Porquerolles Island

 island, nature conservation park / area, interesting place

www.porquerolles.com/?ln=en
www.provenceweb.fr/e/var/porquerolles/porquerolles.htm

Porquerolles is the biggest of the three islands of Or in the Hyeres gulf.
7 km long and 3km wide, Porquerolles is the most popular, with the largest population.

It is situated at the same latitude as Cap Corse, and therefore shares the same pleasant climate - almost daily sunshine (more than 300 sunny days a year), mild winters (rarely below 0°C) and hot summers with a delightfully cool seabreeze.

The village was first built in 1820, the lighthouse in 1837 and the church in 1850. After being owned by a succession of people, the island was bought in 1912 by Monsieur Fournier who apparently bought it as a wedding present for his wife.

Two hundred hectares of grapevines were planted and the vineyard later produced a top quality wine which was one of the first to be classed "vins des Côtes de Provence".
Today the three vinyards on the island produce wine which has an excellent reputation.
The vineyards are associated with the Conservatoire Botanique National de Porquerolles which protects the island's heritage and environment.

In 1971, the state bought 4/5 of the island, thus protecting it from any unsightly housing or hotel developments... the style and architecture of the existing houses blend harmoniously with the natural beauty of the site. Linked to the Parc National de Port-Cros (although still lacking a formal statute), Porquerolles is a site where the land is protected, cultivated, replanted and studied, thanks to the Conservatoire Botanique and to the Parc national de Port Cros. Their plantations are difficult to miss.

What to see:

14th century Fort Ste Agathe housing an underwater archeological exhibition
(from June to September).
Church (1850) and the chemin de croix.
Lighthouse (1837).