I always secretly expect, or at least
hope, to be greeted by a very tan man in a white suit with a strong accent
saying "My dear guests, I am Mr. Roarke, your host. Welcome to
Fantasy Island".
But this has never happened. And why
should it? Porquerolles is no fantasy. It is absolutely real.
Instead of the fictional
Mr. Roarke, a very tan chauffeur greets us with “Bonjour. Bon retour à
Porquerolles, as he takes us to Le Mas Du Langoustier, our island retreat.
350 inhabitants live on Porquerolles, the
largest of the îles d’Hyères – or îles d'Or (golden islands) as they are
nicknamed - off the peninsula of Giens.
However, thousands more arrive daily via ferry to enjoy the beaches,
restaurants, and hotels.
You won’t find many cars on this 7 km (4.3 mile) long and 3 km (1.8 mile) wide piece of paradise, with the exception of a few service
vehicles. Instead, walking and biking
are the preferred modes of transportation, and the best way to see the island
via the 50 km (31 miles) of trails and bike paths.
There are a number of places to rent bikes on the island. Of course, you are also free to bring your own,
as Mr. Man opted to do this year.
We have stayed in a number of places on
the island, including a B&B and a self-catering apartment, but it is Le Mas
Du Langoustier that continues to call us back.
The color of a languostine and wrapped in
bougainvillea, Le Mas Du Langoustier sits on the edge of the island, on the opposite end
of the harbor. Though seemingly remote
and detached from the rest of the island, it is in fact the anchor of
Porquerolles. The Fournier family, who also owned the island, started the hotel
in 1935. Their descendants, the Le Ber
family, still own the property today.
While the rest of Porquerolles is
centered around the harbor and the village, Le Mas Du Langoustier is a private
retreat, with a pool, two secluded beaches within walking distance, and for the
jetsetters, a heliport conveniently located just beyond the property.
Le Mas Du Langoustier also has two
exceptional restaurants, including L’Olivier, the elegant, one Michelin star restaurant
with a menu offering a variety of Mediterranean and Provencal flavors.
The hotel’s other restaurant La Pinède offers an equally delightful, though slightly
more casual culinary experience, including a menu l’enfant, which is much more
sophisticated than the chicken fingers and fries seen on most children’s menus.
But what do you expect? It is France after all.
The beaches near Le Mas Du Langoustier
are wonderful, but they are just two of the numerous beaches on Porquerolles.
So after a couple of days hanging out there, we got on our bikes, in search of
some more prime beach property on the island.
Plage de Notre Dame ranks
as one of our favorites. Beautiful turquoise water that is shallow enough for
the little ladies to walk and play in, cliffs and coves to explore and probably
the most important reason to go there – the ice cream boat that pulls right up to the shore.
After a week of hiding out on our
fantasy island, it is time to return to reality. A short ferry ride takes us back to Hyères where we retrieve our car, bid Porquerolles adieu and continue Mo Travels summer adventure.
Maybe next time, the chauffeur
from Le Mas Du Langoustier will have a white suit to go with his tan.
