Les Issambres
Encyclopedia
Roquebrune-sur-Argens
Roquebrune-sur-Argens is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies not far from the cities of Draguignan and Fréjus. It consists of three smaller villages: the village of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, La Bouverie and Les Issambres...
. It stretches along 8 km of inlets and fine sandy beaches. Its incarnation as a resort took place in the 1930s with the development of Hotel La Résidence (now named Hôtel club Vacanciel des Issambres) above the La Garonette Beach. Clearly conspicuous from the sea it is located in the valley Val d' Esquieres that Les Issambres share with the commune of Sainte Maxime. Eastwards on the beach is the sailing center with boat rentals and a sailing school, a protected boat harbour with some marine shops, dive center and restaurants. There is a ferry Les Bateaux Verts
Les Bateaux Verts
Les Bateaux Verts is a ferry company operating a service between Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime, Port Grimaud and Les Issambres....
that takes passengers to the Sainte Maxime harbour or Saint Tropez.
On August 15, 1944, the beaches of Saint Tropez, Sainte Maxime and Les Issambres were at the center of Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion and liberation of Southern France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. US Delta Force from 93rd Evac landed there. Just by the beach entrance to La Garonette there is a memorial of the beach landing honoring the US troops. The sailing centre is named La Batterie as it was the location of a German artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
.
Further to the east is the village San-Peïre sur mer that has grown gradually after WW2. This is really the centre of the destination with shops, restaurants, hotels, promenade, village beach and a town square with a Monday outdoor market, post and tourist office. Continuing eastwards there is a winding coastline with creeks, rocks and "calanques" versus Saint- Aygulf (Fréjus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
commune). There are numerous nature trails including a coastline trail leading to a 2000-year-old Roman fishpond. Many private houses are climbing up the mountain hills. However virtually all buildings – including hotels – keep a low profile to the contrary to locations further east on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
.