The 'golden islands' of the French Riviera

Jean-Philippe Borges · Issue 55, Jul/Aug 2010 · pp. 68–73

Products mentioned: Fuji S2, Aquatica housing, Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, Nikon SB-800, Nikon SB-28, Fantasea housing, Subal housing, Canon S1, Sea&Sea YS-90Auto, Inon D-2000, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, Nikon 60mm AF-D macro

From Marseille to Nice, the French Mediterranean coast is dotted with beautiful islands and islets. Who has never seen paradisiac pictures with beautiful white sand, big blue waves meeting red jagged coasts ? Here we are : some are very well known for tourism, others completely wild. Near Toulon, well known French navy harbour, we can meet one of those fantastic islands, in front of Hyeres peninsula : the island of Porquerolles. With the National Parc of Port-Cros, to the east, those two islands can be called the ‘Golden islands of the French Riviera’. The National Park of Port- Cros, created in 1963, is one of the oldest national park in France. It’s also the first european marine park, with around 1300 hectares of marine protected surfaces. Around the islet of ‘la Gabiniere’, maybe the most known diving site near the park, any diver can meet big families of groupers, surrounded by wall…