Porquerolles is the largest, most westerly of the three islands in the
Îles d'Hyères. It is about 7 km (4.3 mi) long by 3 km (1.9 mi) wide,
with five small ranges of hills. The south coast is lined with cliffs,
and on the north coast are the port and the beaches of Notre Dame, La
Courtade, and Plage d'Argent.
The island's village was established in
1820, with its lighthouse constructed in 1837 and church in 1850. The
entire island was purchased in 1912 by François Joseph Fournier,
apparently as a wedding present for his wife; he planted 200 hectares
(about 500 acres) of vineyards which produced a wine that was among the
first to be classed vin des Côtes de Provence.
In 1971 the state
bought 80 percent of the island to preserve it from development. Much of
the island is now part of a national park (the Port-Cros Parc National)
and nature conservatory (Conservatoire botanique national méditerranéen
de Porquerolles)
