Pine trees, vineyards, local cuisine, turquoise blue waters... This is Porquerolles beach.
The postcard is as follows: an island in the Mediterranean, covered with pines and vineyards, with the sound of cicadas as a soundtrack and the water, of a superlative turquoise color, bathing small beaches of white sand. A place where time does not pass, where there are no cars or Wi-Fi, but a small village of houses submerged in bougainvillea. 260 days of sunshine per year. This is not a mirage, but the best hidden gem of the French: we are talking about Porquerolles , the largest of the Hyères islands, just 20 minutes by boat from the Côte d'Azur.
THE ISLAND
Such a romantic jewel could only have a story to match. In the past the island saw Celts, Ligurians, Greeks and Romans, Berber pirates and even Napoleon pass by.
The village of Porquerolles, with the Bonheur mill and the 16th-century Fort Sainte-Agathe in the background.
In 1912 an obscenely wealthy Belgian explorer, François Joseph Fournier, was looking for a fascinating gift for his wife, Sylvia. And, in a gesture as epic as it is romantic, he bought Porquerolles for her for a million francs.
On the island (which is seven kilometers long and 2.5 wide) there were pine trees, dream beaches and a tiny 19th-century village. Fournier planted for her 450 hectares of vineyards, hundreds of trees and built Le Mas du Langoustier, a peach-colored farmhouse that is now one of the few hotels where you can sleep. Sylvia passed away in 1971 and the French government bought 80% of the island, turned it into a national park and managed to preserve this hidden gem intact.
With 350 inhabitants and a law that prohibits building on the island, Porquerolles today belongs to the Port-Cros National Park and is a bucolic redoubt of what was once the Mediterranean paradise. Jean Luc Goddard shot a large part of Pierrot le Fou (1965) here.
White beaches and limestone cliffs continue to frame this oak and pine sanctuary wild herbs, huge eucalyptus trees and the occasional fig tree.
Le Mas du Langoustier, a peach-colored farmhouse converted into a hotel, in Porquerolles.
THE BEACH
Porquerolles welcomes everyone who arrives with a magic that needs no filters. The largest of the three îles d'Hyères attracts visitors with a pristine Provençal landscape that is increasingly remote on the mainland. The 6,000 daily tourists that it receives in the summer months are not taking its toll. The northern part of the island is known for its small coves with turquoise water and its white sand beaches: La Courtade (the largest and closest to the port), La plage d'Argent, Langoustier and Notre Dame, which concerns us today.
15 minutes away by bicycle (it is the best way to get around and you can rent them from six euros a day as soon as you get off the boat), in a walk that crosses vineyards, lavender and pine forests, you arrive at the northwest end of this beach. From there you have the photo: a small white crescent with hardly any people, sheltered by the bay, which appears wild and moving.
Wild beach of Notre Dame, in Porquerolles.
Notre Dame is possibly the most beautiful beach in Europe, one might think here that it is in the 1950s, when the overcrowding had not touched the French Riviera. Most tourists stay on the larger plage de la Courtade, closer to the port, and that's precisely what makes Notre Dame a favorite with travelers seeking authenticity.
On the other hand, the southern part of the island offers a wilder side, with a rugged coastline dominated by cliffs where coves hide from view.
THE WINE
On the island there are 200 hectares of vineyards and in the western part of the island there are three producers who offer tastings in their cellars. They are Domaine de la Courtade, Domaine Perzinsky (which does not require a reservation), and Domaine de L'Ile. The wine is Côtes de Provence appellation of origin in white, red and a soft and fresh rosé that is worth the trip. What better plan to end a day at the beach.
THE SURPRISE
On an island where there are no cars it is possible to see works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roy Lichtenstein. This same year, Porquerolles has become a bastion of Art with the arrival of the Fondation Carmignac, the contemporary art foundation of the tycoon and collector Édouard Carmignac.
With an eye for the eclectic, Carmignac fell in love with Porquerolles at his daughter's wedding. Shortly after he bought the Domaine de la Courtade winery and a modern farmhouse overlooking La Courtade beach, now converted into a unique underground gallery (remember that it is not possible to build on the island), with 2,000 square meters of exposure, and illuminated with natural light that imitates the sun's rays through the sea.
Fondation Carmignac, Édouard Carmignac's contemporary art foundation, in Porquerolles.
WHERE TO EAT AND SLEEP
Le Mas du Langoustier: Fournier's heirs, the Le Bar family, have converted the old farmhouse that Sylvia received as a token of love into a charming and nostalgic hotel. It has four stars and two restaurants with magnificent views, L'Olivier (with a MichelIn star) and La Pinède, with Provençal cuisine.
Villa Sainte-Anne : Located in the heart of the village, it has simple rooms and free Wi-Fi.
Les Mèdes: a three-star hotel, with gardens and terraces, offering rooms as well as studios and apartments with kitchens.
Salmon and avocado tartar at the Villa Sainte Anne hotel and restaurant, in Porquerolles.
HOW TO GET
To get to Porquerolles, it is best to go to the port of Hyères or to the Tour Fondue , a town located on the Giens peninsula. The boat trip lasts 20 minutes and it is the TLV-TVM company that is in charge of the transport.
The TLV-TVM company takes care of the boat trips to the îles de Port-Cros, Porquerolles and the île du Levant.