Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on September 27, 2020
With its turquoise waters, Plage du Sud is the most popular beach in Port Cros island. It can also be crowded during summer. Snorkeling is everything but extraordinary here: if you come here for the sake of fish spotting you will prefer Anse de la Fausse Monnaie and La Palud beach; but if you’re spending a sunbathing day here anyway you will still like snorkeling here.
The best place to take a boat towards Port Cros island is Hyères. Boats leave 5 to 15 times per day in each direction, depending on the season. The round trip costs about 28€/person (full price). You can also take a boat from Porquerolles island and Le Lavandou. Public transportation to Port Cros island is run by TLV-VM (more useful information here).
When in Port Cros, you will have to walk for about 40 minutes to reach the beach. It is well indicated. About 10 minutes before arriving, you will pass by Anse de la Fausse Monnaie, where snorkeling is far more interesting than Plage du Sud. The path is rocky, make sure you wear good walking shoes.
Plage du Sud is a gorgeous white sand beach. The best area to enter the water is on your right when facing the sea, it is closer to the rocky area where aquatic life is the most interesting.
A buoy line closing the bay sets the limit to the swimmable area. Beyond is a mooring area which can become busy with boats in summer. The best snorkeling is to be done beyond this line. You should be safe as long as you report you presence, stay along the shore and remain careful.
After entering the water you will come across a sandy seabed (↕0-1m) where sargo and thicklip grey mullets sometimes weave their way amongst swimmers. Swim away until there are less people around and water is clearer.
Stay close to the rocky shore closing the bay. You will soon come across a posidonia meadow and some interesting rocky areas (↕1-3m). Spotting gilt-head bream and small groups of salema porgy is easy here, but on the whole fishes are fewer than in other spots of the island.
Pay attention to other swimmers when in the secured area, and to boats beyond the buoy line (you should be safe as long as you stay close to the shore).
There are no restaurants nor hotels by the beach, but you will find several restaurants at a nearby village. You will have to walk there: it is 40 minute trip (shortest path).
This reference identification guide includes all the 860 marine fish species that may be encountered while snorkeling in coastal Western Europe and the Mediterranean.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
