A short distance from the Var coast, the largest of the Hyères islands with its 7 km long and 2.5 km wide from north to south - 1 250 hectares -, a true local paradise, is still as attractive as ever. However, if it is better to come outside the summer period to enjoy all its beauty, summer is still very pleasant. On the island, the northern coast is the most welcoming, with many sandy beaches bordered by pine forests and scrublands planted with broom, heather, myrtle and strawberry trees. The south coast is steeper, more rugged, while the interior is sparsely populated. But the most pleasant thing is surely to have the possibility of easily travelling by bicycle and on foot throughout the island.
A little history...
We know the island well today, given the extent of its tourist activity in season, but we know less about its glorious past. In ancient times, the island was part of an archipelago mentioned in Greek mythology - the Stoechades -, and Ulysses even ended his days on the island of Porquerolles - at least according to legend. A few centuries later, the monks of Lérins settled in a fortified settlement on the heights - 5th century -, then the island would not escape the Saracens, barbarians and pirates, like the rest of coastal Provence - 8th-9th centuries. But Porquerolles has not yet filled up with his misfortunes. Charles V's troops ravaged the island in 1535. In the 17th century, Richelieu launched a programme of fortifications and the construction of forts on the island, but this did not prevent it from being pillaged by the British and Dutch. In 1810, Napoleon reinforced the garrisons of Porquerolles. Soldiers returning from colonial wars, taking advantage of the particular climate, come to be treated. At the end of the 19th century, a new scourge ravaged the island, fire. An uncontrolled fire devastates more than half of its surface area. In 1905, the Compagnie foncière took possession of the island with a view to transforming it into a farm, but less than ten years later it went bankrupt and the island was auctioned to François-Joseph Fournier who, having made his fortune by discovering one of the largest gold veins in Mexico, bought it for one million francs and offered it to his wife as a gift from mariage ! The Fournier era then began on the island. All the inhabitants are employed in wine production - important with 12,000 hectolitres per year -, market gardening or fruit growing - with citrus fruit, grapefruit, mandarins... -, or as craftsmen or servants at the service of the Fournier company. The island practices a kind of community life and operates in self-sufficiency. A small power plant supplies the farm and the streets of the village. A cooperative provides food and clothing for the inhabitants at the lowest rates. This golden age ended with the death of François-Joseph Fournier in 1935 and the beginning of the war in 1939. Three years later the island was under Italian and German occupation the following year. She was liberated on August 22, 1944 by Senegalese skirmishers. In 1971, the French State bought a large part of the island, thus protecting it from untimely concreting and giving it to Port-Cros National Park, which manages it. Since 1979, the Porquerolles Botanical Conservatory has been safeguarding Mediterranean flora and, thanks to the island's sanitary isolation, it has preserved collections of fruit genetic resources protected from pathogens that ravage fruit trees. Today, the village of Porquerolles is almost a hamlet, with some hotels and restaurants, some fishermen's houses around the Place d'Armes, and a very small marina
Some visits..
It is absolutely necessary to go for a walk on the cliff promenade. This trail, which sometimes rises and sometimes falls almost to water level, allows you to observe beautiful landscapes. Then, you will have to take a look at the lighthouse, built in 1830 and one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern tip of the island
To learn more about the history of the island of Var, head for Fort Saint-Agathe. Built during the 16th century under Francis I, it dominates the small village and the port. Its trapezoidal rampart is surmounted by a large tower, an old cannon tower that has been refurbished over the centuries. The fort now houses a permanent exhibition retracing the history of Porquerolles and the actions of the Port-Cros National Park. Of the 1,800 hectares of this maritime park, 1,000 hectares are located on the island of Porquerolles. Port-Cros, the most mountainous island in the archipelago, is home to a national underwater and land park that is unique in Europe. Beautifully wooded with Aleppo pines and eucalyptus trees, the park is endowed with an exceptional marine fauna. It was created on December 14, 1963. It is the pioneer of marine parks. Covering an area of 700 hectares of land and 1,800 hectares of sea, it plays an emblematic role in the Mediterranean. Located between Porquerolles and the island of Levant, Port-Cros is the smallest of the three golden islands in the Gulf of Hyères. From its rich historical past and especially its defensive vocation, there remain five forts, one of which is open to the public in the summer season: the Estissac fort. For the bravest who are not afraid of walking, the view from the top of the forts is breathtaking. For forty years, the entire island has been a national park and includes, unique in Europe, a 600-metre maritime zone around its shores.
... but especially the beach!
Back to Porquerolles, because how can we not mention the beaches that are the main attraction of the island? The clarity of the water, the richness of the seabed, populated by Posidonia meadows and the total absence of pollution, make this island one of the last terrestrial paradises on the French Riviera. If you are looking to escape the crowd, the black beach at the tip of Le Langoustier, 3 kilometres from the village, is the ideal place to relax in complete peace of mind. The other main beach of the island, the silver beach, is more populated because of its restaurant on the sea, but remains very beautiful. It really feels like swimming in the Caribbean Sea! So, we put flip-flops and jerseys in his bag and book his tickets!
Smart info
When? When? As soon as the sun comes out. Obviously, May-June and September-October are more recommended than July-August to escape the crowd of holidaymakers
Getting there. To get to Porquerolles in the direction of Hyères, in the Var, by car, train or plane (Hyères-Toulon for the TGV and the plane). Then, you must take a shuttle from TVM to the Tour-Fondue (possibility to leave your car in one of the three paid parking lots).
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Useful. To prepare your escapade as well as possible.
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