Pictured: The unimaginable array of archipelagos and islands that lie off the coast of mainland France

Fort du Guesclin lies within the commune of Saint-Coulomb, close to the beautiful port metropolis of Saint-Malo, which may be reached by ferry from the UK. The isle is accessible solely at low tide when a sandbank connects it to the coast. Nevertheless, because it’s non-public property, it may well solely be admired from the mainland – visiting is not allowed. In a overview, Tripadvisor person ‘Kerry P’ wrote that the island is ‘lovely to take a look at and I dream about residing there’. The native vacationer board says that the primary fortress was constructed on the island round 800AD, ‘in all probability on the ruins of a Roman development’. A brand new fort was constructed within the 1700s to guard the coast from English landings, whereas the present property on the island – constructed on the foundations of the previous fort – previously belonged to the hit French singer Leo Ferre, who died within the early Nineteen Nineties

Briefly closed to the general public, this Mediterranean island off the coast of the seaside resort of Bandol – between Marseille and Toulon – is presently within the midst of a five-year restoration venture, its web site reveals. Within the Nineteen Fifties, the then-barren island was purchased by Paul Ricard, an environmentalist and the creator of a spirit now referred to as Ricard Pastis. Ricard additionally acquired the neighbouring isle of Les Embiez, with the pair turning into referred to as the Paul Ricard Islands. Ile de Bendor turned a hotspot for the wealthy and well-known within the Sixties, with the artist Salvador Dalí amongst these to grace its shores. A small marina was constructed on the island, together with a lodge referred to as Resort Delos, tennis courts, a diving membership, boutiques and a sequence of eating places. Ricard additionally launched two museums – the Common Exposition of Wines and Spirits and the Museum of Ricard Promoting Objects. Earlier than the island closed for restoration, a day by day ferry service ran to the island from Bandol. It is not on account of reopen to the general public till 2026

Providing an escape from the glitzy crowds that descend on Cannes every summer time, this island is only a 15 to 20-minute boat journey from town. Boats from the mainland depart a number of instances a day, with a return ticket priced at round £13 (€15.50). The isle is called after Saint Honoratus, who constructed a monastery there round 410AD. When you’re there, go for a tour round Lerins Abbey, the place Cistercian monks produce wines and liqueurs of nice high quality, the Cannes vacationer board reveals. Subsequent, you’ll be able to cease on the island’s La Tonnelle restaurant, sampling the wines and liqueurs of Lerins Abbey and having fun with views of the Bay of Cannes as you dine. A Tripadvisor overview by person ‘Dom’ describes the island as having a ‘magic atmosphere’ 

Ile d’If has an enchanting declare to fame – it is right here that Edmond Dantes, the lead character in Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 bestseller The Depend of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned. The Chateau d’If fortress on the island, which is the smallest island within the Frioul archipelago – which lies round two miles off the coast of Marseille – was constructed within the 1500s by Francis I of France, who needed to make use of it to ‘shield the coast from invasion’ and ‘present cowl for the brand new royal fleet of galleys’, the Chateau d’If web site reveals. It was later used as a state jail. ‘Anybody opposing official authority was imprisoned right here from 1580 till 1871, particularly Protestants and Republicans,’ the web site says. Open to the general public for the reason that finish of the Nineteenth century, the island may be reached by boat from Marseille – a one-way ticket is priced at £4.80 (€5.60) – and guided excursions of Chateau d’If can be found. Picture courtesy of Artistic Commons

Automobiles aren’t allowed on this ‘wild and rugged’ isle, which sits within the Charente archipelago off France’s western coast, south of La Rochelle. As an alternative, holidaymakers can discover the island’s historic websites by ‘foot, by bike or in a horse-drawn carriage’, the native vacationer board reveals. Its checkered historical past is eye-opening – it was briefly owned by the English throughout the Hundred Years Struggle and was used as a jail throughout the French revolution, however its most well-known customer is Napoleon, who spent his last days in France on the island earlier than he was exiled to the isle of Saint Helena. At present, it is dwelling to a number of museums on the island, together with the Napoleon Museum, and provides spectacular views of Fort Boyard, an offshore fortification that was made well-known by the action-adventure TV present of the identical identify. A well-liked summer time home vacation spot, there are additionally 5 seashores to find, in addition to vineyards, sandy creeks, and cliffs, the vacationer board notes. There are some everlasting residents on L’Ile d’Aix and it may be accessed by boat year-round from the city of Fouras, roughly three kilometres (two miles) away

‘Brehat could also be a small island (3.5 km by 1.5 km), nevertheless it’s large in surprises.’ So says the native vacationer board of this outcrop, which lies close to the city of Paimpol in Brittany. It is made up of two islands related by a bridge, with a harbour, a village, privateer homes and a Sixteenth-century church on the southern facet and purple moors and stone partitions that ‘have a little bit contact of Eire about them’ on the northern facet. ‘Within the spring, the songs of tits, finches, robins, thrushes and different songbirds will delight your ears,’ the vacationer board reveals. Different sights on the isle embody the Paon and Rosedo lighthouses, the charming St-Michel chapel, and the pebbled Guerzido seaside. From his keep right here, the well-known modernist painter Marc Chagall was impressed to color his 1924 work La Fenetre Sur l’Ile de Brehat. Feeling impressed your self? Go to the island through the day by day ferry service, Les Vedettes de Brehat, which departs from varied places on the mainland 

Despite the fact that it is identified to locals as ‘witch’s island’ – seemingly as a result of its identify is much like the phrase ‘groac’h’, which suggests a witch in Breton – Groix is an idyllic vacation spot. Set 45 minutes from the city of Lorient by boat, its everlasting inhabitants of round 2,000 surges with holidaymakers every summer time. Ensure to go for a stroll alongside the white sands of Grands-Sables (pictured higher left), which is the one convex seaside in Europe, an area tourism web site reveals. There are loads extra uncommon sights to go to – within the early twentieth century, Groix was the nation’s main tuna fishing port, with the isle’s former cannery now a museum, and in Le Bourg, the island’s predominant village, you’ll be able to spot a fish hanging over the church tower. What’s extra, close to the cliffs of Pen-Males, you’ll be able to see bunkers that had been used as shelters by German forces throughout the Second World Struggle, the island’s web site reveals

Describing L’Ile de Noirmoutier, the French painter Renoir mentioned: ‘It’s an admirable place, lovely just like the south however with a sea that’s extra lovely than the Mediterranean.’ You possibly can uncover this magnificence your self by driving to the island on the bridge that connects it to Fromentine on the mainland, or alongside Le Passage du Gois, a submersible highway that comes and goes with the tides. Salt-water marshes cowl practically a 3rd of the island and there are 40km- (25 miles) price of seashores to discover. Historic highlights on the island, in the meantime, embody the museum within the Previous Chateau of Noirmoutier, which homes ‘a bullet-riddled armchair that was witness to the destiny of a French Royalist navy chief, Basic Maurice d’Elbee, who took half within the Vendean struggle in 1793’, the island’s web site reveals 

With its fairytale look, this tidal island – a Unesco World Heritage Website – is a haven for photographers. It lies in a bay shared by Normandy and Brittany and may be reached by foot or by a particular horse-drawn carriage service.  Again within the early eighth century, the bishop of a close-by city claimed that the Archangel Michael had come to him and instructed him to construct a church on the isle, the island’s web site reveals. The Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel was subsequently constructed and ‘turned a famend centre of studying, attracting among the biggest minds and manuscript illuminators in Europe’. The web site notes that the ramparts on the base of the island had been constructed to maintain the English forces out. At present, the isle is dwelling to museums, eating places, inns and outlets for vacationers. Go to within the summertime and you’ll witness the ‘Chronicles of the Mount’ night time present, when the doorways of the Abbey are opened after nightfall and guests ‘are handled to a spectacle of state-of-art gentle and sound results’ within the abbey’s chambers

On a go to to Mont Saint-Michel, it is price popping by Tombelaine, a little bit tidal islet that lies in the identical bay. Be cautious on the method – quicksand makes up a part of the path to the granite outcrop. Again within the eleventh century, two monks lived on the isle as hermits, and later, in 1423, it was occupied by the English as they plotted an assault on Mont Saint-Michel. In more moderen historical past, the island was a part of a intelligent ploy to generate tourism within the space – to spice up its romantic attraction. In line with Normandy Then and Now, two French brothers found an area fisherman referred to as Jean le Deluge who lived on Tombelaine. Taking his {photograph}, they fabricated a narrative about him, claiming he was a rich aristocrat who lived on the islet and giving him the identify Marquis de Tombelaine. The web site notes that in 1892 Jean le Deluge drowned within the bay on the age of 39, however his legend lives on. Acquired by the state within the twentieth century, Tombelaine has been a chicken reserve for seabirds for the reason that Eighties

This car-free island within the south of France, not removed from Saint-Tropez, is a hiker’s paradise, with 21 miles of trails. ‘Be Robinson Crusoe for a day and set upon the island’s marked trails, dropping your self among the many arbutus and cistus timber,’ the native vacationer web site says. Should you like the thought of staying on the island, you’ll be able to verify into Le Manoir lodge, which was constructed round 1840, arriving through ferry or water taxi from Hyeres or Le Lavandou. Pictured is the isle’s Fort de Port-Man, considered one of a number of forts on the island. It has been a peaceable Nationwide Park for the reason that Sixties, nevertheless it endured ‘stormy’ instances previous to the twentieth century. ‘For hundreds of years, Port-Cros was usually ransacked by pirates mooring on its coasts,’ the web site reveals. Within the 1500s, it was used as a house for convicts, which ‘solely worsened the extent of crime and looting’. In August 1944 throughout World Struggle II a German garrison of 150 males battled – and had been in the end defeated by – American and Canadian troops

Simply to the west of Port-Cros is Porquerolles, a crescent-shaped island measuring 4.3 by 1.8 miles that is additionally car-free. It has steep cliffs and creeks to the south and beautiful seashores with turquoise waters to the north – the standout strip of sand being ‘Notre Dame’. The island’s village dates again to 1820, and there is a fairly lighthouse and a church from the identical century. In 1912, the island was bought by the Belgian adventurer Francois-Joseph Fournieras as a present for his spouse, Sylvia, and he went on to construct vineyards on the land, later acquired by the state. The island is simply 10 minutes from Hyeres by boat, with ferries operating all yr spherical, and greatest explored by bike – there are many rent outlets on the port

A ship from Quiberon on the mainland will whisk you straight to Port de Palais, this Breton idyll’s chocolate field capital, the place you’ll be able to wander previous vibrant homes earlier than exploring the Citadel Belle Ile (pictured foreground), an angular Seventeenth-century fortress that now features as a museum and a lodge – although it is briefly closed for restoration, the island’s web site reveals. Between the late 1800s and 1922, the well-known French actress Sarah Bernhardt spent her summers on the island, residing within the fortress of l. a. Pointe des Poulains – the stays of which operates as a museum at present. She was joined by household, associates (King Edward VII was one customer) and her menagerie of animals – which included an Andean wildcat, a boa constrictor and a hawk. After you’ve got visited her fortress, climb the 247 steps to the panoramic balcony on high of the Nineteenth-century Grand Phare lighthouse, or try the ‘the needles of Port-Coton’ – a sequence of jagged rocks within the sea that when impressed a portray by the impressionist artist Claude Monet. Solar worshippers, in the meantime, will benefit from the crystal clear waters of Les Grands Sables seaside, a well-liked spot for bronzing and sea kayaking 

Individuals have settled on Ile d’Yeu since prehistoric instances – engraved rocks and bronze and iron weapon ideas have been found there, the island’s web site reveals. Within the Center Ages, a monastery devoted to Saint-Hilaire was based on the island, with monks clearing the land for cultivation and increasing the quaint village of Saint-Sauveur, which stays at present. The English arrived on Yeu in 1355 and occupied it for practically 40 years, till they had been cleared out by the French nobleman Olivier de Clisson V, the web site reveals. A must-visit on the isle is the Le Vieux Chateau, a putting fortress jutting out into the ocean that was constructed throughout the Hundred Years Struggle and later impressed the TinTin comedian ‘The Black Island’. ‘The scarred rock coupled with the stormy Atlantic [Ocean] makes it an imposing sight,’ Tripadvisor person Leopold mentioned of the attraction. There are additionally high-quality sandy seashores to find, whereas the Pointe du However on the southwest of the isle is understood for its picturesque sunsets. It takes round half an hour to succeed in the island by catamaran from the port at Fromentine, with the service working year-round

Tucked close to the southern facet of Corsica, this non-public island is peppered with ‘wild seashores and hidden coves’, the island’s web site reveals. It is the one inhabited island within the archipelago of Lavezzi, and there is only one lodge, the five-star Resort & Spa des Pecheurs. These days, it is a haven for scuba diving and solar lounging. In 1978, the island made headlines world wide when it was the scene of the deadly taking pictures of {the teenager} Dirk Hamer. The exiled Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Prince of Naples, admitted legal responsibility for the teenager’s dying 

Attracting the wealthy and well-known, A-listers Johnny Depp and Katy Perry are amongst those that are mentioned to have holidayed on this island. It is full of inns and guesthouses and may be reached through the Ile de Re bridge, which connects to town of La Rochelle. On a go to, try the island’s oyster shacks and soak up views of the Atlantic Ocean from the highest of the Phare des Baleines lighthouse. Historical past buffs will probably be drawn to Saint-Martin-de-Ret – the port city is ringed by the Unesco-listed star-shaped ramparts from the Seventeenth century. What’s extra, on a stroll alongside the island’s sandy seashores, you would possibly spy derelict bunkers from the Second World Struggle, when German forces fortified the island. It has one other hyperlink to navy historical past – the isle was used as a filming location within the Sixties struggle film The Longest Day, which recounted the occasions of D-Day

This image exhibits Saint-Denis d’Oléron, the northernmost city on Ile d’Oleron, a fairly island within the Atlantic Ocean that connects to the commune of Bourcefranc-le-Chapus on the mainland by a bridge. The island was previously owned by the English – in 1306, Edward I of England gifted it to his son as a part of the Duchy of Aquitaine, although it was reclaimed by the French two centuries later. There’s loads right here to maintain travellers occupied – go to the Marais aux Oiseaux chicken reserve and stroll via the island’s pine forests and sandy seashores, the island’s web site reveals. It is dotted with a number of quaint cities and villages, with La Bree les Bains, a small fishing village with an enthralling preserved mill, one of the vital widespread. When you’re on the isle, pull up a seat in a restaurant to strive freshly farmed Marennes-Oleron oysters, an area delicacy 

 From above, this beautiful little Breton isle is formed like a seahorse. Control the tide instances while you’re planning your go to – it takes roughly 20 minutes to stroll to the 2km- (one mile) lengthy island through a tidal passageway from the city of Carantec. While you make it throughout, the native vacationer board recommends marching alongside the ‘beautiful’ strolling observe that rings the island or attempting cockle fishing by the shore. After a picnic lunch, climb to the isle’s highest level to admire the stained glass home windows and putting bell tower of the Notre Dame de Callot Chapel, thought so far again to the fifth century. Impressed, Tripadvisor person ‘ John C ‘ praised the ‘wonderful white sands and surroundings’ he witnessed throughout his go to