Part of the archipelago of the Golden Islands along with Porquerolles and Le Levant, with a length of 4 km and a width of 2,5 km, it is the smallest of the three islands with only ^10 km2. Nature lovers will be more than satisfied during his visit. After various owners, the island was partially acquired in 1921 by a notary from Hyères, Marcel Henry, who, with his wife, worked to develop the island and especially to preserve it. After his death, his widow donated the island to the state, making the creation of a maritime park a condition for the conservation of the fauna and flora.

This is how Port-Cros National Park came into being in 1963. One of France's ten national parks, it is also the oldest marine park in Europe and in France. Initially mainly concentrated on the land and sea areas of the islands of Port-Cros and Porquerolles, its perimeter was extended by order of the prefect of the PACA region on ¹ July 2016. Today, in addition to managing the Botanical Conservatory, the Cap Lardier site and 300 ha protected sites located on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, it brings together :

Two "hearts", spaces for protection and reception of the public, consisting of the island of Port-Cros and the state-owned natural spaces of Porquerolles Island, as well as their marine fringe up to a distance of 600 m.

A "membership area", a sustainable development project area developed with the communes of La Garde, Le Pradet, Hyères-les-Palmiers, La Croix-Valmer and Ramatuelle.

An "Adjacent Maritime Area", a replica at sea of the Adhesion Area, which covers the marine space to the right of La Garde in Ramatuelle, and extends up to 3 nautical miles south of the Hyères Islands.

Port-Cros is a den of wilderness. Located on the migratory routes between Europe and Africa, Port-Cros has become a favourite stopover for more than 120 species of migratory birds, of which about 30 are breeding. In addition to the incessant ballet of gulls and crested cormorants, there are some very rare species, such as the Eleonore's falcon, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Shearwater, Kestrel, Philomena's Nightingale. In the spring, butterflies twirl in colourful swirls and in the water, the not-shy fish - underwater fishing is strictly forbidden - happily frolic around the bathers. The Montpellier snake and the ladder snake, the black rat - which lives in the trees -, the bat, the lizard are also found in large numbers. Covered with a typically Mediterranean vegetation, Port-Cros is also home to some rare plant species such as catnip.

The most beautiful sites of the island are the black valley, the bay of Port-Man, the valley of Solitude, the South beach. Beware, the island can only be discovered on foot, where 30 km of marked trails criss-cross the forest massif. The use of bicycles is also prohibited. In short, forget about tap dancing and get good shoes!