The Îles d'Or: a week from Hyères
Hyères is the quiet end of the Riviera: the airport is ten minutes from the marina, and right opposite lie the Îles d'Or, Porquerolles and Port-Cros, a national park with clear water and hardly any cars. The first days are legs of 8–14 nm, then one long run west to the vineyards of Bandol and back. A loop of about 90 nm — an easy week for a first charter in France, and one that shrinks without fuss if the mistral blows.
Day by day
Hyères (Port Saint-Pierre)
- Hyères (Port Saint-Pierre)43.089, 6.158
Toulon-Hyères airport is ten minutes from the marina. Take over the yacht at Port Saint-Pierre on Hyères-Plage and provision at the Hyères market or a supermarket nearby. First dinner on board with the islands on the horizon.
Hyères → Porquerolles
- Porquerolles43.001, 6.203
A short leg across the Grande Passe to Porquerolles, the largest of the Îles d'Or and part of the national park: a village square, vineyards and the white sand of Notre-Dame beach, reached by bicycle. Berth in the port or take a buoy off the Plage d'Argent; the island's own rosé with dinner.
Porquerolles → Port-Cros
- Port-Cros43.008, 6.389
East to Port-Cros, the most protected island in France: anchoring is forbidden almost everywhere, so you lie in the little port or on park buoys booked in advance. With a mask, the underwater trail off the Plage de la Palud; on foot, the walk to the Fort de l'Estissac; dinner on board in the harbour.
Port-Cros → Le Lavandou
- Le Lavandou43.137, 6.368
North to the mainland. Le Lavandou is a fishing port with a dozen beaches around it, and in the evening it is worth climbing to Bormes-les-Mimosas, a medieval village of stepped lanes above the sea. Before leaving in the morning, the Lavandou market for supplies.
Le Lavandou → Giens (Port du Niel)
- Port du Niel (Giens)43.036, 6.132
West past Cap Bénat and the Fort de Brégançon, the French presidents' summer residence on its rock, to the Giens peninsula. Port du Niel is a tiny harbour among the rocks with the Hyères salt pans behind it; the night is easier at anchor off La Badine.
Giens → Bandol
- Bandol43.135, 5.754
The longest leg of the week: past the Toulon roadstead and round Cap Sicié to Bandol. The afternoon is in the vineyards of the Bandol appellation — mourvèdre reds and rosés, tastings at the domaines around town. Dinner on the quay.
Bandol → Hyères
- Hyères (Port Saint-Pierre)43.089, 6.158
East again with the morning breeze, past Toulon and the Giens peninsula, into Port Saint-Pierre by mid-afternoon. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- The mistral is the only serious weather on this coast: a north-westerly of up to 30–40 knots that lasts two or three days. In a mistral Bandol drops out and the week stays in the lee of the Giens peninsula and the islands — Porquerolles, Port-Cros, Le Lavandou, about 60 nm — with the Bandol tasting done by car from Hyères. The best months are May, June and September.
- Port-Cros national park: anchoring is prohibited over posidonia meadows and in most of the Port-Cros waters, and buoys are booked online. The zoning changes from season to season — check it before you leave and book buoys for both versions of the route.
- Berths: marinas on this coast are not cheap, and the ports of Porquerolles and Port-Cros fill up by lunchtime in July and August. Arrive early or book ahead; nights at anchor off Giens and in the bays around Le Lavandou save a good part of the budget.
- Logistics: Toulon-Hyères is ten minutes from the marina but has few flights; most crews fly into Marseille (just over an hour's drive) or Nice (about two hours by motorway).
When to go and what it costs in France
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in France
All boats in France
How long is the Hyères — Porquerolles route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 90 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Hyères. Overnight stops in order: Hyères (Port Saint-Pierre), Porquerolles, Port-Cros, Le Lavandou, Port du Niel (Giens), Bandol. The longest leg is day 7, 26 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Hyères — Porquerolles route?
France's season runs May to October. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months; June and September bring warm water and fewer people. In any month the route is planned around the mistral, which can blow up to 30 knots for several days. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of €246 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €310. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 6%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in France for a week starts from €1,548 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in France”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
