Discover the Golden Isles from Les Mèdes

The Golden Isles

Tourism

The Golden Islands

Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Ile du Levant

Once upon a time, a prince named Olbianus, lord of Olbia (Hyères), had four daughters of incomparable beauty. One day, as they were bathing in the open sea, a pirate ship appeared. In despair, the father begged the gods to prevent their abduction. The princesses felt their limbs freeze and turn to stone. The three farthest sisters formed the Golden Isles, while the youngest, near the shore, became the Giens peninsula. These islands are said to have retained the breathtaking beauty of the princesses.

Detached from the Chaîne des maures long ago, the îles d'Or, formerly known as the «Stoechades» (the aligned ones), close the Hyères roadstead to the south. The archipelago, which includes Porquerolles, Port Cros and Ile du Levant, extends over a length of 22 kilometers and includes a number of islets. The name "Golden Islands" was given to them during the Renaissance, probably because the micaschists in their rocks have a golden sheen in certain light conditions.

Destination

A protected archipelago now a National Park

Inhabited since prehistoric times, more than half of the archipelago is now protected by the Port-Cros National Park, responsible for safeguarding the exceptional land and sea heritage of this small corner of the Mediterranean.

Marked trails and nature walks

During your stay in Porquerolles, take time out to visit Port-Cros. The smallest of the three Golden Islands is also the most mountainous and unspoilt. It can be explored on foot along small marked trails, and owes its current name to the hollow shape of its little port!

Since 1963, the entire island has been designated a National Park and, uniquely in Europe, includes a 600-metre maritime zone around its shores. In extraordinarily clear water, an underwater «circuit» is marked out in the manner of a long-distance hiking trail.

A preserved sanctuary

A veritable natural sanctuary, it's sure to delight hiking enthusiasts. Along the marked botanical trail, you can admire dense scrubland, pine and oak forests, as well as numerous forts that bear witness to the island's history.

Along the way, you're sure to spot gulls, cormorants and gannets. If you like diving, don't forget your flippers and snorkel, as there's a superb underwater trail where you'll discover posidonia, red gorgonians, mother-of-pearl, groupers and other multicolored girelles.

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