L’île de Porquerolles is the largest of the three îles d’or (the other two being Port Cros and l’île du Levant) but still, it’s a tiny island: about 7,5 km long and 3 km wide. Cars are not allowed on the island but the island being that small, that poses no problem at all. Having no cars around is actually super relaxing. You can either walk or rent a bike (or get a ride from the “taxis”, which are kind of small electric golf carts which are handy to get your luggage in your hotel).

We went to the island with the boat from Cavalaire sur Mer. It was a “bumpy ride” of about 1h30 but pretty nevertheless and the captain was fun. On the way back we took the ferry to Giens, which was only fifteen minutes. The boat to and from Giens goes very often in high season, once every half hour.

We rented an apartment for the week through a rental agency on the island but the apartment was disappointing, with amongst others a wasp nest in the cupboard, a penetrating smell of paint and lots of noise from outside in the evening. We left after one night and booked Villa Sainte-Anne which was the only hotel with a free room.

First of all, the staff in the hotel is simply great: friendly, helpful and efficient. The waitress saw me arriving and helped out with the luggage, the receptionist knew I was waiting for the room and phoned me on my mobile to tell me the room was ready even though it was before check in time, the waitress of the restaurant was very nice with the children, as well as the cleaning staff. We did not have one unfriendly member of the staff during our stay.

It’s a small hotel, family run I think (not sure though). The room we got was very spacious, clean and the decoration was simple but fresh (color tones yellow). We had a private terrace with sun chairs and a table with four chairs where we had breakfast some of the mornings. It was very pleasant. The location of the hotel is perfect, it’s right on the main square of the village, next to the church.

The restaurant of the hotel has an inside part, which does not have any charm and the terrace which is nice with view on the square. Evening meals and breakfast are included in the half board. It’s a pity one cannot chose but has to take the half board. The food was ok, nothing very special, just ok. As for the breakfast: there was no fresh cheese, no ham, no eggs, just cereals and some mini croissants, jam and yoghurts. Very basic. There was no possibility of ordering extra’s like eggs against extra payment either.

But overall I would recommend as it’s a pleasant hotel with great staff. It’s just a pity the quality of the food is not a bit better. It would make the difference between a nice hotel and a great hotel.

The good things of l’île de Porquerolles: the clear sea, the white doves, no cars, the fresh fish, the fine sand beaches, the diverse and beautiful flora. Have a look at the blog of backyardprovence for some nice pics of the island!

The bad things of l’île de Porquerolles: too many tourists (avoid the summer months at all costs, I seldom seen such a crowded place), lots of wind, everything is expensive (for ex. renting a bike) and there is not much to do except for the walks/biking in the nature and hanging out on the beach.

Cordialement ,

The Mystery Guest