Islands of 'Hyères - Porquerolles

After our last stay in Marseille, we sailed further along the southern French coast to the islands of Hyères. The island of Porquerolles is the largest and westernmost of this group of islands. It is about 7.5 kilometers long, 3 kilometers wide. The island has beautiful sheltered bays with azure blue water. Here you can see our catamaran: Porquerolles was uninhabited for centuries, a rugged nature reserve. Until in 1912 it was bought by a Belgian entrepreneur. The island was his private property from 1912 to 1935. He built roads, drainage canals and vineyards on the island. He had a school built for his workers and their families and founded a cooperative. He died on the island in 1935 and was also buried there. It remained the property of his heirs until 1971, when it was sold to the French state. It's a lovely island to cycle, walk or paddleboard on the azure water!