Honeymoon in the South of France.
The island of Porquerolles, one of the four Îles d’Or situated off the Côte d’Azur in southern France, was purchased in 1912 by Belgian adventurer François Joseph Fournier as a wedding gift for his wife Sylvia. In 1971, the government of France reclaimed the land and has since preserved 80 percent as a national park and nature conservation area.
“The French Riviera has always attracted people because of its opulence and glamour,” says Jim Augerinos of Perfect Honeymoons travel agency in Vienna.
Home to only 200 permanent residents, Porquerolles comprises nearly 5 square miles of white sand beaches, famous blue waters, vineyards (first cultivated by Fournier himself), historic sites and dozens of hiking and biking trails. Located roughly 100 miles from the big cities of the French Riviera—Marseille, Nice, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence and Saint-Tropez—car-free Porquerolles is ideally situated away from the crowded tourist spots, but offers all the amenities of a fashionable blue coast vacation.
When to go: May to September What to see: Plage Notre Dame, Fort du Grand Langoustier, Cape Mèdes, Domaine de la Courtade vineyard Where to stay: Le Mas du Langoustier Where to eat: L’Oustaou, Le Pélagos, Coco Frio How to get there: Look for flights to Nice, Marseilles, or Toulouse. Ferries run a regular schedule from the port of Giens outside of Toulon.
This article originally appeared in our Weddings 2018 issue.
