Port-Cros National Park: an untouched cultural heritage

The islands of the Port-Cros National Park bear witness to human history. Ancient shipwrecks, forts and military batteries built between the 15th and 20th centuries... everything seems to have stood the test of time. They form a cultural heritage that history buffs can admire to their heart's content.

Port-Cros National Park offers a unique cultural heritage, whether on the Giens Peninsula, in Hyères Harbour or around the orchards of Porquerolles. Many traditions live on, like traditional fishing. The never-ending flow of "pointu" (pointed) and "barquette" (tub) boats can still be seen today from the historic ports of Les Oursinières, Le Niel and La Madrague de Giens. It's a chance to discover the ancestral know-how that bring this marine paradise to life.

Porquerolles, a cultural jewel of the Mediterranean

Dotted with fortifications blending into the crags, the Provençal landscapes of Porquerolles are home to exceptional orchards and unique collections of fruit tree varieties preserved by the National Mediterranean Botanical Conservancy. The ancient olive trees gone wild and Cork Oak in the valley bottoms, as well as traces of Roman farms, reflect a long farming history that the National Park inherited from Ancient Greece.

Exploring the stone “guardians” of Hyères Harbour

Since ancient times, the strategic maritime importance of Hyères Harbour has been recognised and made it necessary to protect it. Over the years, “guardians” in stone were erected to defend it, serving in turn as shelters for sailors, landmarks for thieves, and lookouts to keep watch over Toulon Harbour. Fort Sainte-Agathe in Porquerolles, Fort Estissac in Port-Cros, Fort Pradeau in Giens... Today, the islands of Porquerolles and Port-Cros are dotted with more than 15 historical military buildings.

Losing yourself in the orchards of Porquerolles’ fruit tree collections

Porquerolles Botanical Conservancy manages 180 hectares of farmland, stocks 2000 plant genes, and collects rare, wild or endemic species of fruit trees, as well as heritage fruit-tree varieties... Either on your own or with a guide, you can get swept up by these charming, typical Mediterranean orchards and even harvest their fruit. To continue this journey back into the past, take the time to see the mechanical turmoil of the Bonheur Windmill, a restored building that works in the same way as it did three centuries ago.

Discovering the former saltworks of Hyères

Located between the eastern tip of Hyères and the Giens Peninsula, the saltworks of Hyères provide an exceptional refuge for migratory birds, Greater Flamingos and other wading birds that you can watch from the coast. The result of an alchemy between the sea, the lagoons, the generous sunshine and the mistral wind, salt is said to have been exploited as early as the 4th century BC by the people living in the ancient city of Olbia to salt fish and produce purple dye. This is a place filled with years of eventful local history that a guide can help you experience.