Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, the country by the sea

To the far west of the Var, equidistant from Marseille and Toulon, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer offers the charm of a well-preserved seaside town between sea and country.

When staying in Les Lecques in the early 19th century, Alphonse de Lamartine was drawn by the bay of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer which he described as “a miniature version of the bay of Naples”. Lying between the hills of Cap de l’Aigle and the mountain of Les Baumettes, the beaches of Les Lecques, La Madrague and Le Port d’Alon are some of the most pleasant in the département, and the pride of this commune with almost 12,000 residents. Saint-Cyr can be split into three areas : wild or cultivated land, Les Lecques with its sandy beaches, and the neighbourhood around the sailing harbour. Popular among fans of watersports and especially adepts of underwater diving, Saint-Cyr has treated itself to good sports infrastructures. The local economy revolves around farming activities with the production of fruit and vegetables, and the exploitation of about 865 acres of vines for AOC Côtes de Provence and Bandol wines. Local families appreciate its pleasant life-style, the omnipresence of protected nature, the Provençal market, and the quality of school infrastructures, such as the public schools of Le Petit Prince, Manon des Sources, and the private Don Bosco school.

It was here that Charles Tardy, an independent estate-agent, set down his bags in 2005. Formerly a professional in show business, he now hunts down outstanding properties via his agency Charles Immobilier Partenaires in a catchment area stretching from Marseille to Saint-Tropez. High-level sportsmen, captains of industry, renowned architects and stars of the large and small screens entrust him with the assignment of unearthing a pleasant holiday home or building land in a prime location. “A number of my clients are leaving Saint-Tropez with the aim of moving to larger towns with easy access. Saint-Cyr has several sound arguments to convince them,” explains our expert, who searches for ideal locations for his clients with budgets ranging from 700,000 to 4 million euros. “Over the past two years, the prices of some properties have seen a slight decline, of about 5 %. Though that does not apply to outstanding examples which, even when they post high prices, are below the levels seen in Sanary and Bandol.” His most recent sales include a contemporary villa with a pool. Offering 4 bedrooms, a ground-floor master suite and a vast lounge of 30 m2 with a hearth, it has just fallen into the lap of a young couple of doctors, who paid 700,000 €.

”The town centre also proposes numerous properties of quality,” says Jean-Philippe Vecchio, manager of the Immobilier de Bord de Mer agency in La Cadière d’Azur. He gives the example of a Provençal-style villa with a few Venetian touches close to the Town-hall. Offering living space of 220 m2 in 2,000 m2 of grounds and a lovely sea view, it is currently up for sale at 1,190,000 €. “The main brake in this sector is the fact that many sellers insist on setting prices above the market. This slows down the flow of transactions and it’s not rare that properties which may be impeccable remain on the market for up to two years if their owners do not need to sell quickly,” regrets our specialist. He adds that most transactions are now concluded at prices 5 to 8 % lower on average than those actually posted.