Côte d´Azur

The Côte d´Azur was rediscovered in the year 1763 by the travelogues of the Scotsman Tobias Smollett, whom his physicians had recommended to cure his lung illness at the Mediterranean coast. Consequently wealthy Englishmen suffering from consumptiveness spent their winters at the Côte.

At the time one of the centres was Hyère. Only the natives went swimming then. The sea was completely uninteresting for the tourists.

At first, the journey was at very wearisome and usually took more than a fortnight.

The mass tourism began in the year 1864 related with the connection of the Côte d´Azur to the French railroad network. From now on until Word War I, kings and other noblemen spent their winter vacation at the French Riviera coast.
Now and then also bathing in the sea was observed, although people went into the water fully clothed.

Nevertheless, the summer season was not very successful. Only after the landlord Baudouin, originating from Nice, had watched a film on the beaches in Florida, and opened a casino with adjacent restaurant and a first class beach afterwards, the tourists started coming - and what was even more important: the first investors showed up. In the roaring 20ies the life became rather erring in Juan-les-Pin.

They used to bathe in close legless bathing suits. In 1922 the most scandalous Jazz music of America reached the Côte d´Azur and in 19931 the nudist colony on the Ile de Levant was founded.

Coco Chanel - being tanned - presented her famous No. 5 in Grasse. Up to this moment noble whiteness has been up to date. From that moment on tourism steadily increased.

Le Lavandou is a beautiful and climatically favourably convenient resort, which developed like many other resorts at the Côte d' Azur from a fisher village, but could retain its original charm. It is situated in the Department VAR.

The beaches consist contrary to most not of pebbles, but of finest sand.

Apart from the usual sports programmes such as tennis, gulf, every kind of water sports etc. you will be able to reach the world-well-known places of the Côte d´Azur and other interesting destinations in shortest time.

Bormes les Mimosas is one of Europe’s most beautiful villages and is situated approximately 3 km before Le Lavandou in the slopes of the Massif of the Maures and created its own harbour facility in the 70ies by constructing the district La Favière.