Introduction  |  Accommodation  |  General Info  |  Diving Info La Londe Les Maures (La Londe) is the smallest and least built up destination we use. It has a real small town charm and is perfectly situated opposite the renowned Porquerolles Marine Reserve, and the three islands collectively known as Les Iles D’Or (Porquerolles, Port Cros and du Levant). The diving here is characterised by the finest sites of the French Mediterranean and some fantastic wrecks. A pretty and spacious little town, La Londe has a very relaxed feel to it and here you will certainly feel as if you have got away from it all. It is right in the heart of one of Provence’s most important wine and olive oil producing areas, and thus surrounded by some beautiful countryside. The tourist office sum up the town’s unique location with the tagline, “Between The Sea and Nature”. It is also located conveniently for Toulon Airport, and geographically is roughly half way between Hyeres and Bormes Les Mimosas/Le Lavandou. Introduction  |  Accommodation  |  General Info  |  Diving Info The more budget orientated choice is a residential holiday complex located no more than two hundred metres from the beach. They have two standards of bedroom and for those with children or wanting a bit more space, studio flats are available. Half board comes as standard, with a large self service restaurant offering four course meals with wine included. There is also an “a la carte” restaurant on site. One of the restaurants has an awe inspiring view over the islands from a large hillside terrace. The complex is also served by a gym, tennis courts, and a football pitch. The other choice is a small family run two star hotel nearer the centre of town than the seaside. It has a peaceful atmosphere, a small swimming pool and the price includes breakfast. The rooms are nicely furnished, spacious and comfortable with television, phone and en-suite bathrooms (again of a good size). The car park is a reasonable size for those who may choose to extend their trips and the area is nice and quiet, for those used to a bit of peace. Introduction  |  Accommodation  |  General Info  |  Diving Info The town’s history goes back a long way. The oldest discovery to date is a grave north of the village that dates back to 2500 BC. However Roman settlement, as with much of the coast has left many historic remains. As already described La Londe covers a large area and is in between the sea and some outstanding countryside. The main street is very pretty and has all the facilities you would need including a good number of restaurants and cafes. The town has two marinas and its very own “Route des vins”, a tour of some of the more prestigious wine making estates. Of all of our destinations it is unparalleled for its access to great countryside, and other outdoor activities. Eating out As a small town La Londe is not overloaded with top end quality restaurants. However in the South of France you are always near good food. La Grupi near the centre of town offers Italian style provencal cooking and has a great lunchtime deal of starter, main and dessert for 10 Euros. Restaurant Gargantua on the main street has a New Orleans theme to it with some impressive murals, live jazz and an extensive and reasonable menu. Another choice worth considering is Restaurant Les Cedres. With its own magnificent swimming pool and set just across from the golf course, the food here is reputed to be well above average, with a fabulous setting. Highlights There are as you would expect some fantastic walks. One of the coastal walks takes you right up to the Fort de Bregancon, the official residence of the President of France. Another walk takes you along the route of a very old disused railway through vineyards and pine woods. The beaches are excellent, much larger that in many of the resorts, and are blessed with very fine sand. Another plus point is the easy access to the islands, which are almost a must see during the final half day. A dedicated ferry service runs from the marina between April and September. The wine of the surrounding area is among the best that heralds from the entire region and the Route des Vins takes in upwards of thirty wine producing Chateaux and Domaines including Saint Albert, Du Galoupet and De Mauvanne. Throughout the summer there are free open air music concerts playing anything from Jazz to classical. Aside from the exceptional diving, other water-sports feature heavily and it is possible to try your hand at sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, motor boating and deep sea fishing. The Yacht Club provides sailing tuition that caters to all levels. For active non-divers golf, cycling, tennis and trekking are all on offer. Nightlife La Londe, despite having some decent bars is not really a party town. For a night out clubbing the best bet is to head for either Bormes/Le Lavandou to the east or Hyeres to the west. Introduction  |  Accommodation  |  General Info  |  Diving Info As already indicated some of the wreck diving in this part of the world is awesome. Some of the highlights are briefly described below: Le Donator Built in Norway in 1931, this 78m long cargo vessel sunk just off Porquerolles Island as it hit a badly neutralised mine on 10th November 1945 carrying a cargo of barrels and tanks of wine. She now lies on a flat sandy bottom at 48m, and is often subject to strong currents. Most aspects of the wreck are still recognisable and easily explored. Due to the depth and currents this is quite a challenging dive, often it essential for divers to have experience in doing compulsory decompression stops on delayed SMB's (static marker buoys). Le Grec This 53m cargo ship was built in Dundee in 1912 and served under a number of different shipping companies during her life. As with The Donator she was carrying a cargo of wine when she hit a forgotten mine on 3rd December 1945, cutting the hull in two. Many features remain intact and the hull is now covered in Gorgonians, and is a magnet to large fish life. She lies at a depth of 47m within a few hundred metres of the Donator. Le Ferrando A large old cargo ship, Le Ferrando was sunk in July 1893 by a collision with a Navy vessel from Toulon that was on its way to Ajaccio in Corsica. Taking shelter in the bay from a Mistral she found herself moored directly in the way of a Navy squadron. The skipper took evasive action but it was too late. She covers an area of 80m by 20m and is slowly disintegrating due to her age, meaning she has only a maximum height of 3m above the seabed. She is at a depth of 26m and is frequently dive-able due to her sheltered position in the bay. Le Michel C Built in Belfast in 1866 this small coastal cargo vessel was sold to La Cie Castaldi in Marseilles in 1894. In 1899 she was adapted during a complete refit meaning at the end of her life she had two separate engines and propellers giving a maximum speed of 11 knots. In 1900, on her way to Cannes she took the pass between the Presqu’ile de Giens and Porquerolles and was hit by another boat from the same company travelling in the opposite direction. A mechanic drowned during the collision. The sister ship limped into Toulon having recovered the rest of the crew. She is situated at a depth of between 32 (stern) and 39 metres (bow) on the peak of a large rocky plateau with spectacular drop-offs surrounding her. The wreck has suffered over the years but still retains her form and many parts remain intact. The wrecks are far from the only outstanding dives in the area and the other sites will provide further excellent diving. Some of the highlights are as follows: Sec de la Gabiniere (East) The Gabineire rock is located to the South East of Port Cros Island. Protected from the Mistral, this site is exposed to the easterly winds common in the area, and can also suffer from strong currents. The dive site on the east side of the rock can either be done as a drift dive or from a boat at anchor. The dive itself changes between drop offs and rocky outcrops, and reaches a maximum depth of 45 metres. The Gabiniere is well known for its density of population of Mediterranean Grouper, generally found between 12 and 25 metres of depth. It is easy to come across ten or so in one dive. Scorpionfish, rascasse, morays and congers are very common sightings and it is also common to see large specimens of sea bream and amber jacks hunting. The site is also home to a band of barracuda at least two hundred strong. It is also graced by rich gorgonian life, red coral, anemones, sponges and many different types of nudibranch. L’Esperon des Salins Situated to the South East of Porqeurolles Island this is a deep rock that starts at 28 metres and descends all the way to 44 metres. There is a possibility of current and the site needs to be dived in good conditions as it is not sheltered from any wind direction. In terms of wildlife the site has a very rich sponge life, and it is also particularly rich in conger and moray eels, spiny lobster and many different species of fish life including wrasse, sea perch and bream. It is also not unknown to encounter Sunfish at the deeper parts of this site. La Pointe du Montremian At the North East tip of Bagaud Island, just off Port Cros Island, the site, also known as the ski slope is one of the highlights of the area. Current is possible. The site is very interesting and varied in topography which is part of its appeal. The wildlife is extremely varied and rich, and one can expect to see congers, rocklings, hermit crabs, morays, octopus, turbot and drums. The rock is also covered with red, yellow and white gorgonians, and once again the site is also very rich in nudibranch. The walls are covered in anemones and sponges which help contribute to a very colourful dive site. Back to top