Parallel · Porquerolles · September 2026
The Îles d'Or archipelago
Porquerolles and Port-Cros — trail running, sea, shared tables. 22 — 27 September 2026.
5Nights
10Places
1 450€From
Parallel · Porquerolles · September 2026
Porquerolles and Port-Cros — trail running, sea, shared tables. 22 — 27 September 2026.
Five days of adventure, between trail running, sea and new encounters, at the heart of the Îles d'Or archipelago, from Porquerolles to Port-Cros. A complete sporting experience, exploring a national park rich in protected species. On the programme: trail running, hiking and recovery sessions.
The trails lead to clifftop summits where the panoramas make you feel utterly alone on the island. Red earth paths then wind down towards turquoise creeks, perfect for a cooling swim.
This retreat is designed to offer a balanced experience — challenging yourself physically whilst fully immersing in the island and its natural richness. Your coach will ensure the group's safety throughout and share their knowledge of this singular environment.
Back at the house, locally sourced dishes are shared, prepared on site by Mathilde, a chef from Toulon. Mediterranean-inspired meals punctuate each day from breakfast through to dinner.
The group stays in a private villa designed by the son of a celebrated figure in French modernist architecture. Bathed in morning light, it sits at the water's edge in the sheltered cove of Porquerolles harbour.
Ready to give it a go?
Trail · Porquerolles
Meals · Sharing
Porquerolles Beaches
Terrace · House
The programme below gives an idea of what the retreat will look like. It may be adjusted depending on weather conditions or other circumstances.
Several sporting disciplines shape this retreat. Alternating activities allows the body to engage different resources without exhausting itself, and to discover the islands at varied paces. The aim is not performance in a single sport, but a balanced, beneficial and lasting experience.
Trail running is a wild sport. A moment devoted to exploring the landscape and the freedom of following untrodden paths. A way of reading a territory, which your guide will bring to life. This immersion in nature is deeply addictive. The climbs are demanding on the legs — but the adrenaline of the descent is more than worth it.
Each outing offers a new playground for the group. Guided by a professional, everyone moves at their own pace — the terrain sets the tempo. The group bonds on the trails. On Porquerolles, the landscape shifts between garrigue, cliffs, pine forest and maquis. The views over the valleys and the Mediterranean are extraordinary rewards — perhaps even more so than the post-run swim.
Recovery sessions take the form of stretching, breathwork and proprioception exercises. Quieter moments, centred on sensation and body awareness.
Off the coast of Hyères, three islands appear on the horizon: Port-Cros, Porquerolles and Le Levant. Once connected to the Maures massif, Corsica and Sardinia, they were isolated from the mainland 20,000 years ago by the gradual rise of the sea following the melting of the ice. They now form the heart of the Port-Cros National Park.
Porquerolles and Port-Cros have been occupied by many peoples over the centuries — Celts, Ligurians, Phocaeans, Romans. As on all Mediterranean islands, their inhabitants suffered pirate raids. The forts still standing today bear witness to this turbulent past.
Today, Porquerolles has a singular atmosphere. Motor vehicles are banned and you get around on foot or by bicycle. In the evening, when the last ferry takes the day-trippers away, the island belongs to you. The garrigue paths lead up to the heights of the island, where every trace of civilisation disappears.
Once known as La Messé — the middle island — Port-Cros takes its name from the sheltered hollow of its small harbour. The most mountainous of the three islands, its rocky southern shores form sheer cliffs. Around 1930, Port-Cros became the favourite retreat of writers and artists — Paul Valéry, André Malraux, André Gide — seeking calm, away from the noise of Paris, surrounded by magnificent scenery.
A villa conceived in 1970 by Émile David, son of Léon David who co-designed the Villa Noailles with Robert Mallet-Stevens. Set in the sheltered cove of Porquerolles harbour, at the water's edge. Filled with light from early morning.
5 rooms for 10 guests. One room with an en-suite bathroom, four others sharing two bathrooms. All rooms can be arranged as twin or double. A large outdoor terrace for shared meals. Various spots to settle in and read. A garden.
This is where you come back to after each outing. Where you eat, and recount the day.
Breakfasts are served early — sweet and savoury — to set off before the heat. Four picnics are planned, to be carried on the trails. Four dinners are served at our partner restaurant.
One lunch and one dinner are not included — an opportunity to explore what the island's other restaurants have to offer.
Running regularly with some elevation in your legs. No need to have completed marathons or ultra-trails.
Ferry from La Tour Fondue, Hyères. Approximately 20 minutes' crossing.
Please ensure your personal insurance or bank card covers outdoor sporting activities and repatriation. If not, travel insurance is recommended.
10 places available — Shared twin rooms. Shared bathrooms.
Rooms can be arranged as two single beds or a double.
22 — 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 · PORQUEROLLES
Questions? agathe.trouette@gmail.com