Le Mourillon
Just two kilometres east of the city centre, Le Mourillon feels like a separate village — a relaxed residential quarter of Art Deco villas, shaded squares and four consecutive sandy beaches that are the best urban swimming spots in the Var. This is where Toulonnais actually go to the beach.
The Four Beaches
Plages du Mourillon run in sequence — Plage de la Mitre, Plage des Pins, Plage de la Garonne and Plage de l'Eguillette — each with its own micro-personality, from the family-friendly shallows near the sailing club to the quieter eastern cove popular with snorkellers.
The water is clear and sheltered by the headland, and the promenade behind the beaches is wide enough for cyclists, joggers and strollers to coexist without friction.
Fort Saint-Louis and the Waterfront
The 17th-century Fort Saint-Louis guards the entrance to the quarter and its honey-coloured ramparts make a dramatic backdrop for an evening walk along the coastal path. The fort is still partially military but the seaward walls are freely accessible.
The promenade curves around to the small marina at Les Sablettes, where a string of restaurants serve grilled fish and moules-frites at tables that are practically in the water.
Eating and Drinking in Mourillon
The village square, Place de l'Eguillette, is ringed with café terraces that fill up after the beach crowd drifts in around 13:00. Look for restaurants serving oursinades — sea-urchin tastings — in winter, a local tradition unique to this stretch of coast.
A cluster of independent ice-cream parlours on Rue de la Mitre compete fiercely on flavour; the fig-and-honey and the melon-sorbet are both distinctly Provençal and worth the queue.
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