Estérel Côte d'Azur it's thousands of hectares of forests, canyons, rivers and streams. A perfect destination to host dense flora and fauna in many natural sites. Learn to recognize the animal species that lives in our destination.
WARNING : The animals that you can meet during your journey are primarily wild animals. Please note these 2 advices :
What would Esterel be without its wild boars? They are numerous to inhabit its forests. You have a good chance of meeting them during your walks in the mountains. Stay alert and do not approach them.
You may have the chance to cross furtively this beautiful animal on the Estérel trails. Easily recognizable with its red coat and bushy tail, it feeds mainly on rodents and rabbits, but also insects, fish or fruits.
Introduced in the destination in the 1960s in very small numbers, a few years later, a hundred deer and red deer were counted in the Estérel. Today, their exact number is unknown, but we can hear the slab of deer at certain times of the year, hinting at its presence...
Rabbits or hares, they populate the massif of Estérel ! Although they try to escape the curiosity of the walkers, you will have great luck to meet them, especially very early in the morning or late at night (drive cautiously at night, many are approaching the roads).
More than 220 species of birds have been recorded at the Villepey ponds. Among them we find several species of raptors like the falcon pellerin. Recognizable by its modest and tapered corpulence, it has a metallic blue gray color striated on the dorsal part, and lighter on the ventral part. If you're lucky, you'll see him "dive" in the sky, a sign of an attack in mid-flight on one of his prey (small and medium-sized birds).
Yes ! You might be lucky enough to see them perched on their big pink paws at the Villepey's ponds. Step of their migration, flamingos flies there during the winter season, from October to February / April.
The European Turtle is an aquatic turtle and is one of the most endangered species in Europe! It is the subject of a National Action Plan (NAP) in France and is classified under the "Natura 2000" plan. How to act to respect this species? Do not take a turtle out of the wild, species bred in captivity should not be released and of course, do not leave any waste trapped in the wild.
Here is one of the largest rodents in the world ... It is recognizable by its four large orange incisors that allows it to feed mainly on aquatic plants, grass roots and bark. Mamifère rather nocturnal, your greatest chances of observing it are at dusk near the small stream of water in which it evolves.
In the Sanctuary it is mainly in summer, off the Mediterranean coast, that you will have the chance to observe dolphins.
It is not necessary to go to the other end of the planet to observe these great marine mammals! Although it is difficult to see, it is not uncommon to cross off one of them along the coast!
The moon fish or "mole" can measure up to 3 meters and weigh more than a ton! Impressive ... It is in full expansion on the French Mediterranean and Atlantic coast.
The dragonfly lives at the edge of ponds and rivers. His flight is silent and very fast. its presence is precious since it is a predator of mosquitoes. It is in spring and summer that you will have the best chance of seeing dragonflies on the shores of the Siagne.
The grass-snakes are considered non-venomous to humans. Nevertheless, some have venom hooks, but much less powerful than other venomous snakes
To recognize a grass-snake of a viper, there is an easy way: the grass-snake has an oval head with large scales while the viper, a triangular and flattened head with small scales. The first live near streams and the second in drier environments.
Along the Siagne are numerous cavities and caves. The bats declare domicile where they find the freshness and darkness they seek. 12 species have been identified in the territory.
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The Pays de Fayence (Fayence district) has many great provencal villages. All of them have a particularity such as the view from Mons or the artistic streets of Tourrettes. Do no forget to stop in Seillans that has the label of "Most beautiful village in France"
North of the A8 motorway, you will find the Pays de Fayence. Saint-Cassien lake, a real oasis of freshness in the Var, awaits you! Take a break at the Lake House before visiting the villages of Bagnols-en-Forêt, St-Paul-en-Forêt or Tanneron.
The city of Roquebrune-sur-Argens is the most westerly of the destination. It includes three districts: La Bouverie, at the foot of Gorges du Blavet; The village, overlooked by its magnificent rock, and Les Issambres, with its nautical activities by the sea.
Les Adrets de l'Estérel is a small town located at the extreme southeastern Var. Bordering the Maritimes Alpes, it is composed of large green forests. The town overlooks the bay of Cannes and has an exceptional view on the Lérins Islands and the Corniche de l'Estérel.
Puget sur Argens is a small village located in the middle of many wineries. Its commercial area, near the village, includes many shopping center. North of the village, the Bois du Defens give rise to several walks.
Welcome to Les Issambres, the district of Roquebrune-sur-Argens located on the coast. True paradise with its 8 km of beaches and creeks, this family seaside resort, already frequented at the time by the Romans, is located between the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and Fréjus-Saint Raphaël.
Frejus, located halfway between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, is at the heart of the Côte d'Azur. Based on a sandstone buttress of the Esterel massif, the town dominates the valleys of Argens and Reyran. Frejus has the appearance of a small Provencal town whose new districts extend to the sea.
65km from Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport, Saint-Raphaël is located between Cannes and Saint-Tropez. This seaside resort on the Mediterranean coast is at the bottom of the great Esterel mountains. Saint Raphael, whose city center is by the sea, is divided into different neighborhoods that have all their characteristics and their personalities.
