Sanary-sur-Mer, Var Département, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

🇫🇷 Sanary-sur-Mer (Sant Nari), popularly known as Sanary, is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France. Sanary-sur-Mer is located in coastal Provence on the Mediterranean Sea, 13 km (8.1 mi) west of Toulon and 49 km (30 mi) south-east of Marseille. It can be reached from Paris by TGV in less than four hours. In high season there are direct flights to nearby Toulon–Hyères Airport from London, Oslo, Brussels and Rotterdam.

History The seafront location was part of the commune of Ollioules. In the 16th century the seigneur established a fishing village here, clustered around the medieval watchtower, under the protection of "Sanct Nazari" of Lérins Abbey. The port was constructed and the harbour deepened in the mid-16th century. The little fishing port known in the Provençal dialect of Occitan (or in Provençal if considered as a distinct language) as Sant Nazari, later Sant Nàri, contracted later on as Sanàri, was finally granted its independence from Ollioules by Louis XIV of France on 10 July 1688. On 12 November 1890 it officially received its Francised name, Sanary, which was formalised and distinguished as "sur-Mer" ("on Sea") on 27 July 1923.

As a tourist rendezvous, the village underwent a strong decade of growth in the 1980s. Sanary-sur-Mer's coastline has a number of small beaches; it is an active village all year round, unlike most small towns on the Mediterranean coast. Sanary-sur-Mer is one of the sunniest places in France, with an average of only 61 days of rain, mostly in winter, as well as major solar radiation (6,156 MJ/m²/yr), comparable to Sicily. It is regularly swept by the Mistral, a strong wind coming from the Rhône Valley, which brings low humidity around 20%, gusts up to 130 km/h (81 mph), cool temperatures, sun and deep blue skies. Wind is near gale force or higher on average 115 days per year (storm force eight days per year), making Sanary a favourite destination for windsurfers. • Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié: From this chapel built in 1560 on a headland west of the town, the visitor sees a broad view over the bay of Sanary. It has a large number of ex-voto votive offerings. • Église Saint Nazaire: A Gothic Revival church of the late 19th century, Michel Pacha, architect. • Tour romane: A medieval construction, circa 1300. • Port: Sanary has a large collection of traditional wooden fishing boats, mainly the local "pointus". It also has a small fleet of artisan fishermen, who sell their catch every morning. • Portissol: The nicest beach in Sanary. • Market: Every morning there is a Provençal market under the plane trees, with much fresh produce.

Jacques Cousteau had a house in Sanary, the Villa Baobab. He was a pioneer of deep sea diving equipment, which he invented and developed around Sanary. The Frédéric Dumas International Diving Museum (Musée Frédéric-Dumas) is in a 13th-century Romanesque tower made available by the municipality; it bills itself as an historical city of diving. Frédéric Dumas was a co-inventor with Cousteau of the aqua-lung.

Sanary was the birthplace of Ernest Blanc (1923–2010), a distinguished operatic baritone who enjoyed a long international career.

Sanary hosts every year during the month of May the prestigious international photography festival PHOTOMED, now also held in parallel in Beirut.