The harbor of Hyères occupies a strategic position from a military point of view. As such, it has been subjected to multiple constructions of batteries, fortifications, and blockhouses (batteries of Cap des Mèdes, Estérel, or Badine). They aimed at controlling navigation in the passes between the Giens peninsula and the Golden Islands, the anchoring ban in the bay of Salins, and protecting the harbor of Toulon. The large quantity of cannonballs found in the area testifies to the trials made by gunners on the cliffs and even the beaches.