Îles d'Hyères

Map of the Îles d'Hyères

The Îles d'Hyères (pronounced [il djɛːʁ]), also known as Îles d'Or ([il dɔʁ]), are a group of four Mediterranean islands off Hyères in the Var department of Southeastern France. Their old name is the Stoechades Islands from Greek: Στοιχάδες Stoikhádes from στοιχάς stoikhás meaning “in a row one behind another”.^[1]

A unique species of lavender named Lavandula stoechas was discovered here by Pedanius Dioscorides.^[2]

Islands

With a combined area of 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi), the Îles d'Hyères consist of

• Porquerolles – 1,254 hectares (3,100 acres), an extension of the Giens peninsula
• Port-Cros – 650 hectares (1,600 acres), the most mountainous, part of Port-Cros National Park, noted for rare flora and as a bird refuge
• Île du Bagaud – 45 hectares (110 acres), part of the same national park, and without permitted access
• Île du Levant – 900 hectares (2,200 acres), mostly for military use, partly a long-established naturist community centered on the privately owned village of Héliopolis

• 
  Porquerolles
• 
  Port-Cros
• 
  Île du Bagaud
• 
  Île du Levant

References

1. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). "στοιχάς". A Greek-English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
2. Lis-Balchin, Maria, ed. (2002). Lavender: The genus Lavandula. London, England, UK: Taylor and Francis. p. 17. ISBN 0-415-28486-4.

43.01°N 6.4045°E / 43.01; 6.4045