Îles D’Hyères Overview

Three exotic, underpopulated islands—Porquerolles, Île du Levant, and Port-Cros—lie off the coast between the chic resort of St-Tropez and the metropolis of Toulon. The coastal town of Hyères and the adjacent Giens peninsula serve as good—if expensive—bases for visiting the islands, which Henri II nicknamed the Îles d’Or (Golden Islands) for the way the shale rocks glow in the sun. Today, things look mostly bronze, thanks to the miles of unspoiled beaches and coves that allow for some of the region’s best nude sunbathing.

Ferries to the three islands depart from the Port d’Hyères or from the gare maritime at La Tour Fondue on the Giens peninsula. From the bus or train station in Hyères, catch bus #67 (dir.: Ports; €1.70) to either the port or La Tour Fondue or take the less frequent #63 to the port. TLV and TVM ferries are the cheapest way to get to the islands (☎04 94 57 44 07 or 58 95 14 for service to Porquerolles, 57 44 07 for service to Port-Cros or Île du Levant; www.tlv-tvm.com). Ferries to Port-Cros (1hr.) and Île du Levant (1hr.) leave from Port d’Hyères. (Boats depart July-Aug. 8:15, 9:30, 11am, 2:30pm; Sept.-June usually 8:15, 9:30am. Call ahead or get a schedule from the tourist office. To both islands €27, ages 4-10 €24; to 1 island €24/21.) Ferries to Porquerolles leave from La Tour Fondue. (20min; July-Aug. every ½-1hr. 7:30am-7pm; Sept.-June every hr. €16, ages 4-10 €14.) Vedettes Îles d’Or et Le Corsaire offers shuttles between the islands as well as connections to nearby ports, including St-Tropez. (☎04 94 71 01 02. Boats depart from Port-Cros for Île du Levant 10:15am, 12:15, 5:15pm. €8.) If you’ve missed the last ferry and the idea of spending a night in a nudist colony doesn’t have you shedding your inhibitions—and clothes—call a boat taxi to rescue you (☎06 09 52 31 19).