Photo : Yyuri1989 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
La Presqu'île de Giens
The Giens peninsula, in the commune of Hyères, in the Var, is attached to the mainland by a double tombolo, two strips of sand and sediments formed over some three thousand years. These two arms enclose the Pesquiers salt pans, where salt was extracted from 1848 to 1996, now an ornithological reserve on a migration route where flamingos in particular can be seen. This geological configuration is exceptional.
The Almanarre beach, about 4 kilometres long, borders the west side, while the east side shelters the port of Hyères and La Capte beach. In the south, cliffs and pine woods lead to Port du Niel and the Tour Fondue, from where boats leave for Porquerolles. The village of Giens has kept its Provençal charm and offers from its square a view of the peninsula, the beaches and Hyères to the north, and of the islands to the south. The poet Saint-John Perse, Nobel Prize for literature, is buried in its cemetery.
