Hyères Les palmiers is one of the most extensive cities in France with 30 kilometers gap between north and south ! Hyères offers a remarkable diversity of landscapes; the green and flourishing countryside in Hyères is bordered by 39 kilometers of coastline with sandy beaches and small rocky coves. The city of palms is also particular with her ten fractions of neighborhoods, the Giens peninsula, the Port, L’Ayguade, La Capte, The Salt marshes, the Borel, Sauvebonne without forgetting the three islands; real villages are indeed created and give the city a rich diversity.

Hyères offers you lot of places to be visited as:

• Villa Noailles

• Historic district with its castle remains

• The gates

• Saint-Blaise Tower

• Two wonderful gardens: Sainte Claire and Saint Bernard

With its 27.000 hectares water surface and its exceptional geographical situation that enables it to be protected south and east by the Iles d'Or, Hyères is a natural choice as a major site for sea activities. In addition to these naturals assets, you can find high level infrastructures and services such as St Pierre Port. The presence of the permanent center for the French team training as well as tests of very high level each year reinforce the position of Hyères and its port nationally and internationally.

This salt area where salt was picked up until 1994 contains a very rich fauna and flora both terrestrial and aquatic.

The peninsula has the same configuration as its sisters islands of Hyères, emerging a few hundred yards away, abundantly verdant and perfumed by the heart of the shining sea.

But Giens, as sorry to part forever from the continent to which it belongs, is linked to it by two long and thin seashore threads named "Tombolos", unique in the world. One of them is at least 200 meters wide while the other one on the West, where a road is running along "Route du Sel" is 50 meters wide at its utmost. To preserve this west seashore part from winter storms, The Route du Sel is closed during winter. Approximately 6 kilometers long, the peninsula of Giens is a detached part of crystal-clear Provence. From the village to the picturesque small ports Niel or Madrague, to the Tour Fondue or Badine in the east, or the very last wild "Pointe des Chevaliers" swept by the sea spray and the Mistral (wind from the west) you can make beautiful walks locally but also to the islands.

LA CAPTE AND LA BERGERIE

Despite these two denominations, the two are one, extending over a distance of 4 kilometers from the beach of the racetrack up to the Peninsula of Giens. Their peculiarity is the shallowness of the water (you can walk up to 60-80 meters from the shore). They are, from this point of view, the safest and most suitable for bathing children.

L'ALMANARRE

Between Giens and L'Almanarre, this sandy beach stretches over 6 kilometers, constituting one of the double tombolos in Europe linking the Peninsula to the mainland. This beach is ideal for windsurfing. Each year, the world championships take place there. Its northern part is 4 kilometers far from city center, easily reachable, well served by public transports.

LA MADRAGUE

"Madrague" means a large enclosure of nets for tuna fishing. This small beach is an extension of the beach L'ALMANARRE; it is made of sand and pebbles and offers visitors an impression of picturesque, between beach ans small traditional fishing port. You will find many wooden pontoons where superb "Pointus", sharp small and typical fishing boats, are moored over the clear water.

THE ILES D'OR

The archipelago of islands of Hyères, also called Stoechades, or islands of the East by the Romans, Became forever the Golden Isles during the Renaissance.

The archipelago, which shines in all its glory off the coast of Hyères, spams 30 km. From west to east, the three islands include: Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Le Levant

PORQUEROLLES

Porquerolles or "Cairelet", of Provencal origin designating lavender, stretches over 7 km long and 3 km wide with 1250 acres. Porquerolles is the largest of the three islands, the most inhabited and the most agricultural one.The Notre Dame, La Courtade, Plage d'Argent beaches and the harbor, orders its relief on five small ranges oriented north south opening to the sea.

There are the same fauna and flora as Port Cros, enriched by imported species, which represent a greater presence of humans. Porquerolles, whose destiny was long linked with that of Port-Cros, experienced short lulls (during which agriculture develops), but more often periods of unrest and looting. Many castles testify of that warrior past.

The roads are lined with pines and eucalyptuses. In spring, the flowering bush (cysts, myrtles, tree heath, ficoides) called "maquis" transforms the island into a huge bouquet of flower with varied scents.

PORT-CROS

Port-Cros, 4km long and 2.5km wide is the smallest island (650 hectares), but also the most mountainous and wildest one.

The island was declared National Park in 1963 as well as Bagaud and the surrounding islets. Since this date, a new balance between man and Nature occurred. It is the smallest French national park with 600 meters of sea area around its shores. Protected by strict regulations, it is forbidden to camp, make fire, hunt underwater and land, and more generally to harm the fauna and flora.

Port-Cros is a small massive island culminating in the Mont Vinaigre (194 meters). Its steep cliffs to the south offer little opening on the sea. 35 kilometers of trails (especially the botanical trail) enable the visitors to discover its landscapes, its forest, and its forts…and to enjoy the quietness. Along a botanical trail tagged by the National Park, there are several forts witnesses to several landmark events in the history of the island: Fort du Moulin, Fort de l'Estissac, Fort de l'Eminence, Fort de Port Man, Fort de la Vigie.

LEVANT

Le Levant is the most eastern archipelago's islands situated. Le Levant is 8km long and 1km wide. It rises to 140m. It is separated from Port-Cros by "La Passe des Grottes" ( the channel of the caves) 800m wide. The island is covered with lush vegetation and wild strawberry trees ( "arbousiers") are among the finest in Mediterranean Europe.

In 1931 was created Heliopolis, one of the first European nudist area. From the small port of l'Ayguade where the ferries dock, the path of Val d'Ayguades leads to the village of Arbousiers, the center of Heliopolis area.

It overlooks the village In the north part of the village, large areas of scrub wood (maquis) and hills down to the rocky coast are "The Nature Reserve" of Domaine des Arbousiers, where trail markers allow sporting pathways and better knowledge of the fauna and flora. The exceptionally clear water and a great variety of seabed guarantee the pleasure of scuba diving and marine promenade. Clean air, clean water, sun, freedom, tolerance, all this gives Heliopolis, Island of levant a rare quality of life.

By turns wild and welcoming in their verdant setting, the Golden Isles have a very complete variety of Mediterranean landscapes, from "Maquis" and forest to fertile arable plains. A real garden under the sea in exceptional water purity, the rich seabed of the islands will offer the colorful world of algae and fish to divers.