Levant island

The Héliopolis naturist resort on the island of Le Levant

Although only a small part of the island is open to the public (10% of its territory), Le Levant is France's leading naturist destination, with the Héliopolis naturist estate. Here, on this private estate open to the public, you can experience a rhythm of life in harmony with nature and the search for well-being, brought about by the virtues of the sun, a healthy lifestyle and tolerance towards your fellow man. This message of welcome addressed to new visitors to the Heliopolis domain on their website bears witness to this:

" Clothed or unclothed, all visitors are welcome as long as they agree to be as tolerant as the villagers, for a few hours, a few days or more if you too fall in love with this island. The naturism of the Durville brothers is still present. The friendliness and simplicity of Levantine life are testament to this. Lovers of their often magnificent gardens, the locals will be happy to show you the most unexpected plants that have made this unique place their home

Ile du Levant is therefore a very special tourist destination, offering colourful holidays that combine the naturist lifestyle with exceptional scenery, with a special mention for the sunsets over the island of Port-Cros opposite. This is an unusual destination in the Var, with a surprising natural heritage. It's not for the fine sandy beaches that you come to the Ile du Levant, as there is only one accessible to the general public, but rather for the philosophy of life that reigns there and the multitude of emerald-coloured coves that you will discover as you follow the naturist trail.

On the island, people are content with simple pleasures and a gentle pace of life, in tune with nature and its benefits. With this in mind, the preferred mode of transport for Levant residents is walking, with few motorised vehicles on the island (only for transporting goods). Ile du Levant has no public lighting, to preserve the natural beauty of its starry skies, which will delight your evenings under the stars.

On Ile du Levant, in the village of Héliopolis, you'll find all the services you need , including a number of shops (grocery, bakery, post office, etc.) and hotels such as Héliotel, La Brise Marine and Le Rocher du Secret (note that the latter two are reserved for couples). When it comes to eating out, you can visit La Pomme d'Adam, the historic bar and restaurant on Ile du Levant. In the centre of the estate you'll find other restaurants: La Palmeraie and Le Minimum. On the port side of l'Ayguade, you'll find the Gambaro restaurant, which specialises in fresh fish. Finally, on the chemin de la Perspective, you'll find the restaurant La Fourmi, an intimate establishment that will charm you with its beautiful sea-view terrace. We invite you to discover all our service providers at the bottom of the page.

The Arbousiers reserve and the nature trail on Ile du Levant

Naturism on Ile du Levant is more than a desire for nudity, it's a philosophy of life, close to nature and its benefits. With this in mind, the " Arbousiers Voluntary Reserve " (covering around 20 hectares) was created in 1993. This project was made possible by the purchase of land to the north-west of the estate by the "Syndicat libre des Propriétaires du domaine d'Heliopolis". It wasn't long before Heliopolis was recognised as a protected nature reserve, completely untouched by any land development. As a result, the ecological richness of Ile du Levant has remained untouched for almost 150 years, offering visitors an exceptional natural heritage with striking landscapes. The reserve offers an astonishing palette of colours in summer: the red of the arbouse, contrasting with the green of its leaves, the ochre of its trunk and the azure blue of the sea in the background.

To discover all the special features of the estate and the beauty of its nature reserve, we recommend you follow the island's signposted " nature trail ". It takes in the whole estate, from the top of the village, through the Arbousiers pine forest, before heading towards the Galère cirque and finishing along the seafront as far as the port of l'Ayguade (duration: around 2h30).

A strategic site with an atypical itinerary

As well as being naturally beautiful, Ile du Levant is also a first-rate historical site. Ile du Levant is the most easterly of the Hyères islands, making it a strategic point for navigation, particularly for ships heading for the Grande Rade de Toulon, which is why the island was developed in the 19th century, with the construction of the Titan lighthouse in 1836. This strategic position accentuated the State's desire, at the time, to acquire 95% ownership of the island, making Île du Levant a vast military site.

The 19th century also saw the creation of a penal colony in 1857, for children sentenced to more than six months' imprisonment. Imprisoned for petty theft, these children performed forced agricultural labour for the benefit of the island's owner. The penal colony of Sainte-Anne was evacuated in 1878 after more than ten years of tragic tensions and revolts.

During the inter-war years, the doctors Gaston and André DURVILLE, renowned for their work on naturism and new medical practices, succeeded in developing the " International Naturist Centre of the Ile du Levant, with the naturist city of Héliopolis ", welcoming, until 1944, a public keen to sample this new cure for well-being. The twentieth century was marked by the cohabitation of the Army and naturists on the Ile du Levant. The situation turned to the advantage of the state institution, which asserted its rights by protecting the secrecy of national defence, with certain constraints for civilians from the 1950s onwards. Despite this, the island remains France's leading naturist destination with the famous Héliopolis naturist domain, which has become an Eden for lovers of nature and a certain vision of well-being.

Ile du Levant, in the Var department in the South of France (formerly Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur), is accessible by boat from Hyères and Le Lavandou.

From the port of Hyères, Port Saint Pierre, you can board the TLV shuttle service, which operates between the mainland and the Golden Isles. The crossing from Hyères to the Ile du Levant takes an hour and a half.

From Le Lavandou, the Vedettes Îles d'Or provide the crossing, lasting between forty minutes and an hour, depending on weather conditions. For those who want a more personalised crossing, you can take a water taxi, with private companies and individuals offering this type of service to the Îles d'Or.

Once you arrive on the Ile du Levant, you disembark at the Port de l'Ayguade, with the "Perspective" in front of you, the symbolic street of Le Levant leading straight up to the village, while a network of paths and cornices criss-cross the estate to enable everyone to reach their accommodation.

Every time the boat arrives, a motorised vehicle is available for a fee (price per person, price per piece of luggage) to take you to your accommodation on Ile du Levant.

Find all the practical information on the official Heliopolis page.