The Var is the principle wine region of Provence, bordered by Toulon in the west, Frejus in the east, Draguignan in the north and the Mediterranean in the south. We explored by bike the area south and west of Draguigan, in particular Taradeau, Lorgues, Le Thoronet, Carces and St Julienne where we did a comprehensive wine tasting and turned the camper into a mobile bar – spicy whites, light roses and full bodied reds.
We then went down to the coast where the vines literally run right down to the sea, vineyards on one side of the road, olive groves on the other and occasionally camomile for variety.
In the areas that weren’t cultivated poppies, wild lavender and cork trees were abundant.
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Our campsite, St Pons, in Le Lavandou provided an excellent base for cycling to surrounding beaches, including Cap de Bregancon which was a private residence of the President until2013. The town itself was awash with birds of paradise, and the town above it, Bormes Les Mimosa, provided views of the area for miles and miles.
This is by far our preferred area so far, fewer people, variety of scenery, authentic French villages, and to top it all, the warmest part of the country this week.