 Two hundred
hectares of grapevines were planted and the vineyard later produced a
top quality wine which was one of the first to be classed "vins des
Côtes de Provence".
Today the three vinyards on the island produce wine which has an excellent
reputation.
The vineyards are associated with the Conservatoire Botanique
National de Porquerolles which protects the island's heritage and environment.
 Nature preserved...
 In 1971, the state bought 4/5 of the island, thus protecting it from
any unsightly housing or hotel developments... the style and architecture
of the existing houses blend harmoniously with the natural beauty of the
site. Linked to the Parc National de Port-Cros (although still lacking
a formal statute), Porquerolles is a site where the land is protected,
cultivated, replanted and studied, thanks to the Conservatoire Botanique
and to the Parc national de Port Cros. Their plantations are difficult
to miss.
A charming village...
As soon as you arrive at the port, you will be captivated by the island:
behind the boats tied up to the quay, the first houses can be seen, surrounded
by lush vegetation.
After leaving the port (where you can hire bikes and
obtain directions from the tourist office) you will arrive in the village
with its large square and beautiful church, a cluster of shops and several
cafes and restaurants where you can eat outside.
Beautiful countryside...
To discover the rest of the island you can choose between several delightful
routes...
  In the north, three superb
beaches offer fine sand and the coast here slopes gently down to
sea which is exceptionally clear.
In the south, vertical cliffs
rise out of the sea, from this steep relief, you can see a series
of calanques, rocky points, gorges, headlands and hills. You can admire
this wild and majestic landscape from the lighthouse where there is
a 360° view of the island and the sea... it's breathtaking!
In the interior, there is
a mosaic of vineyards, olive trees and fruit trees of all variety...
lemons, oranges and mandarins. The paths are  bordered by pines, eucalyptus
and numerous plantations, courtesy of the Conservatoire Botanique.
Most
of the paths are shaded, sheltering visitors from the "coups de
chaud". In spring the flowering scrub, with its myrtles and heather,
transfoms the island into a huge fragrant bouquet of flowers. In autumn,
the pine forest's different shades of green mix with the white flowers
and red fruit of the strawberry trees.
In summer the cicadas sing to their hearts content... reminding you
that you are in Provence and not in a tropical island at the other end
of the earth... |
Wines 
Porquerolles is the biggest of the three islands of Or in the 
Hyères gulf.
Seven km long and 3km wide, Porquerolles is the most popular,
with the largest population. It is situated at the same latitude as Cap
Corse, and therefore shares the same pleasant climate - almost daily sunshine
(more than 300 sunny days a year), mild winters (rarely below 0°C) and
hot summers with a delightfully cool seabreeze. .
HD Photographies of Porquerolles 
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