sky and the sea: it is horizontality only broken by the presence of pinewood and hamlets. At the end of the peninsula, suspended like a final point, lies these wetlands that are a vital birdlife sanctuary and resting point for a host of migratory species.

As I said, the bottom, Giens has pine-clad hills, and is linked to the mainland by long, parallel sandy spits on each side of a large expanse of ponds and salty marshes.

For hikes there’s a path encircling the coast weaving past deserted beaches, rocky outcrops and coves, and with unforgettable views of the little islands scattered offshore. A place where the experience of being one with nature is real. I would suggest you bring your camera along for the hike. I promise the scenery is simply breath taking alongside probably being out of breath while you hike.

 9. Have some wine at Côtes de Provence

Rosé, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Côtes de Provence is a connoisseur’s definition of heaven. Period. The Côtes de Provence appellation spans more than 20,000 hectares. Although it also covers red and white wine, about 80 percent of Côtes de Provence’s output is rosé. The type of wine that makes you want to be on holiday.

The terroir of the Côtes de Provence appellation is as beautiful for its vines as it is at their roots. Because of the terroir’s size and variety, there is not one but several types of Côtes de Provence. Each has its own geological and climatic personality. Because of the terroir’s size and variety, there is not one but several types of Côtes de Provence. Each has its own geological and climatic personality.

Eight production areas make up the appellation: Raise your glasses ladies and gentlemen because the good news is that there are 17 domains to visit around ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ. Two of these are even on Porquerolles Island, so you can drop by the Domaine Perzinsky for example to look around the vineyard and winery and taste the wine. Which is the most fun bit if you ask me.

Most of these estates are boutique operations that have been in the same family for generations that are not accessible by bus due to the beautiful narrow roads. Which gives you the authenticity of testing the wine and enjoying the breathtaking view while you learn about the cultivation of vine, the meaning of the date on the bottle, how to buy wine and other fun facts about wine. As I said lot of culture in ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ

10. Spa day at

This place will bring out the goddess and god in everyone that pops in on them. You may have to book an appointment but it is so worth it. Because what is a holiday without some pampering? Treat yourself to a relaxing weekend in this universe for relaxation. They have a wide range of treatments. Thalassotherapy is bound to make you feel like Aphrodite herself, a hammam, will definitely bring out the Zeus in you. A full body massages will get you in the mood to have a dip in the Jacuzzi.

They have got various silhouette cures to take care of your forms, which will probably send you straight to the sauna just before you get a facial. Ladies it is not named after the goddess of beauty for no reason. She is also the goddess of love so bring your significant other and enjoy one of the gems ±á²âè°ù±ð²õ has to offer.