Porquerolles, France
Porquerolles Island, together with the island of Port-Cros and île du Levant, belong to the îles d'Hyères Archipelago, also knows as the îles d'or (Golden Islands).
Situated just off France’s Mediterranean coast, between Toulon and Saint-Tropez, Porquerolles is a little corner of paradise with dreamy beaches, where nature has been preserved by strict environmental protection laws, where the only noise is that of the cicadas, the rustle of the breeze, and the gentle waves.
All this just a few minutes ferry-ride from the boisterous and sophisticated cities along the Azure Coast.
Porquerolles Island
Porquerolles is the biggest of the three islands of the archipelago, is shaped like a bow (or a croissant...) and measures seven kilometers long by three kilometers wide.
Along the north coast, amid the sweetest of landscapes you find many white sand beaches and maritime pine forests that come all the way up to sea, which is azure and as crystal clear as seen only in very few other places in the Mediterranean.
The slopes of the southern side of the island are a bit harsher and wilder, with their rocky bluffs and small coves reachable only via perilous trails.
The small village of Porquerolles is located on the northern coast and sprawls out from the port and from the Place d’Armes – the village square where the few island locals play petanque and where the height of sophistication is sitting at one of the small open-air cafés sipping a pastis as an aperitif.
What really makes Porquerolles Island special is, without a doubt, the fact that it’s one of the most protected places in the world from an environmental perspective.
Strict rules such as the prohibition on driving automobiles, building, camping, and even on smoking outside allow for the conservation of one of the most fascinating landscapes of the Mediterranean and for its protection from the risks of tourism and accidents.