Giens Peninsula
Giens Peninsula is simply a unique place in the world.
This is why a very large number of tourists, vacationers, onlookers and hikers have made it their favorite place.
Attached to the town of the medieval city of Hyères, in the French Var department, Giens Peninsula is situated in the heart of a region that is more than 2,400 years old.
Giens Peninsula : description
Giens Peninsula is connected to the Var coast by a magnificent tombolo, which creates happiness every year for many holidaymakers, tourists, geologists and hikers.
They literally invade the peninsula in the summer, as the village of Giens itself is inhabited by barely 15,000 souls during the whole year.
Originally, Giens Peninsula was an island. It is now linked to the mainland by a double tombolo, which is formed by dunes, sand, alluviums, sediments, pebbles, etc. This double dune cord, which represents a geological formation of splendid rarity, surrounds the Hyères Salt Marshes and the Pesquiers Pond, which is a staging site on the road of many migratory bird species.
For this reason, Giens Peninsula hosts a plethoric ornithological reserve: flamingos, pied avocets, black-winged stilts, passerines, warblers, thrushes, robins, woodcocks, small raptors, gulls, pheasants, farmed partridges, migratory birds, breeding birds, etc.
Located at the height of Cap Corse, Giens Peninsula, which is a true jewel of the Crystalline Provence, is the southernmost region of Provence. This is why the place attracts tourists from all around the world, as the sun is present there in abundance throughout the year.
Giens Peninsula, a magnificent place
Giens : the salt marshes
The town of Hyères is linked to the salt, as evidenced by its Latin etymology “eras”, which refers to the salty areas.
In general, salt marshes are rare ecosystems. The climate, geology, topography and geography present on Giens Peninsula make it possible to produce nearly 30,000 tons of salt there every year.
Since 2001, the Hyères Salt Marshes have belonged to the Conservatoire du Littoral, an organization managed by Toulon Provence Méditerranée, which is itself an organization assisted by the technical support of a third organization, the Parc National de Port-Cros.
The Sentier du Littoral, which is also called the “Customs Trail”, was created during the French First Empire. At that time, it allowed the passage of the Gabelous patrols, whose mission was to guard the traffic of salt and to hinder the smugglers in their actions.
The Salt Marshes on Giens Peninsula
Giens Pensinsula : the activities
By going through the Route du Sel on foot or by bike, you will be able to discover this region of the French Riviera, which is unique in the world, in the French Var department.
On Giens Peninsula, you can discover traditional small ports during your walks or hikes.
There are also plenty of beaches on Giens Peninsula: L’Almanarre, La Badine, La Madrague, La Bergerie, L’Anse du Four à Chaux, Le Pradeau, La Vignette, La Darboussière, etc. You can practice kitesurfing, windsurfing or fun boarding, as well as kayaking or paddle boarding, swimming, reading, etc.
Regarding kitesurfing in Giens, you should know that the Almanarre beach, which is a long beach of 1.54 miles of white sand, is one of the most popular surfing spots in the world. Events, championships and competitions take place there every year.
The Almanarre beach on Giens Peninsula
In the village of Giens, you can wander, stroll, take beautiful walks and rest, far from the bustle of the coastline, while putting aside the ambient noise of your urban life. From Mont des Oiseaux, you can contemplate a landscape of rare beauty.
If you are hiking fans, the Sentier du Littoral allows nearly 11 miles of walks, dotted with creeks, beaches, small fishing ports, ports dedicated to boat owners (Madrague, Niel, etc) and other islets of all kinds: Île Longue, Île de la Ratonnière, L’Écueil des Anguillons, etc. Further afield, the Maures Massif, which stretches from Hyères to Fréjus for nearly 37 miles, will also make it possible for hikers to enjoy themselves.
Port Auguier, one of the many ports in the region of Giens Peninsula
In addition to enjoying beautiful landscapes, Giens Peninsula offers magnificent underwater landscapes, where an eclectic aquatic fauna composes a marine national park, which is unique in the world: pomfrets, barracudas, moray eels, groupers, seas urchins, octopuses, sea breams, red mullets, congers, sea goldies, black scorpionfishes, forkbeards, sponges, lobsters, eagle rays, sunfishes, nudibranchs, slipper lobsters and langustas.
This is why Giens Peninsula, in addition to tourists, vacationers and hikers from around the world, attracts a very large number of diving enthusiasts.
Some diving spots in Hyères, Giens and its region have been ranked among the 5 best spots of the Var coast by the newspaper Var-Matin. The numerous diving clubs present in Hyères, Giens and the French Riviera will allow you to carry out all your diving activities: diving baptism, snorkeling, visits to famous wrecks (The Greek, The Donator, The Dornier 24, The Venus-Islands II, The Heinkel 111, etc.), scuba diving initiation, PADI diving course, diving sessions for all kinds of certified divers, etc.
As such, people from all over the world come specially in this region to discover this splendid Var seabed, as well as spots which are famous in the field of scuba diving: L’Île d’Or, La Seiche à l’Huile, Le Sagona (dit « Le Grec »), Les Cigales (Sec des Suisses), le Sentier Sous-Marin Port-Cros, etc.
Diving in Giens Peninsula, Hyères, Var, French Riviera
Finally, The Golden Islands, which surround Giens Peninsula, form a string of islands which are also called Les Stoechades, a Greek word that evokes their aligned form: Le Grand Ribaud, L’Île de Bagaud, Porquerolles, Port-Cros et Le Levant. Here, you can indulge in your cycling or walking activities, the most westerly island having, for example, 34 miles of trails.
From La Tour Fondue pier, on Giens Peninsula, it will be very easy for you to organize a cruise to discover the Golden Islands.
La Tour Fondue pier on Giens Peninsula
Presqu’île de Giens : apartment rentals
If you want to organize a stay on Giens Peninsula, Tilou Location offers 4 apartments of high standing, from 3 to 4 stars. The apartments for rent in Giens (aparthotel, studio or bed & breakfast) are ideally located, just minutes away from the famous beaches of L’Almanarre, La Badine and La Bergerie, from the La Tour Fondue pier for the Golden Islands, and from the medieval city of Hyères-les-Palmiers.
The few hotels present on Giens Peninsula are closed off-season, from October to April. Tilou Location is the only rental company open all year round on the peninsula with short term rentals starting from one night.
In addition to rental apartments of high standing, Tilou Location offers concierge services in Giens. Our concierge services meet the standards of a high-class hotel: bike rental in Giens, management of late arrivals, laundry, reservations (restaurant, kitesurf, windsurf, scuba diving, spa, cruises, etc.), luggage storage, free parking, WiFi, catering services (breakfast, lunch and dinner), boutique on site for all your everyday purchases, management of transfers, etc.
Tilou Location on Giens Peninsula
Pets are only accepted if they are properly leashed and vaccinated.
If you want to practice kitesurfing, fun boarding or windsurfing on the peninsula, you can leave all your surf gear in our luggage storage in Giens. Tilou Location is located in a protected residence with a private road. We also have safes for all your valuables: cash, checkbooks, watches, etc.
At Tilou Location, we make sure that your stay in the heart of the Crystalline Provence, on Giens Peninsula, will be unforgettable.
Apartment rentals on Giens Peninsula