Levant Island Island

Levant Island (Île du Levant) is one of the Îles d’Hyères off the coast of Provence in southeastern France. The island is best known for the naturist village of Héliopolis and for large areas of protected coastal landscape.

Visitors spend time on naturist beaches and walking trails, and a small service village provides accommodation, shops and basic services. Parts of the island are occupied by a military zone with restricted access, so visitor movement is limited in those sectors.

Héliopolis was developed in the early 20th century as a naturist community and remains the focal point for tourism on the island, while the rest of the island retains scrubland, rocky coves and maritime habitat.

Geographically the island lies off Hyères in the Mediterranean, within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, and is reached by ferry from the mainland port of Hyères or nearby coastal towns.

• Nudist village: Home to the long-established naturist community of Héliopolis, founded in the early 20th century and operating under local arrangements for visitors.
• Access: Access by scheduled ferry services from Hyères, with limited vehicle use on the island and protected areas where landing or walking may be controlled.

What to See#

• Héliopolis: Héliopolis, the naturist village established on the island that provides accommodation, shops and services for visitors choosing textile-free beaches and paths.
• Natural areas: Protected natural zones and walking trails covering much of the island’s coastline and interior, part of the Îles d’Hyères archipelago’s coastal environment.
• Restricted military area: A military and ordnance zone occupying part of the island where access is restricted for safety and operational reasons.

Île du Levant (Levant Island) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is reached by boat from the Hyères/ Giens peninsula and from some nearby mainland ports such as Le Lavandou during the tourist season. Regular passenger boat services operate in summer; private boats also visit the island. The island’s quay and settlement are a short walk from the landing point.

• Avoid the height of summer (July-August) if you want quieter walking trails and easier ferry connections; late spring and early autumn give milder weather, fewer day‑trip crowds and better wildlife observation.
• Take the regular passenger ferry services from Hyères or Le Lavandou to the islands rather than trying to land privately; check timetables in advance because services concentrate in summer and skip days outside the season.
• Respect that Île du Levant includes the civilian naturist village Héliopolis and protected nature areas-follow posted rules, stick to marked trails and use the official landing points to avoid restricted zones that many visitors overlook.