Porquerolles

Porquerolles is an island in the Îles d'Hyères, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in France. It is 7.5km long and 3.5km wide and the highest point is at the semaphore, 124m above sea level.

Porquerolles is a little seaside-resort village, with a large, open village square lined with trees.

The 16th century St Agatha's Fort is located on a hilltop, offering good views of the surrounding area.

Located above the village, 200m from Fort St Agatha, the Moulin du Bonheur has been restored and represents the type of windmill in Provence.

Porquerolles is a great place to explore either on foot or by hiring a bike and enjoying nature on one of the many marked trails.

A walk across the island to the lighthouse (phare) is popular, and passes through botanical plantations of fig and olive trees. The area near the lighthouse has good views of the calanques (steep walled inlets).

Scuba dive, hire a motor yacht, stand up paddle or kayak to explore the coastline.

The Plage de la Courtade (beach) is close enough from the village to walk to. Other options include the Plage de Notre-Dame, around 3km along the coast to the east and to the west are several small coves.

There is a limited number of shops on the island, however local products, especially olive oil, wine and liqueurs all make good gifts.

Fresh fish and seafood such as tuna, sea bass, red snapper, monkfish, shrimp, crab, mussels and oysters feature heavily on local menus.

Popular dishes include bouillabaisse (a robust fish stew), salad Niçoise (tuna, vegetable and anchovy salad) and fruits de mer (fresh seafood with lemon wedges for drizzling).

Cruise ships anchor and tender passengers ashore to the tender dock Quai de la Garonne. There is a small tourist office with maps and information of the local area.

The centre of town is only 20m away.