Discovering the Var with Gérard Jugnot: A Journey through Nature, Food, and Environmental Causes

There is no need to introduce this great French comedian, actor and director, who spans the decades brilliantly. For “Mon Côté Sud”, Gérard Jugnot tells us about his favorite places in the Var, a department he has visited regularly for more than 30 years.

Hyères, Porquerolles, Giens Peninsula, Port-Cros, by boat or by swimming, Gérard Jugnot surveys this territory that he loves so much, both family-friendly and preserved.

Knowledge of the Var lands for Gérard Jugnot also involves good culinary addresses. Between frankness and loyalty, the restaurateurs that Gérard Jugnot meets become friends, like Gérard Tisserand, manager of “L’plac” in Hyères.

Both lovers of coves and good food, they go “Chez Jo” in Cavaliere. An almost waterfront institution for seafood lovers. For Gérard Jugnot, the little extra of this place is that here, we preserve the environment. To get there, especially no motorboats, wooden boats shuttle from the open sea to reach this little corner of paradise…

Sensitive to the environmental cause, Gérard Jugnot is interested in the biodiversity that surrounds him and the eco-gestures that are practiced to preserve it.

He then went to the Pesquiers saltworks. Damaged by industrialization at the beginning of the 20th century, the Pesquiers saltworks, now owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, does everything possible to cultivate salt in the tradition and create animal and plant life. This large wetland is now home to birds, including the famous pink flamingo, but also fish, insects, foxes and no less than 300 species of plants.

Gérard Jugnot loves nature and this is one of the reasons why he came to settle in the Var. To get a little closer, he goes to the island of Port-Cros where everything is done to conserve natural marine and land spaces.

Head to Fort Estissac to admire the view. From the top, an exceptional panorama of the island and the Port-Cros national park awaits us. For an even more in-depth discovery of Port-Cros, Gérard Jugnot takes the underwater path which runs along the islet of Rascas. Underwater panels allow you to understand the marine life and identify the species present. As with a hiking trail or a museum visit, a guide is available in summer to accompany tourists in their discovery.

In Var, Gérard Jugnot does not just rest. When causes that are close to his heart come together around the same project, he is not asked to participate. This is how he became the godfather of the Porquerolles Film Festival. A young event which has been competing for four years with films on ecology.

The festival also focuses on environmental awareness for and by young people. This is how it has offered the Ecotubeurs prize since 2021: pupils and students are invited to make their own film, with a smartphone, on the theme of ecology.

My South Side with Gérard Jugnot
Sunday November 12 at 12:55 p.m.
Executive production 13 productions