Z 13

When Jon returned from the UK on 7 September we left Port St. Mandrier and hopped across to the group of islands called Iles d'Hyeres. There are 3 islands, all of which are designated special nature reserves. The French military have a knack of securing the most beautiful locations for their bases, and a lot of the islands are taken up by the French military and are "no-go" areas for the tourists. We visited the largest of the 3 called Porquerolles which was stunning. We anchored off in one of the amazing bays with crsytal clear water and took our bikes ashore in the tender (now that was a sight to see!).

Apart from a small town around the marina, the rest of the Island was dedicated to all the flora and fauna you can think of, and more, and there wasn't so much as a tap to top up our drinking water. There are a few inhabitants on the island, about 1,000, but during the holiday season about 10,000 tourists come across on the ferry. Very few can stay on the island as camping is strictly limited to a couple of designated sites, and there are very few B&B or hotels. We did feel privileged to be there!