‘Floating forest’ island with barely any English tourists has 300 days of sun and one of Europe’s best beaches
EUROPE is home to hundreds of stunning little islands that you may not have heard of – but are great for avoiding the crowds.
One of those places is Porquerolles, a French island that’s often described as a “floating forest” by locals.
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Porquerolles is the largest of the four French islands that form the Hyères Islands – although it’s only 7 km long and 3km wide.
The French island is home to around 350 year-round residents, with this number rising in the summer months when holidaymakers visit.
Despite being popular with French holidaymakers, it’s doubtful many British tourists have visited the island.
A village was built on the island in the 1820s, with a church and a lighthouse added at a later date.
The island was purchased by Belgian explorer François Joseph Fournier in the 1900s.
François bought the island as a gift for his wife Sylvia, with the couple adding vineyards to its landscape.
Nowadays, Porquerolles is owned by the French Government and is protected as a national park.
The island is covered in olive groves and vineyards and features more than 50km of paths and cycling routes.
Cars are banned on the island, with the exception of service vehicles, which means holidaymakers are encouraged to rent bicycles to explore the island.
Away from the cycling routes, there are several beaches to visit on the island like Plage de Notre Dame, Plage D’Argent and Plage de L’Aiguade.
Back in 2015, Plage de Notre Dame was named the most beautiful beach in Europe.
Surrounded by Eucalyptus trees, Plage de Notre Dame is a 30-minute walk from the island’s village.
The beaches on Porquerolles have white sand and crystal-clear water that’s ideal for snorkelling.
Holidaymakers can also rent a sailboat or motorboat and go scuba diving, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding or jet skiing.
Other attractions on the island include Fort Sainte Agathe – a 16th century military fort that was renovated back in 2020.
Entry tickets cost €5 (£4.14) per permission, with admission to a permanent exhibition also included.
There’s also Eglise Sainte Anne, a 19th century military chapel that became a church in 1929.
Porquerolles is also known for its food with several restaurants located on the island.
One of those is Le Pélagos, which has a 4.4/5 star rating from hundreds on Google.
There are a handful of hotels on the island, including Hôtel-Restaurant L’Oustaou de Porquerolles where stays start from £155 per night per room.
Ferries operate from the French mainland to Porquerolles, with services available from Toulon and the Giens Peninsula.
Marseille is the closest airport, where direct flights operate from the UK.
Ryanair and easyJet operate direct flights from London to Marseille, with return fares starting from £40 in December, January, February and March.
Even though Porquerolles boasts 300 days of sunshine per year, the best time to visit the island is in the summer months between May and September.
What is it like to visit Porquerolles?
THE Sun’s Head of Travel, Lisa Minot, visited Porquerolles in 2022, here’s what she thought…
For one day we could live the A-lister’s lifestyle as they proudly showed off the unique island of Porquerolles, just off the coast of this stunning part of southern France.
As we motor across early morning from the port, Christine offers fresh filtered coffee and a tray of croissants and pain au chocolat.
The boys get to know each other while they relax on the cushions at the bow of the boat as we zip across calm seas in the sunshine.
Our first stop sees us anchor up in a stunning bay.
The kids dive in but us adults are happy to accept a lift in the family’s little rib to the beach where we spread towels on a blissfully quiet shore and snooze to the sound of the buzzing cicadas.
A stroll into the island’s interior along shaded paths reveals other stunning coastal views.
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And this French holiday spot has been described as “unfairly overlooked”.