Climate
The average annual temperature is around 16°C, with July being the hottest month in the department and February the coldest. Summers are dry with little rainfall.
The climate of the department is characterized by an excellent sunshine; the Var is the sunniest region in France! Given its geographical location, the Var is subject to both the influence of the Mediterranean and the Alps, which is why the winds and rainfall are characterized by a certain violence. Precipitation is generally light on the coast, and increases in intensity as one moves away from the coast towards the interior and as one gains altitude. Snow is rare and falls on an average of ten to fourteen days per year, mainly at high altitudes.
The Mistral blows in gusts, which diminish from west to east. It passes over the Alps where it cools down, goes down the Rhone corridor, then turns north-west towards the Var coast, losing its strength. It usually exceeds 40 km/h with peaks that can reach over 100 km/h. The east or southeast winds, less frequent than the mistral, are also violent, and precede or accompany heavy rainfall.
The Mediterranean has the reputation of a calm sea, without tides, with the appearance of a large lake. However, it is subject to sudden gusts of extreme violence, most often due to the thermal shock of a mass of warm air, coming from North Africa, which meets a mass of cold air, based on mistral, coming from the Alps and the Rhone corridor. These storms are short, often unpredictable, always impressive.
Relief
To the north, the pre-Alpine plateaus, limestone and bare, culminate in the mountain of Lachens - 1,714 meters - the highest peak in the department. To the south-east, two very ancient crystalline massifs - numerous fossils of reptiles, adapted to marine life, and dinosaurians have been found in the limestone layers of this Jurassic base - the Maures - Notre-Dame-des-Anges summit at 780 meters -, the Estérel - Mont Vinaigre summit at 618 meters -, plunge into the Mediterranean Sea. To the west, large ranges, the first foothills of the Sainte-Victoire mountain, the Aurelian mountain, the Sainte-Baume massif, the Caume mountain, the Coudon, the Faron mountain, are identified with the lower limestone Provence. The plateaus, from the north of Rians to the plane of Canjuers, rise progressively from 500 to 1000 meters.
The Var also has several caves on its territory. The Sainte-Baume cave, opened naturally in the cliff by erosion, was used as a refuge by Saint Mary Magdalene. The cliff and the troglodyte caves in Cotignac, dominate the village. The caves of the Baume in Néoules were used as a prehistoric refuge and the caves of Villecroze, natural excavations are 700 000 years old.
Forests and woods are also omnipresent in the department. The massifs of the Sainte-Baume, the Maures and the Estérel cover more than 340,000 hectares, which corresponds to 56% of the surface area of the department. The Var forest is therefore in second place on a national level, behind the Landes forest.
Watercourses
The Var has many rivers such as the Argens, a coastal river of 114 km, which has its source at Seillons-Source-d'Argens, crosses twenty-one municipalities, receives the waters of many tributaries, Eau salée, Cassolle, Bresque, Florieye, Nartuby, Endre, Blavet (left bank), Meyronne, Cauron, Ribeirote, Caramy, Issole, Aille, Fournel (right bank), before flowing into the Gulf of Fréjus.
The department is also endowed with numerous lakes, starting with the Carcès lake, which was artificially created on 91 hectares in 1934 at the confluence of the Caramy and the Issole to supply the city of Toulon with drinking water. The lake of Besse-sur-Issole, a natural water body of 4 hectares, is fed by a resurgence of the Issole. The artificial lake of Saint-Cassien, 5 km long and with a surface area of 470 hectares, is fed by the Siagne. The lake of Sainte-Croix, a 2,200 hectare lake, extends over 10 km and allows the practice of numerous nautical activities. The lake of Quinson, a former canyon invaded by water, stretches over 11 km. Many other lakes also allow the practice of trout, pike and black bass fishing: the lake of Banegon in Fayence, with a surface area of 1 hectare; the lake of Bîmes, in Carnoules, with a surface area of 1 hectare, among other Var lakes.
The Var also has a large number of marshes, wetlands that are essential to preserve its biodiversity. Spread over 259 hectares, the Villepey ponds in Saint-Aygulf are supplied with fresh and salt water, and constitute one of the most remarkable natural spaces of the Mediterranean coast. With a very diversified flora and fauna, they offer refuge to more than 220 species of birds. Today, they are the property of the Conservatoire du littoral. Various facilities allow you to discover this coastal wetland, one of the few between the Camargue and Italy. The Pesquiers salt pans in Hyères, owned by the Conservatoire du littoral, cover an area of about 550 hectares. The flora includes a large number of rare and protected species, including the African tamarisk, the blue thistle, the sea lily and a multitude of orchids. The fauna is abundant and many species winter or nest on the sites.
Coastal
The coastline of more than 400 km is shaped by numerous capes and bays dotted with islands, and is highlighted by beautiful beaches of golden sand.
Sea. Close to the coastline, trenches quickly reach 1,000 meters; 6 miles offshore, they can reach a depth of 2,500 meters.
Coasts. The Var has 432 km of coastline.
Beaches. Some 230 beaches and coves are scattered along the coast.
Islands. The Var has 5 inhabited islands: Les Embiez, Bendor, Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Le Levant.
Ports. From west to east, from Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer to Agay, 54 marinas are located along the Var coastline. The commercial port of Toulon is the most important.
