Dive trip Snorkeling at Port-Cros

Stay, Diving holidays in France, to do Snorkeling at Port-Cros

Off the Giens peninsula and Cape Benat, opposite the town of Hyères, discover Port-Cros, one of the islands that make up the archipelago of the Golden Islands. Classified as a National Park since 1963, the seabed of Port-Cros and Porquerolles enjoys protection reflected by the richness of the fauna and flora. This makes it easy to understand why these islands are among the best snorkeling destinations in Europe. They shelter sites of different depths for the greatest happiness of snorkelers and freedivers.

There are about ten caves and tunnels accessible to all freedivers and snorkelers, as well as wrecks such as the Cement-maker at 4 m and the Lena at 14 m, much appreciated for their historical interest. Other wrecks require a specialty in freediving due to the depths covered, with the Ferrando at 25 m, the Marcel at 30 m, the Michel C at 36 m, the Greek at 36 m, and the Donator at 40 m. Diving schools such as Espace Mer, Ulysse Plongée, and Mio Palmo install hangers and lifelines to allow freedivers to evolve in complete safety. The aim here is to discover the best freediving sites in the Mediterranean in this Natura 2000 area in a different way and in complete freedom.
Prepare your diving holidays in France with the tourist offices of Hyères, Le Lavandou, Bormes-Les-Mimosas.

Marine species in the area

Dive sites

About an hour from the port of Porquerolles, it is possible to access a beautiful cove where you find the wreck of the Cement-maker. When you arrive at the landing stage of Port-Cros Island, you walk about 40 minutes north to reach the beach of La Malud. Once on the beach, it is easy to spot the area delimited by two lines of buoys that stretch to the Rascas rock, the islet facing the beach. This marked underwater trail has been defined so that everyone can easily discover the sea bed. All along the route, six buoys with explanatory signs.

Between the islands of Porquerolles and Petit Ribaud, you explore an area while snorkeling and freediving. To see: schools of Salema, sea urchins, pearls in the Posidonia. In the Gulf of Giens, go to Almanarre, to dive into the underwater archaeological path of Olbia. Easily accessible from the beach, it allows you to discover the fauna, flora, and underwater landscapes between the surface and 5 meters deep. The remains of the Roman quay face the archaeological site of Olbia, the Greek fortress that became Roman.

Further down, at a depth of 3 meters, we find the Tartan wreck that sank in the 17th century. Back to the beach, the rocky bottom shelters abundant marine life with scorpionfish, octopus, and anemones. The underwater path at the "Pointe du Bouvet" features a reconstruction of an amphora cargo at a depth of 6 meters. It comes from the ancient wreck of the Madrague de Giens, which was sunk in 60 B.C. The palm hike starts at the beach, and various underwater signs provide more detailed information.