During our stay in the Var, we were more in the hinterland (near Brignoles), but we wanted to see the sea. This is how we turned to this hike on the Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer peninsula near Toulon. Indeed, the first half runs along the coast and the second, although less interesting, offers some views of the port.
Start of the hike at the parking lot of St-Asile beach in Saint-Mandrier
You will not be able to miss the parking, the beach being just in front. Moreover, this can be the opportunity to start with a swim. However, we made the choice to take a break along the way. It says that our arrival was a bit chaotic due to yellow lights on the dashboard of the car and a bad omen white smoke … Nevertheless, we decide not to let this beautiful spoil us. day by mechanical problems and let’s go on the track.
Walk along the coast of the peninsula
The first half of the hike is clearly the most enjoyable. Indeed, the landscapes of the coast and the sea are superb. The opportunities for beautiful photos are therefore numerous. Only downside: one of us sacrifices herself to try to find an open garage … We have more than an hour’s drive to come back and are not sure that the car will follow …
Picnic and swimming break in Saint-Mandrier
After a little over an hour of walking, we arrive in sight of a beach that seems perfect for a quick swim. As we are still on the way, we decide to take advantage of the shade of a tree for our picnic. Once full, we head for the beach and establish our “camp”. Be careful, this is a pebble beach … Not being a regular, our entry and exit from the sea lacks grace … But swimming is good and after having dried a little in the sun , we leave.
Return from the hike through the city
The route takes us into the city, near the port. It is therefore an opportunity to look at the moored boats and especially to spot a glacier … After a negotiation with the children on the number of scoops of ice cream, two of us stop. My daughter, a little upset by this limit between all the same to make her choice. When it comes out, it only has two scents, but it is a mountain of ice that overflows from the cone. And all ice cream has this dimension. This is the first time that we have struggled to finish our ice cream … Besides, we get back to work with our desserts in hand.
End of the hike on the Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer peninsula
The path then takes us through a pine forest from where we overlook the city. Then we cross a health trail, which we follow for a while before returning to the city and then to the parking lot. If you haven’t been swimming until now, this is the time when I had to enjoy the beach of Saint-Asile!
If this overview of our hike on the Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer peninsula has made you want to, do not hesitate to take a look at the route on Visorando (in french though). For the record, we made the return with our lights and a car that was moving slowly. We will learn later that the entire exhaust system is dead …
And to discover our other hikes, it’s here:
