Tanneron and Esterel massif, our emerald forests
Mandelieu-La Napoule, at the gates of the Var and next to Cannes is located between the both massif of the Esterel and Tanneron where the mimosa forest stretches out as far as we can see. Earth of Mimosa, Mandelieu-La Napoule that seduced the Russian and English aristocracy at the end of the 19 th century is now a tourist seaside resort with a lot of richness.
First Golf destination of the French Riviera, the town has two Golf Courses including the oldest of the Riviera created in 1891 by the Tsar nephew.
The numerous and large green spaces attract the nature lovers: On horseback, on foot, on mountain bike in the red paths of Esterel, along the river or by the sea… Sport in our town reconciles nature and discovery.

The Mimosa, our winter sun…
Since many decades, Mandelieu-La Napoule lives at the rate of the mimosa blooming, in love with its yellow clusters that was born in Australia and was introduced in the middle of the 19th century in the Esterel and Tanneron massif. Every winter, frome January to March, the nature wakes up to offer a landscape with captivating scents. As a joke to winter, the hills and gardens light up with gold and spread an unforgettable perfume when the mimosa is blooming.
That flowering period symbolizing the sun in winter is celebrated every year in February by a festival rich in tradition and local folklore which warms up the hearts and the eyes

The Mimosa saga
It took extremely well to local conditions and very soon, horticulturists and gardeners realised that there was money to be made from Mimosa. They harvested it in bouquets to sell as cut flowers.
Season after season the number of mimosa growers multiplied beyond belief. Mandelieu turned its back on jasmine and fruit trees in favour of cultivating Mimosa. Markets developed and wagon loads of mimosa set out from Cannes and La Napoule railway stations each day on their way to the north of France and foreign lands.
Fashions changed and new flowers from all over the globe arrive on the market. The mimosa's short life was a handicap until the discovery of Chrysal powder in 1967 – it revolutionised the profession and extended the life of a mimosa bloom to 8 days.
Coming back from school, a little girl gathered a bouquet of mimosa not opened for her mother. Not to distress her, she put the bouquet in a vase and placed it in the laundry. The day after, she had the good surprise to find it totally opened. A gardener from Cannes La Bocca had raked all the cut branches of a mimosa tree and put them on a dunghill. The day after, thanks to the night dampness and to the hotness of the dung, the mimosa was opened.
13 February 1929 saw the first catastrophe in the history of mimosa: temperatures of -9°C . The trees froze. It took two years to get production back on the road. To celebrate, Mandelieu organised the first Mimosa Festival on 16 February 1931, chaired by its mayor, Monsieur Gandolphe. Half of the profits were donated to the poor of Cannes and Mandelieu. Because of its history, mimosa has become the symbol of the commune of Mandelieu-La Napoule today. Thanks to its co-operative organisation, it remains one of the rare towns to cultivate and market cut mimosa. The inhabitants, during the mimosa festival, decorate voluntary the floats the night before the festival.
* Today, 8 millions bouquets are sent by the local « mimosists » all around the world.

Estérel mountains
The red rocks and green vegetation of the Esterel mountains are reflected in a blaze of colour, where they plunge into the turquoise blue waters of the sea.
Made of volcanic rocks, the Esterel massif reaches a height of 614 m above the Mediterranean.
Located between Mandelieu-La Napoule and St Raphaël, the mountains are covered by forested estates with 250 miles of roads, tracks and marked footpaths to wander. The rest is communal forest and private land.
This forested coastal massif, which marks the border between the Var and the Alpes Maritimes, shelters some beautiful and unspoiled natural areas. You can discover it via the famous seaside road " la Corniche d'Or " or along the many miles of tracks and footpaths that allow walkers to venture into the heart of the forested domain. From Mandelieu, you can access the Massif via the "Porte des Trois Termes".
There are several themed walks which take you across the mountains, or you could just make your own way to discover the magnificent mountain landscapes.