Provence & the French Riviera - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 685

Îles d'Hyères
For some inexplicable reason, these paradisaical islands (also known as Îles d'Or -
Golden Islands - for their shimmering mica rock) have remained mostly unknown to for-
eign crowds.
The easternmost and largest of this trio of islands is the little-visited Île du Levant , split
into an odd combination of army land and nudist colony. Île de Port-Cros , the middle and
smallest island, is the jewel in the islands' crown. France's first marine national park
( www.portcrosparcnational.fr , in French) , it boasts exceptional marine fauna and flora,
which makes it a snorkelling paradise.
The largest and westernmost island is Île de Porquerolles ( www.porquerolles.com ) .
Run as a hacienda in the early 20th century, it has kept many of its sprawling plantation
features.

Getting There & Away
Vedettes Îles d'Or ( www.vedettesilesdor.fr ) operates boats to all three islands
from Le Lavandou, and between Port-Cros and Porquerolles in summer.
TLV-TVM ( www.tlv-tvm.com ) runs services to Porquerolles (return adult/child €17/15, 10
minutes) from the La Tour Fondue port at the bottom of the Giens Peninsula. It also runs
services to Port-Cros (return adult/child €25/22, one hour) and Levant (adult/child €25/22,
1½ hours) from Hyères' port.

The Corniches
A trio of corniches (coastal roads) hugs the cliffs between Nice and Monaco, each
higher up the hill than the last. The middle corniche ends in Monaco; the upper and
lower continue to Menton.

Corniche Inférieure
Skimming the villa-lined waterfront, the Corniche Inférieure (also known as the
Basse Corniche, the Lower Corniche or the N98) sticks pretty close to the train line,
passing (west to east) through Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean-Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu-
sur-Mer, Èze-sur-Mer and Cap d'Ail.

VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER Fishing Port