Île du Levant
The Île du Levant, sometimes referred to as Le Levant, is an French island off the coast of the Riviera, one of the three that constitute the Îles d'Hyčres of France. It is 8 km long, 2 km wide, and located in the Gulf of Lyon. About 90% of the island is off-limits to the public, reserved for a military missile test center (the Centre d'Essais en Méditerranée).
In 1931, Gaston and André Durville, both doctors, established Héliopolis, Europe's first town dedicated to nudism, on the island. The town was built on hillsides and is dominated by Fort Napoleon. The Bain de Diane and the Plage des Grottes (a nude beach) are reserved for naturists.
Outside of Héliopolis, the other main tourist attraction is the Domaine des Arbousiers, a natural reserve.
Trivia
- Monks lived there since the 15th century; the ruins of their monastery still exist on the island.
- Ferry service to the island is available from Hyčres and Le Lavandou.
- Robert Heinlein wrote glowingly about the island's simple pleasures in his novel Glory Road.
External links
- Iles d'Hyčres, from Let's Go: France
- Pleasure island, a June 2004 AFP article hosted by a website for expatriates
- Map of the island in JPEG format, from the Hyčres Office of Tourism
- Excerpt from Glory Road about the island
