| Numerous leisure parks and zoological gardens have been developed in this area to entertain young people: Aoubré (nature discovery) in Flassans sur Issole, the village of tortoises in Gonfaron , the bird park in Londe des Maures, the OK Corral in Castellet, Mini France in Brignoles, Aqualand in Sainte Maxime, the zoological garden in Fréjus, and many more. |
| For sports lovers, there is every type of water sport on the nearby beaches, rivers and lakes; the more adventurous can go rock climbing or abseiling in the Sourn valley, or you can paraglide from nearby cliffs and soar over many delightful sites. |
| Those who are into motor sports can visit the race course at Castellet for cars or at Le Luc for motorcycles. |
| The golf course in nearby Barbaroux is also well known. There are also many bicycle touring facilities in the area. |
| Many other visits and excursions are possible from Bastidon Saint Benoît, including : |
. the mines museum at Pradet
. the ceramics at Varages and Vallauris
. the potteries at Salernes
. the Nativity figurines ("santons") at Saint Cyr sur mer
. the glassmakers at Biot, Mandelieu and Gourdon
. the trogolodyte habitat at Cabasse
. the candymakers at Collobrières, Roquebrune, Signes and Tourrettes
. the oldest abbey in Provence: the Abbey at Thoronet
. art galleries
. the numerous antique and second-hand shops
. the Nativity figurines ("santons") fairs and - why not? - the Grasse perfume maker less than two hours away by car.. |
| Along the way you are bound to find a good place to eat, sitting in the shade of an old plane tree! |
| For those who prefer to relax in the gîte, there is always the option of reading a good book on a lawn chair or playing a game of pétanque in the garden before the afternoon aperitif ! |
| The beautiful weather that prevails here (annual sunshine of more than 2900 hours !) has helped make the Var a leading tourist destination in France. 890,000 people live here during the year, while more than a million visitors join them during the summer. |
| In summertime you will certainly find a spot along the 92 km (57 miles) of beach scattered among the 432 km (268 mile) coastline. |
| Each season's light brings out extraordinary landscapes in this limestone area, with its 35 lakes and 1800 catalogued natural caves. |
| Don't hesitate to come and hike one of the major long-distance footpaths outside the peak periods. They can lead you anywhere from one of Europe's largest canyons to the famous port of St. Tropez. |
