oldest and most southerly resort and spa on the French Riviera, in the Var département, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région, east of Toulon. The new town of Hyères, sometimes called Hyères-les-Palmiers because of the beautiful palm trees in its wide avenues, is situated 3 miles (5 km) from the coast at the west end of the Riviera. It began to gain repute as a health and winter tourism resort in the 18th century. Sheltered from the mistral, a violent, cold, dry, northerly wind that blows in the region, it lies beneath a hill on the slopes of which the old feudal town is located. It belonged successively to the Greeks of Marseille, the Romans, the lords of Fos and Marseille, and the counts of Provence, and was given to the king of France in 1481. It was the residence of several kings of France. In the 13th century Louis IX (Saint Louis), returning to France from the Seventh Crusade, landed at Hyères when it was still a seaport. Hyères-Plage, 4 miles (6 km) south-southeast of the town, consisting of a sand beach on the border of a pine wood, is among the numerous seaside resorts located in the vicinity either on the coast or on the offshore islands, called the Hyères, including the islands of Porquerolles, Port-Cros (designated a national park in 1963), and the Levant. Hyères is also linked to the Presqu'île de Giens, and much of this area is now given over to campsites. The coastal zone in general is renowned for its wide range of water sports. Although a tourist region, Hyères also lies at the centre of a rich agricultural area, where fruits and flowers are grown and wine is produced. The town is linked to the national highway network, and there is a local airport with direct connections to Paris. Pop. (1999) 51,417; (2005 est.) 53,200.