Porquerolles from the Tour Fondue

Back in 1912, engineer François Joseph Fournier bought Porquerolles at auction and set up a model village and vineyards that still shape the island’s grid of lanes, water cisterns, and working plots. From the Giens peninsula, the pier at La Tour Fondue sits roughly 12 km from central Toulon along the D559—about a half hour off-peak. A brisk 15‑minute crossing swaps Aleppo pines for glassy shallows, between Plage d’Argent’s silver sand and the sheltered arc of Notre‑Dame, often quieter when the mistral bites the west side.

Your day runs smoothly: hotel pickup in Toulon, a Mercedes at your disposal, and timing that bends to your plans. With a dedicated private driver in Toulon, ferry schedules are handled, returns adjusted if the wind picks up, and you’re dropped right at La Tour Fondue so parking never becomes the story. On the island, taste Domaine de La Courtade’s wines a mile from the port, wander the Carmignac Foundation (about a 20‑minute bike ride on sandy tracks), and stroll to Notre‑Dame beach 3 km away—while your driver manages bookings and waits on the mainland.