Our day trips to the Port-Cros National Park are legendary. Dive with hundreds of barracudas and countless giant groupers at La Gabinière, and enjoy the French way of life during your lunch break in the harbor of Port-Cros.
Our day trip to the Port-Cros National Park takes place once a week. We depart by boat from Pampelonne Beach, right next to the dive center at Kon Tiki. Along the way, we pass Cap Camarat, Cap Taillat, and Cap Larier, before catching sight – in the distance – of the small town of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, situated on the edge of the bay of the same name. Passing the Île du Levant – the first of the Hyères Islands (the Îles d’Hyères) – we make our way to our dive sites at Port-Cros.
Most of the time, we dive at depths between 10 and 30 meters at the Îlot de la Gabinière – the small island situated just south of Port-Cros. Along the rocky slope, in addition to countless massive groupers found among and atop the rocks, and hundreds of barracudas in the open water – usually hovering above us divers – one can also observe nudibranchs and many other fish species. We have even spotted sunfish (Mola Mola) here.
We spend our leisurely lunch break in the harbor of Port-Cros. There are no intrusive cars here – only a few footpaths winding between the houses and the fortress at the edge of the harbor, which can be explored while waiting for lunch. A delicious lunch is served as a set menu right at the harbor, offering views of the bay and the sea.
Our dive tanks are refilled during the lunch break, so nothing stands in the way of a second spectacular dive in the National Park this afternoon on the way back to Pampelonne Beach.
Bring along
- Changing clothes and beach shoes for the lunch break
- Some cash for lunch (special menus also available for vegetarians) and souvenirs you might want to buy
Did you know?
You do not dive and just want to go boating and go to Port-Cros? No problem, it’s definitely worth it!
Impressions
Here is a short video featuring wonderful impressions of Port-Cros. Enjoy!