Sainte-Maxime

Sea, boats & sun… If you come from Issambres, you will not want to tear your eyes away from the vast blue stretch of water ahead. The waves break first on a rugged coastline, before reaching the beautiful sandy beach of Nartelle, popular with fans of watersports and swimming. At the far end lies Pointe des Sardinaux, a protected nature area facing a beacon out at sea and a well-known site for scuba diving. The three bends which follow symbolise the idealised image we have of the Côte d’Azur: lovely parasol pines in harmony with the coast road; a few hundred metres further on the marina with space for 800 boats, watched over by the church’s clock tower; and the town centre’s beach just a stone’s throw away. Before this, over the landmark bowstring bridge and past the Club Nautique, you will discover all the attractions of the Croisette beach: to port, a carpet of smooth pebbles, to starboard hot sand, and aft diving into turquoise blue water.

Atmosphere guaranteed all year ! Sainte-Maxime is a lively place all year round. You love shopping? You will be spoilt for choice with all the boutiques! You are active? Every kind of watersport is available (sailing, diving, boating, jet-skis, water skiing…), but you can also play golf, tennis, do all forms of hiking (mountain bikes, horse riding, walking), or stroll with the family in the Myrtes botanical garden. You love shows? We are already preparing the next ones in the Théâtre de la Mer and Carré Sainte-Maxime cultural centre, the finest in the Gulf. Interested in architecture - then the art deco circuit is for you; or in events - Free Flight, Var Rally and Maxime Geek Unviers; or going out - the new waterfront’s café terraces welcome you with music and the restaurants are legion. But that’s before perhaps winning the jackpot at the Casino ! Yes, atmosphere guaranteed in Sainte-Maxime, the station can be proud of its cultural programming.

Provence in the heart Sainte-Maxime likes to remind us of its Provencal roots; February celebrate the Mimosa and the votive festival in may invites you to find out more about the folklore and parade heralding the arrival of mimosa. We also celebrate Saint Peter, Saint John and the olive tree, as Sainte-Maxime is home to the largest olive grove in the Var. The very soul of Provence is revealed with just a few drops of this golden elixir on local seafood or produce from the land. There is a real sense of being at home here; and to guard this legacy the town takes part in quality initiatives like Famille Plus, guaranteeing a personalised welcome for children and parents, the Blue Flag for quality bathing water and it is a station classée de tourisme for the quality of the welcome. Of course you cannot leave the area without doing a tour of the mimosa forest. To get there head for the Col du Gratteloup via the new highway and take the picturesque route to Plan de la Tour; then another 2.6km to the parking area and start of the Catalugno path. It’s another world: you will see a world blue-green-gold ; it’s wonderful !