Camping Porquerolles
Staying in a mobile home rental, in a tent, caravan or motorhome in Porquerolles is quite simply impossible, since there is no campsite on this paradise island, although some teasing writers like it here and there on the web, to praise the joys of « renting a mobile home on a campsite in Porquerolles », or to talk about « your camping holiday in Porquerolles ».
Camping La Presqu’île de Giens is located two kilometers from La Tour Fondue, the pier for the island of Porquerolles, the largest of the Golden Islands, which you can discover after a twenty-minute crossing with the shipping company TLV- TVM (compulsory online reservation in high season). Two observations: the silhouette of Porquerolles evokes a crocodile, and the turquoise-colored waters invite you to swim.
A bit of history concerning Porquerolles
As Marc-René BAYLE writes, « Over its long period, the history of Porquerolles is dense and contrasting: an island of colonization in antiquity, which in modern times has become a pawn in the naval strategic chessboard, then a platform for agricultural development, and more recently a showcase of cultural and environmental heritage. »
Impossible to talk about Porquerolles without summarizing the formidable destiny of François Joseph FOURNIER, a Belgian adventurer who made his fortune in Mexico at the end of the 19th century (mainly in mining), and who acquired the island in 1912 for the sum of one million and one hundred francs, then offered it as a wedding gift to his third wife. He employed 150 workers there, undertook the agricultural development of the island, on the model of the Mexican hacienda, by installing market gardening, citrus crops and vines (250 hectares were cleared), and set up a flotilla of boats liaising with La Tour Fondue on Giens Peninsula. Far from his mind was the creation of a campsite in Porquerolles…
Porquerolles, a typical village with a Provençal atmosphere
Arriving at the port, head towards the village, which was created around 1820-1825, to the Place d’Armes surrounded by plane trees and eucalyptus, and its large boules court dominated by the Sainte Anne church, at the appearance similar to Mexican religious buildings. It is in the village, overlooked by Fort Sainte Agathe, that the cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlors are located, as well as many bike rental companies, which will allow you to explore this radiant island criss-crossed by more than a hundred kilometers of paths, tracks and trails. Before heading towards the Lighthouse, a detour is essential by the Jardin Emmanuel Lopez (garden with an area of one hectare), adjoining the Maison de Parc (reception and information center of the Port-Cros National Park on Porquerolles). This magnificent garden brings together plants adapted to the climate and spectacular plants from all over the world: South Africa, Australia, South America, South East Asia, and Florida.
Mediterranean hike between culture and landscape from the campsite to Porquerolles
The choice of routes during this essential stage of your camping holiday near Porquerolles is multiple: some will recommend the east side via the Plaine de la Courtade, so as not to miss the Villa Carmignac (15 hectares dedicated to Contemporary Art, 2000 m² of exhibition halls and a garden inhabited by about fifteen sculptures) and Notre-Dame Beach (voted the most beautiful beach in Europe in 2015 by European Best Destinations), others will direct you in priority to the West towards the Pointe du Langoustier, with its white beach and its black beach, via the Plage d’Argent then a detour via the Calanque of Brégançonnet.
One thing is certain, you will have no trouble getting away from it all by crossing the island, inland or along the coast, you can hike along the vines constituting three wine estates, and come out in wild creeks where it is good to forget yourself in idleness.
Unique, wild and preserved landscapes, which will be the scene of your swim in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean
12 places and monuments to discover on the island of Porquerolles :
- Sainte Anne Church, built in 1849, a chapel which became a parish church in 1929.
- Fort Sainte Agathe, the oldest fortification on the island (Roman period)
- The Moulin of Happiness (18th century), fully restored to the same in 2007
- Villa Carmignac, Contemporary Art exhibitions and gardens
- Fort du Grand Langoustier, located 4 km from the port, on the extreme western tip of the island, built between 1633 and 1637
- Fort de la Repentance, a military structure built in the 19th century, transformed into an Orthodox monastery baptized Monastère Sainte-Marie du Désert in 1995
- Fort de l’Alycastre, a military structure erected between 1633 and 1637 under Richelieu
- Emmanuel Lopez Garden, for lovers of nature and botany
- Porquerolles lighthouse (or Cap d’Arme lighthouse), located at the extreme southern tip of the island, 2.5 km from the port. It is one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean
- Domaine de La Courtade (36 ha wine estate, AOC Côtes de Provence*)
- Domaine Perzinsky (10 ha wine estate, AOC Côtes de Provence*)
- Domaine de l’Île (34 ha wine estate, AOC Côtes de Provence*)
*alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation.
Before returning to the village for a cool break while waiting for the boat to return to your campsite near Porquerolles, thinking of Frédéric Mistral , who in 1906 in Paysages et Sentiment, reiterated his love for the Golden Islands, the mere sight of which made his heart pound, as the following passage shows so well: « My heart jumped when I saw the beautiful shadows what the islands of Hyères were doing in the distance. Sweet daydreams along the sands, during days of still blind hope, flew back into my memory ».
