With an abundance of port options on a 432-kilometer long coast, the region of Var is an important spot for both yachts and cruise ships.

Among 12 cruise ports, the region is expecting around 230 cruise calls and over 200,000 guests this year, said Julie Bensadoun, communication officer for the Var Provence Cruise Club.

Var manages to offer completely different port experiences along its coast. The highlight is Toulon, which can host ships of any size and is used as a turn port for the Costa neoRiviera.

Outside of Toulon, calls see ships anchoring at the region’s ports, meaning most calls come from smaller vessels.

This year, the world-famous port of Saint-Tropez will host 108 cruise calls and approximately 60,700 passengers, including ships from Azamara, Seabourn, Viking and Hapag-Lloyd.

Other ports around the coast see more modest cruise traffic.

“In Cavalaire and in Frejus, we got our very first calls last year,” added Bensadoun.

She added that the cruise club was active in developing new tours in all ports.

Looking ahead, cruise operators are interested in major events, Bensadoun said, including the Formula 1 race at Paul Ricard.

In Toulon, opportunities include the opera house, which can be opened in line with a ship visit with enough notice.

The next big project the Cruise Club is eyeing is to develop Var-specific itineraries for small ships.

“Var has ports which are different enough, and they can be on the same itinerary,” Bensadoun said.