Île du Levant

Île du Levant, sometimes referred to as Le Levant, is a Mediterranean French island off the coast of the Riviera, near Toulon. It is one of the three that constitute the Îles d'Hyères of France. The island is 8 km long, 2 km wide, and located in the Gulf of Lion (geographical coordinates: 43°03' northern latitude, 6°28' eastern length). About 90% of the island is off-limits to the public, reserved for a military missile test center (the Centre d'Essais de Lancement de Missiles) which has launched numerous research and testing rockets since its establishment in 1948.

In 1931, Gaston and André Durville, both doctors, established Héliopolis, Europe's first town dedicated to naturism, on the island. The town was built on hillsides and is dominated by Fort Napoleon. The Bain de Diane and the Plage des Grottes (a nude beach) are reserved for naturists.

Outside of Héliopolis, the other main tourist attraction is the Domaine des Arbousiers, a natural reserve.

Trivia

*Monks lived there since the 15th century; the ruins of their monastery still exist on the island.
*Ferry service to the island is available from Hyères and Le Lavandou.
*Robert A. Heinlein wrote glowingly about the island's simple pleasures in his novel "Glory Road".

External links

* [http://www.ot-hyeres.fr/images/levantcarte.jpgMap of the island] in JPEG format, from the Hyères Office of Tourism
* [http://www.astronautix.com/sites/ileevant.htm Ile du Levant Chronology and Launch Log]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ll=43.036525,6.466656&spn=0.053325,0.117073&om=0 Google Maps: Satellite picture]