The Golden Islands

Did you think that to discover an island paradise you had to travel to the ends of the earth? Not at all! Located just a stone’s throw from your Clair de Lune campsite, the Îles d’Or welcome you to a breathtaking setting.

Where are the Îles d’Or?

Located off the Giens peninsula, the Îles d’Hyères are also known as the Îles d’Or. They comprise Porquerolles,Port-Cros andIle du Levant. Each has its own unique beauty and is surrounded by the clear, azure waters of the Mediterranean.

These French islands belong to the PACA region, and more specifically to the Var department. The island of Port-Cros and a large half of the island ofPorquerolles are part of the Port-Cros National Park. The park covers an area of 1,800 hectares and includes several rocky islets. It is the only national park on French territory to include both land and sea.

How to get to the Îles d’Or?

You won’t be surprised to learn that to get to the Îles d’Or, you need to take a shuttle. It takes around 20 minutes to reach Porquerolles from Tour Fondue in Giens. The shuttle leaves every day of the year, but timetables vary according to the season.

The crossing to the island of Port-Cros generally takes an hour, and is made from the port of Hyères. As for Ile du Levant, it takes an hour and a half on average. There are also circuits linking these two islands. These inter-island crossings only take place during the summer season.

The history of the Îles d’Or

Legend has it that a king had four beautiful daughters who loved to swim. One day, while they were at sea, a ship full of pirates appeared in the distance. The king, fearing for his daughters’ lives, prayed to the gods to save them. The three daughters furthest from the shore were transformed into islands, while the one closest to the shore reached out to her father and became the peninsula of Giens. Even today, it is said, the beauty of the princesses lives on in these sublime islands.

The true history of the Îles d’Hyères is no less fascinating. In turn, they were inhabited by Celts, Ligurians and Etruscans. Then came the Greeks and Romans, who colonized the land and left their mark. Over time, each king and emperor built monuments such as the Fort du Moulin erected by François 1er at Port-Cros. Today, the nature of the islands is protected, and many visitors come here to hike or sunbathe every year.