Toulon & Hyères

A Mediterranean naval port: ride the cable car up Mont Faron over the harbour, take a boat to cycle Porquerolles, and explore Hyères old town, the Giens Peninsula and Bandol wine country nearby.

Toulon and Hyères lie in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, on the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Nice. Toulon is the home port of the French Navy's Mediterranean fleet and boasts a natural harbour often called one of the most beautiful in Europe. About 20 km to the east, Hyères is a historic winter resort, and offshore the Giens Peninsula and the Hyères Islands (Porquerolles and Port-Cros) are the highlight of the whole area. The climate is classic Mediterranean: summers are hot, dry and sunny, and May–October is ideal for the islands and beaches. July–August brings crowds and high prices, and access to forests and hills is often restricted due to fire risk. Winters are mild – the season for mimosa blossoms and quiet old-town wandering – though the strong mistral wind blows frequently. The area divides into three parts: Toulon itself (the Mont Faron cable car, harbour cruises, the National Navy Museum, the old-town market and Mourillon beaches); Hyères and the islands (Hyères old town and castle, Villa Noailles, the Giens Peninsula, flamingos in the salt marshes, cycling on Porquerolles and snorkelling at Port-Cros); and the Bandol–Sanary coast to the west (fishing ports, wineries and the hilltop village of Le Castellet), plus Bormes-les-Mimosas and the Domaine du Rayol gardens to the east. Further afield, Saint-Tropez or Le Thoronet Abbey make easy day trips. Getting there: Toulon has direct TGV trains to Paris (about 4 hours) and Marseille (about 1 hour), and Hyères has Toulon–Hyères Airport. Local buses and sea shuttles are run by the Mistral network; ferries to the islands leave from La Tour Fondue on the Giens Peninsula or from Hyères port – be sure to book ahead in summer. A car is recommended for the surrounding villages and wineries. Allow 3–4 days: one for Toulon, one for Porquerolles, one for Hyères and the Giens Peninsula, and one for Bandol wine country or the eastern coast.

Top sights

• Mont Faron & Cable Car – Ride the red-and-white cable car up 584-metre Mont Faron for panoramic views of the Toulon anchorage and naval base. The summit has a landi…
• Porquerolles – The largest of the Îles d'Hyères, where cars are banned. Cycle through the pine forests to white-sand beaches with clear water, a classic d…
• Hyères Old Town & Castle – A medieval hilltown shaded by palm trees, where stone lanes climb to the ruins of a castle on Mont Saint-Bernard, with views over the Giens…
• Giens Peninsula – A peninsula joined to the mainland by two sandbars. Its coastal path links cliffs and coves, and the port for boats to Porquerolles is here.
• Toulon Harbour Boat Tour – Take a boat from the old harbor to tour one of Europe's most beautiful roadsteads. See French naval aircraft carriers and warships up close…
• Musée National de la Marine (Toulon) – Housed inside the gate of an 18th-century arsenal, this museum displays ship models, naval paintings and 300 years of Toulon's maritime his…
• Toulon Old Town & Cours Lafayette Market – The old town, home to fountain squares, the Cathedral of Our Lady and the opera house. The Provençal morning market on Cours Lafayette is t…
• Plages du Mourillon – The most popular man-made beach in central Toulon. A string of small crescent-shaped bays has shallow, calm water, with a seaside promenade…
• Tour Royale – A round gun tower built at the entrance to the roadstead in the early 16th century. It is Toulon's oldest fortification, and the surroundin…
• Fort Balaguier – A 17th-century battery on the west shore of the roadstead. It now houses a maritime museum and tells the story of Napoleon's first famous b…
• Port-Cros National Park – One of Europe's first marine national parks. The whole island is a protected area, with forest trails and underwater snorkeling routes.
• Villa Noailles – A landmark of 1920s modernist architecture that was once a salon for Surrealist artists. It is now a center for architecture and design.
• Salins des Pesquiers – Old salt pans between two sandbars in Giens. They are home to flocks of flamingos year-round, and you can watch birds from the sandbar road.
• Plage de l'Almanarre – A long sandy beach on the western sandbar of Giens, known for its steady sea breezes. It is a mecca for kitesurfing and windsurfing in Fran…
• Bandol – A seaside town famous for its red and rosé wines. The palm-lined harbor promenade is lively, and nearby wineries offer tastings by appointm…
• Île de Bendor – A small island off the port of Bandol, transformed by Paul Ricard into a Provençal-style resort with art sculptures and small beaches.
• Sanary-sur-Mer – A small town whose harbor is full of colorful traditional fishing boats called pointus. Its pink houses and palm-lined promenades are very…
• Le Castellet – A medieval hilltop village surrounded by vineyards, with its gates, narrow lanes and craft shops well preserved. It offers views over the B…
• Circuit Paul Ricard – An international racetrack that once hosted the French Formula One Grand Prix, known for its blue-and-red runoff zones. Racing fans can wat…
• Île des Embiez – A private holiday island off the Brusc harbor, with a path around the island for walking and cycling, a marine research institute with an a…
• Notre-Dame-du-Mai (Cap Sicié) – A seamen's chapel on the 358-meter cliff top of Cap Sicié, with views over the Mediterranean, the Toulon roadstead and the islands.
• Bormes-les-Mimosas – A flower village built into a hillside, with flowers climbing over arcades and stone lanes. Mimosa trees bloom in late winter, and the Lava…
• Fort de Brégançon – A medieval fortress on a rocky islet in the sea, and the official summer residence of the French president. Guided tours of some areas can…
• Domaine du Rayol – A seaside "Mediterranean garden" that brings together plants from Mediterranean climate regions around the world, with a guided snorkeling…
• Saint-Tropez – The most famous star fishing port on the French Riviera, with the old harbor full of luxury yachts, a yellow bell tower and the Annonciade…
• Le Thoronet Abbey – A 12th-century Cistercian abbey, one of the "Three Sisters of Provence." Its minimalist stone architecture deeply influenced Le Corbusier.
• Chartreuse de la Verne – A 12th-century monastery hidden in a chestnut forest in the Maures Mountains, with a large courtyard built of serpentine and schist, and wh…
• Sainte-Baume – A Provençal limestone mountain range with the Cave of Mary Magdalene on its cliffs. The old beech forests on the northern slope are ideal f…

Where to eat

• Shanael – Opened at the end of 2025 and earned a Michelin star within four months: Toulon's only starred restaurant in 25 years…
• La Cade à Dédé – A street stall selling wood-fired cade chickpea flatbread since 1989 at the Cours Lafayette market: a true taste of Tou…
• Le Saint-Gabriel – A Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro by Toulon's harbor, serving reimagined Provençal home cooking at approachable prices.
• Le Pastel – A husband-and-wife bistro near the harbor, with all bread and charcuterie made in-house; a Michelin Bib Gourmand that i…
• Les Minots de la Garrigue – A Mediterranean bistro in central Hyères run by two brothers, with a large open-air courtyard, market-fresh dishes and…
• La Colombe – A long-established Provençal restaurant at the foot of Maurettes hill on the outskirts of Hyères, listed in the Micheli…

Itineraries

• Coastal Slow Travel: Marseille to Saint-Tropez – Travel east along the coast without a car, exploring the Calanques, Toulon military port, Porquerolles Island, and Sain…