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The club offers windsurfing, dinghy and catamaran sailing and yacht charters for all levels, with crewed yachts available by arrangement.

The seaside walk to La Seyne starts off flat, then climbs to the Cap Sicié. Great views. Allow 7 hours.

Far from the summer crowds, the path winds around creeks and beaches, vines and pines, offering exceptional views. From Graniers beach to Cap Camarat takes six hours.

Cars are banned, so cycling is the most rewarding way to discover the island. Hire bikes from the village (see Notre Dame Beach, Ile de Porquerolles).

Trek from Sablet village up to St Amand, the highest point. Six hours (see A Day’s Drive in the Vaucluse Mountains).

On one of the most magnificent sites on the coast, Rayol offers an overview of Mediterranean-style plant life. Gathered around a pergola and long stairway, a fine mosaic of eight gardens recreates landscapes of areas of the world with Mediterranean climates.

Le Lavandou has a total of 12 beaches, covering the full seaside spectrum, from the great sandy stretch of the Grande Plage to the nudist creek of Rossignol. Most appealing of all, however, is l’Eléphant. The approach is only by sea or by scrambling over rocks, a feature which usually ensures relative tranquillity.

Try the one-day course, open to all drivers at the Le Luc circuit. Expensive but undeniably thrilling.

The Var has a dozen golf courses, of which the best-known is the Golf de Frégate, set among vineyards and olive groves and overlooking the sea.

The finest golfing can be found at the Frégate golf course, St Cyr, where the sea views are sensational (see Golf). Other courses offering good golf in lovely surroundings include the Golf de l’Esterel at St Raphaël, the Ballesteros-designed Pont-Royal at Mallemort and Golf de Châteaublanc outside Avignon.