Beyond the Riviera
The islands: the back story
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Alberto Fernandez Fernandez · CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout The islands: the back story
The Riviera’s islands are close and car-free. The Îles de Lérins are a short crossing from Cannes; further west, off Hyères, are Porquerolles and Port-Cros, the latter a national park.
Lérins
Sainte-Marguerite has the Fort Royal and the Musée du Masque de Fer; on Saint-Honorat the monks of the Abbaye de Lérins tend their vines.
Porquerolles and Port-Cros
Porquerolles has pale-sand beaches; Port-Cros is a national park with a marked underwater trail from the beach of La Palud.
Take water and a picnic: shops are few, and shade is precious.
Getting there
Trans Côte d’Azur from the quai Saint-Pierre, Cannes, for Lérins; boats from the Hyères area for Porquerolles and Port-Cros.
Our advice: go on a weekday, and pack mask and fins for Port-Cros.
Why it's on our list
- Lérins
- Porquerolles and Port-Cros
- Getting there
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The islands: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from The islands: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Palais des Festivals4.3 kmCycle 17 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Musée Picasso, Antibes9.3 kmCycle 37 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Nice Côte d’Azur Airport20 kmCar or taxi 40 min
- Promenade des Anglais26 kmCar or taxi 49 min
- Cours Saleya (Vieux Nice)27 kmCar or taxi 51 min
- Musée Matisse29 kmCar or taxi 54 min
- Villa Ephrussi30 kmCar or taxi 56 min
- Èze village34 kmCar or taxi 64 min
Main railway stations
- Cannes4.5 kmCycle 18 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Antibes9.3 kmCycle 37 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Nice Saint-Augustin (airport)21 kmCar or taxi 41 min
- Nice-Ville27 kmCar or taxi 51 min