Walk in Porquerolles

(S/E) At the port, at the Tourist Office hut, head south-west towards the village. Pass the bike rental shops (Le Cycle Porquerollais).

(1) Turn right onto Rue de la Ferme. This road runs alongside Place d'Armes, a large dirt field lined with eucalyptus trees, at the end of which you can see the church.
Follow the signs for "Le Phare". The road slopes gently southwards, passes the primary school and, after the last shops, becomes Route du Phare-Ché du Cap d'Armes, passing rows of old farm workers' houses on both sides, now converted into homes.
Very quickly, it becomes more of a track than a road. It runs alongside the Garonne, which has been channelled for about a hundred metres.
It then passes between vineyards and olive groves. Continue straight ahead at the Carrefour des Oliviers.
Less than 1.5 km after passing the Place d'Armes, you will see the sewage treatment plant's lagoon basins on your right, lined with reeds.
You can just see the top of the lighthouse rising above the treetops on your left.

(2) At the crossroads at the end of the last basin, turn left through the forest, slightly uphill. Continue along this road.
This climbs in hairpin bends towards the Cap d'Armes lighthouse. Leave the buildings of a former holiday camp (or garrison?) on your right and immediately afterwards continue along the Route du Phare, turning 90° to the left.

(3) You will reach the Porquerolles lighthouse.
Although the lighthouse platform has been inaccessible for several years, you can still go to the entrance gate of the small fort and lighthouse tower.
You can admire the landscape of Cap d'Armes a little below the last access road to the lighthouse.
NB: contrary to other comments on certain published walks, the Porquerolles Lighthouse is a must-see for anyone who wants to soak up the island atmosphere of Porquerolles, imagine the warships of all ages rounding this point and trusting the light of the sailors, or coming to anchor in the nearby creeks to shelter from bad weather! And you can't visit an island without seeing its lighthouse!

Then retrace your steps a few hundred metres to the water treatment plant basin.

(2) Then turn sharply left onto the Gorges du Loup trail (well signposted).
The path narrows through the Mediterranean scrub and eventually opens onto a clear esplanade facing the sea.

(4) Continue to the end of the esplanade until you see the bottom of the Gorges du Loup.
This is a long, narrow fault in the schist rock. Don't hesitate to climb down to the bottom of the gorges, at the edge of the sea, where the water is shallow. Several fairly flat rocks provide a place to sit and sunbathe.
After your break, take the path heading east. This is the "Sentier des Falaises" (Cliff Path), which was built in the 18th century. It offers remarkable views of the sea, the cliffs and the creeks.
Just follow the signs for "Vigie" and "Le Langoustier".

(5) You will reach the highest point of Mont de Tiélo at an altitude of 107 metres, before descending via several hairpin bends to the Calanque du Brégançonnet.

(6) Leave the clear path on your right that leads to the Brégançonnet farm and continue by entering the scrubland again, slightly to the right and then immediately to the left.
Continue to follow "Le Langoustier". Cross the stream bed (usually dry) that flows into the Calanque du Brégançonnet.
Leave the cistern and the path that leads to the Pointe du Brégançonnet and its 44-metre peak on your left. A few metres further on, at a three-way junction, leave the wider path that continues to the right towards Argent beach, and turn left towards Mont d'Esterly and Le Langoustier, following the cliff path.

(7) Go around Mont d'Esterly (87 m) to the north, making sure to stay on the cliff path and not take any of the numerous paths (in varying states of repair) that lead inland.
Head towards Mont Sarat (72 m).

(8) Continue to the Pointe des Carrières.
The trail then disappears from the map, but not from the terrain.
Walk about 250 m west along the cliffs, then about 450 m north in a southerly direction.
This will take you to the entrance of Mas du Langoustier.

(9) You will arrive in front of the entrance to the farmhouse. Turn right onto the access road/track (Circuit du Couchant according to OpenStreetMap randonnée Monde) and go through the gate to exit onto the road.
In the 18th century, there was a soda factory here.
Continue east on this road.

(10) You will soon reach the Col du Langoustier (not mentioned on maps).
You can either head straight to Plage d'Argent or even the village, or take the ridge road, which only adds a few hundred metres and offers breathtaking views of the harbours of Porquerolles and Hyères. The latter route is described here.
At the pass, immediately head towards Plage des Maures on the left as you climb. Then, in the hairpin bends, do not head towards Plage du Grand Langoustier (western tip of the island), but go around the 79-metre-high hill to the west for a few dozen metres, heading due north.

(11) Just before the cistern (which you leave on your left), turn sharply right, heading east.

(12) The path passes at an altitude of 74 m (called "Le Parapluie", site of an old landmark built in 1899), then descends gently towards Plage d'Argent.
At the junction with the track that runs from the village of Porquerolles to Grand Langoustier (Chemin du Langoustier), cross it and take the path opposite.

(13) The trail leads to Plage d'Argent, opening onto the stretch of sea between Porquerolles and the mainland, called Rade d'Hyères, the scene of famous regattas.
There, a network of more or less well-maintained paths in the sand runs parallel to the beach, avoiding the track and its dust for about a hundred metres.
Go behind the beach restaurant, then cross the wooden bridge, leave the transformer ("Tf." on the IGN map) on your left and turn right to join the Chemin du Langoustier track.
Follow the signs to return to the village via the same track, skirting the southern side of the Porquerolles harbour cove.

(S/E) This will take you back to the starting point of the hike.

This island is very popular in the summer months, with many boats bringing tourists from Toulon, Hyères and Le Lavandou.
So don't expect a romantic, bucolic stroll if you come during the school holidays, especially in the middle of summer...

Alternative route: if the passage from (8) to (9) and beyond is blocked, don't hesitate to retrace your steps and stay on the path between points 87 and 72, just before Mont Sarrat, heading north towards point 44, where you will rejoin the route described here (you will thus pass from (7) to (10) without going through (8) and (9)).

Local history
Porquerolles is the largest of the Levant Islands, covering 1.254 hectares, 7.5 km long and 2 to 3 km wide. The highest point is the semaphore at 142 m. It takes its name from the Provençal port Cayrolas, meaning the cove of the big rock (where Fort Sainte Agathe is built). The island has a circumference of 30 km. It is the most populated of the Hyères islands.
The terrain slopes gently on the north coast and drops to cliffs 50 to 100 metres high on the south coast.
Facing the port of Hyères (20 minutes by boat), or closer to the southernmost tip of the Giens Peninsula, is La Tour Fondue (15 minutes).
In 1834, P. N. Fellon, in his "guide for travellers", tells us that here "the air is very healthy and the water excellent. It would be difficult to find anywhere else more delights in the pleasures of fishing and hunting"
More than 80% of Porquerolles has been owned by the State since 1971 and the management of this area is entrusted to the Port Cros National Park.
It is criss-crossed by more than 100 km of magnificent paths, tracks and trails of all sizes, which are well restored and maintained. They are not signposted but are clearly marked by numerous posts, signs and panels.
It is best to explore them on foot rather than by bike, as bikes have a tendency to damage the ground, which is already badly eroded by natural causes and heavy human traffic. In addition, several trails are only accessible on foot all year round, and others are only accessible on foot during the busy tourist season.
Most of these trails were created in the 18th century by a military company under the command of Jean de Bessou de Mondiol, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis, Major and Commander in the service of the King on the island. They were intended to be used to travel around the island for watch duty.
From a geological point of view, the island's rocks are metamorphosed schists, where small mica facets can be seen. The island is a maritime extension of the Maures massif.
Throughout its history, particularly from the 12th to the 19th century, the island was the scene of much maritime activity.
Its coasts offered shelter for large sailing ships, both commercial and military, either to shelter from the prevailing winds (the west mistral or east winds) while waiting to set sail, or to carry out carenage (hull cleaning) in the open sea due to the absence of tides in the Mediterranean. Several coves still bear the name: Grande Cale or Cale Longue, Calanque de l'Oustau de Diéu.
"It is an island with two faces: to the south, a steep coastline dominated by cliffs where a few hidden creeks are worth exploring. To the north, a Caribbean atmosphere with sandy beaches and turquoise waters. In the centre, cultivated plains where the botanical conservatory's plant collections extend. " Source: Hyères Tourist Office.

Numerous naval battles, due to Saracen piracy and various conflicts between European powers, have taken place over the centuries on the coasts of the Levant Islands, as they provided refuge and concealment from enemies. In particular, the English came here to hide while waiting for the Levant fleet to leave Toulon.
There are many books and websites detailing the history of the island, its climate, geology, ancient and contemporary history, which I encourage you to explore in addition to these few lines.

The duration of the hike indicated includes breaks (picnic, photos, etc.).

You can swim in the many coves, particularly the Gorges du Loup and the Plage d'Argent, if they are not too crowded (depending on the season).
Don't hesitate to take a few detours into the olive groves to enjoy some peace and quiet.
At the lagoons, look for the hut where you can observe the aquatic fauna.
At the lighthouse, you can continue for a few dozen metres to see the Pain de Sucre (a rock in the sea a few metres from the shore) and the Calanque de l'Indienne.
"The lighthouse was saved from destruction in 1944 thanks to the courage of its keeper at the time, Joseph Pellegrino. This act earned him the Legion of Honour." Source: Wikipedia

The lighthouse was listed as a historic monument by decree on 13 September 2022.
Elsewhere on the island: Maison du Parc, forts and old military batteries, National Botanical Conservatory, beaches and calanques...

Cinema
much of Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le fou (1965) and François Villiers' Mon ami Maigret (1973) was filmed on the island and in the surrounding sea, showing the port and village before the era of mass tourism. Sébastien Marnier's film L'Origine du mal (2022) is also set on this island." Source: Wikipedia

Hiking and sleeping on board! Tempted?
With Les Sentiers De La Mer, sleep on board a sailing boat during your trip along the coast. Like a guesthouse on the water, the sailing boat provides unusual and itinerant accommodation. Discover the sailors who host Les Sentiers De La Mer in Porquerolles.