{"id":13343,"date":"2024-11-25T12:22:25","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/blog\/ile-du-levant-paradis-des-naturistes-et-des-arbousiers-a-hyeres\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T09:10:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T08:10:37","slug":"ile-du-levant-paradise-of-naturists-and-arbutus-trees-in-hyeres","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/blog\/ile-du-levant-paradise-of-naturists-and-arbutus-trees-in-hyeres\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00cele du Levant and its history"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"fildariane\"><a class=\"fildariane__item\" href=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/\">Acampa<\/a><span class=\"fc-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"  viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\"><!--! Font Awesome Pro 6.4.2 by @fontawesome - https:\/\/fontawesome.com License - https:\/\/fontawesome.com\/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2023 Fonticons, Inc.--><path d=\"M267.3 244.7c6.2 6.2 6.2 16.4 0 22.6l-160 160c-6.2 6.2-16.4 6.2-22.6 0s-6.2-16.4 0-22.6L233.4 256 84.7 107.3c-6.2-6.2-6.2-16.4 0-22.6s16.4-6.2 22.6 0l160 160z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"fildariane__item\">\u00cele du Levant and its history<\/span><\/nav><a class=\"fildariane__item retour\" href=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/\"\"><span class=\"fc-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"  viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\"><!--! Font Awesome Pro 6.4.2 by @fontawesome - https:\/\/fontawesome.com License - https:\/\/fontawesome.com\/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2023 Fonticons, Inc.--><path d=\"M7.4 273.4C2.7 268.8 0 262.6 0 256s2.7-12.8 7.4-17.4l176-168c9.6-9.2 24.8-8.8 33.9 .8s8.8 24.8-.8 33.9L83.9 232 424 232c13.3 0 24 10.7 24 24s-10.7 24-24 24L83.9 280 216.6 406.6c9.6 9.2 9.9 24.3 .8 33.9s-24.3 9.9-33.9 .8l-176-168z\"\/><\/svg><\/span>Back to home page<\/a>\n<h1>\u00cele du Levant: a paradise for naturists and arbutus lovers in Hy\u00e8res<\/h1><p>Ile du Levant is world-famous for its naturist beach and its Heliopolis estate. You can also visit the Domaine des arbousiers nature reserve and the rustic village, which has no street lighting or neon signs. <\/p><div class=\"columns\"><div class=\"columns__item\"><h2>History and geography of Levant Island<\/h2><p>Located to the east of the Hy\u00e8res archipelago, Ile du Levant stretches over 8 km. It is 2 km wide and rises to a height of 140 m. It is separated from Port-Cros by the kilometre-wide Passe des Grottes. The island&#8217;s eastern position earned it its original name, as it was a place where you could admire splendid sunrises.   <\/p><p>The shuttles dock at the small port of l&#8217;Ayguade, from where the Val d&#8217;Ayguade path leads to the village. The village has retained its rustic character, with no poles, street lighting or illuminated signs. It can accommodate its guests with the utmost comfort, but the flashlight, along with the &#8220;minimum&#8221; or pareo, are part of the panoply of the perfect &#8220;petit Levantin&#8221;.  <\/p><p>But it&#8217;s a real village, with its own town hall, post office, chapel built by the locals, and shops. Around a hundred people live here year-round. <\/p><p>In the past, the island was part of religious estates that cultivated it. It changed ownership several times before being plundered and ravaged by the English in 1793. <\/p><p>It was then abandoned for many years, until it was used for military operations, notably under Napoleon.<\/p><p>Since then, 80% of the island&#8217;s surface area has been dedicated to military activities and remains inaccessible.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"columns__item\" style=\"align-self:center;\"><figure><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 210px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 420px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 850px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 1024px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" media=\"(min-width: 1025px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/france-3234608_1280-380x395-1.jpg.webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"210\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/picture><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"columns\"><div class=\"columns__item\" style=\"align-self:center;\"><figure><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 210px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 420px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 850px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" media=\"(max-width: 1024px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" media=\"(min-width: 1025px)\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ile-du-levant.jpg.webp\" width=\"420\" height=\"210\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/picture><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"columns__item\" style=\"align-self:center;\"><h2>Heliopolis naturist beach<\/h2><p>In 1931, brothers Gaston and Andr\u00e9 Durville created the first naturist domain in the Mediterranean. They chose this spot for its tranquility and wilderness. Since then, the Heliopolis estate has become world-famous. In summer, it welcomes naturists from all over the world.   <\/p><p>The sea here is crystal-clear and unpolluted. The seabed is magnificent, offering an unforgettable spectacle for diving enthusiasts. <\/p><p>Naturism is free everywhere except in public places, the port and the village square. It is even compulsory on the naturist beach and along the seafront, by municipal decree. <\/p><p>However, no one&#8217;s going to stop you disembarking in the Levant and strolling around clothed outside the zones where nudity is the rule. But when the weather&#8217;s fine, you&#8217;ll have to accept the nudity of others. In the off-season, no one will reproach you for coming clothed.  <\/p><\/div><\/div><h2>Domaine des Arbousiers<\/h2><p>The island of Le Levant abounds in unspoilt wilderness. The island is covered in abundant vegetation, and its arbutus trees are among the finest in Mediterranean Europe. These are small shrubs with reddish bark and round, red fruits, typical of the garrigue.  <\/p><p>The Domaine des Arbousiers has been a voluntary nature reserve since 1993. It offers tourists a multitude of scents. The flora of the 20-hectare site is jealously protected, and you can breathe in the many fragrances specific to the garrigue: rosemary, thyme, savory, rockrose and myrtle, which exudes a sweet, honeyed scent.  <\/p><p>The entire island is part of the Natura 2000 network, and is also a national zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00cele du Levant: a paradise for naturists and arbutus lovers in Hy\u00e8res Ile du Levant is world-famous for its naturist beach and its Heliopolis estate. You can also visit the Domaine des arbousiers nature reserve and the rustic village, which has no street lighting or neon signs. History and geography of Levant Island Located to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":8909,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"blog":[59],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/13343"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/13343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13344,"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/13343\/revisions\/13344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acampa-vacances.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog?post=13343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}