Porquerolles

Porquerolles (aka Île de Porquerolles), is an island in the Îles d'Hyères archipelago in Var.

Understand

Port of Porquerolles

The island is a part of Port-Cros National Park.

As a matter of fact, the most of the Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le fou was shot at this island.

• 1 Bureau d'informations de Porquerolles, ☏ +33 4 94 58 33 76. Jul-Aug: M-Sa 09:00 – 18:15, Su 09:00 – 13:00; Sep-Mar: M-Sa 09:00 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 17:00, Su (Sep and Oct only) 09:00 – 13:00; Apr-Jun: M-Sa 09:00 – 17:30, Su 08:00 – 13:00. free WiFi spot (updated Jun 2015)
• 2 La Maison de Parc national à Porquerolles (House of Porquerolles National Park), maisonparcprl.pnpc@portcros-parcnational.fr. from 16 March to 15 November: 09:30-12:30, also 16 March to 29 March and from 25 October to 15 November: 13:30-17:30, 30 March to 5 July and 14 September to 24 October: 14:00-18:00, 6 July to 13 September: 14:30-18:30. (updated Jun 2015)

Get in

By boat

• From La Tour Fondue port, at Giens peninsula south of Hyeres: regular ferry service by TLV (€19.5 a return adult ticked)
• From Le Lavandou and Cavalaire-sur-Mer: April — September services by Vedettes Îles d'Or et Le Corsaire
• From La Londe-les-Maures: April — October services by Bateliers de la Côte d'Azur
• From Bormes-les-Mimosas: April - October services by Latitude Verte aboard a hybrid boat.

In July and August there are other some connections by boat from Toulon, Bandol, La Londe-les-Maures and other places.

Get around

By foot or by bicycle. It's rumoured there is also one taxi on the island.

See

Fort Sainte Agathe

• 1 Eglise Sainte Anne (church). It has a curious Way of the Cross with a knife carried by a soldier. (updated Jun 2015)
• 2 Jardin E. Lopez (E. Lopez garden) (at the edge of the village, on the road to the Lighthouse). from March 08:30-12:30, 14:00-18:00. free. (updated Jun 2015)
• 3 Fort Sainte Agathe (Info and reservations at the Park House), ☏ +33 4 94 58 07 24. Only visited by guided tours from 15 Jun to 13 Sep at 10:00, 14:00 and 16:00. There a number of forts on the island. This one is open to the public. (updated Jun 2015)
• 4 Le Moulin du Bonheur (wind mill), ☏ +33 4 94 58 07 24. Only visited by guided tours from 15 Jun to 13 Sep at 11:30, 15:30 and 17:30. (updated Jun 2015)

Do

There are a number of walking and cycling trails crossing the island. Perhaps the most popular one is South from the village to the Phare de Porquerolles (lighthouse) (closed to the public).

Outside the village there is only one bar at the plage d'Argent (W of the village), so it's worth to plan accordingly, i.e. take water, etc. with yourself.

Bicycle rent

• 1 Le Cycle Porquerollais, 1 rue de la Ferme, ☏ +33 4 94 58 30 32, cycleporquerollais@wanadoo.fr. Apr-Oct from 08:45 to 45 minutes before the last ferry departure; Nov-Mar 09:15-12:45, from 14:30 to 45 minutes before the last ferry departure. (updated Jun 2015)

Notre-Dame beach

Beaches

There are a number of nice beaches on the island, mostly along its northern coast.

• 2 Plage d'argent. (updated Jun 2015)
• 3 Plage de la Courtade. (updated Jun 2015)
• 4 Plage Notre Dame. (updated Jun 2015)
• 5 Plage de la Galère. (updated Jun 2015)
• 6 La plage blanche and La plage noire. (updated Jun 2015)

Eat

• 1 Le Pelagos, Place d'Armes, ☏ +33 4 94 58 38 63. Good reviews (updated Jun 2015)
• 2 L'Eucalyptus, 8, place d'Armes, ☏ +33 4 94 58 39 84. (updated Jun 2015)
• 3 L'Alycastre, 1, rue de la Ferme, ☏ +33 4 94 58 30 03. (updated Jun 2015)
• 4 Ailleurs, Rue de l'Artisanat, ☏ +33 4 94 58 34 28. Inexpensive family run, frequented by locals. (updated Jun 2015)
• 5 Il Pescatore, Quai Pêcheurs, ☏ +33 4 89 96 15 27. Not cheap, but good quality (updated Jun 2015)
• 6 La Calanque, Place Armes, ☏ +33 4 94 58 31 73. Fish couscous was recommended by a visitor. (updated Jun 2015)
• 7 La Plage d'Argent, Chemin de la Plage d'Argent, ☏ +33 4 94 58 32 48, laplage.porquerolles@orange.fr. A restaurant at the beach. Mixed reviews. (updated Jun 2015)
• 8 L'Olivier, Chemin du Langoustier (at the hotel 'Le Mas du Langoustier'), ☏ +33 4 94 58 30 09, info@langoustier.com. 12:30 - 14:00, 19:30 - 21:00. 1* Michelin restaurant. Cuisine: modern, creative €62 – 130. (updated Jun 2015)

Go next

Port-Cros — another island in the archipelago