"L'île de Porquerolles" Île de Porquerolles by ranger49

Île de Porquerolles Travel Guide: 38 reviews and 103 photos

Not too many on the beach - Île de Porquerolles

A little bit of paradise.

A year or two ago there was a spate of articles in the Travel Supplements extolling the beauty of the "10 best undiscovered islands".
One of them was Porquerolles, the largest off Les Iles d'ors which lie off the Provence coast from Hyeres.

I had to smile because our first visit had been more than 20 years before when Paul,one of the younger members in the family, renamed it Porky Rolls and which, to the family, it remains to this day.

We decided to explore the island on foot rather than to hire a bicycle from the small square we came to almost as soon as we landed.
We knew that the island had once had a military use but was now under government protection because of of it unique climate and variety of flora and fauna. No motor vehicles were allowed and building development strictly controlled.

So we walked and enjoyed this little island paradise until we decided to have our picnic on a deserted beach shaded by pine trees. Swimming in the Mediterranean was perfect - and my husband swore it cured an infected insect bite.
And there we stayed until it was time to make our way back to the ferry. A few days later we returned with others and again the following year.
The young man who christened the island Porky Rolls returned last summer and reported far more people,a helcopter seen to land at an hotel that claims a Michelin* restaurant

Leaving La Tour Fondue, Hyeres

"Discovering" this lovely little island - a protected nature site, had not involved any strenuous exercise or other feats of endurance. It was mentioned in the tattered, out of date guide book we had and promoted on posters to be seen around Hyeres. That was the closest town to the villa in which we were staying in the hills above La Londe-les-Maures. Our large family group was spending a day when we split off to do our own thing - something we all agreed to be necessary . We did not want to go far so decided to take the ferry from Hyeres and spend the day on the island. First we stocked up for a picnic then parked the car in the harbour and boarded the ferry at La Tour Fondue for the 15-20 minute journey

Healing Waters?

We decided to explore the island on foot rather than to hire a bicycle from the small square we came to almost as soon as we landed.
We knew that the island had once had a military use but was now under government protection because of of it unique climate and variety of flora and fauna. No motor vehicles were allowed and building development strictly controlled.No camping was llowed and accommodation very limited and unobtrusive.
We walked and enjoyed this little island paradise until it was time to have our picnic on a deserted beach shaded by pine trees. Swimming in the Mediterranean was perfect - and my husband swore it cured an infected insect bite.
And there we stayed until it was time to make our way back to the ferry. A few days later we returned with others and again the following year.
A nephew, the young man who christened the island Porky Rolls returned last summer with his own small children. He reported far more people,a helicopter seen to land at an hotel that claims a Michelin* restaurant, more hotels and cafes but still a protected environment and not utterly spoilt.

Last visit to Île de Porquerolles: Sep 1993
Intro Updated Feb 2, 2010
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Reviews (5)

Have a bit of Rest and Relaxation - Île de Porquerolles

Have a bit of Rest and Relaxation Things to Do (2)

We had had our fill of serious sightseeing and escaping to the tranquillity of the island on a couple of days was just... more travel advice

Not a shoppers delight - Île de Porquerolles

Not a shoppers delight Shopping (1)

What you see in the picture was almost the full range of shopping experiences when we were there. We were glad that we... more travel advice

Bikes in the shade near a beach. - Île de Porquerolles

Only two ways to get around Transportation (2)

Cycles and Shank's Pony. We did it the old way and walked - though there were plenty of cycle hire places near the tree... more travel advice

On the Ferry from La Tour Fondue - Île de Porquerolles

Ferry to a mini paradise Transportation (2)

In 1991/2 It cost 22 F. to park for a full day day at the harbour and 62 F. for a return ticket to the island (I kept... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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balhannah Sep 5, 2012 at 3:42 PM

Lovely! I would know I would enjoy walking around here, I just hope that one day, paradise isn't spoilt altogether.
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JLBG Nov 3, 2011 at 9:08 PM

Yes, Porquerolles remains a kind of little paradise and there is no need to walk a long way to find some wilderness! However, the farthest you go, the best!
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micas_pt Jun 18, 2010 at 8:06 AM

Barbara, such nice tips. "Porky Rolls" seems to be a beautiful place. :)