4-day sailing itinerary from Toulon: Porquerolles, Port-Cros & Presqu’île de Giens aboard a Solaris 44

"I had been dreaming of sailing on this boat for a long time... between the feel under sail and discovering a region I knew little about, this cruise exceeded all my expectations." It is with these words that Franklin describes his weekend of sailing departing from Toulon, aboard an elegant Italian monohull, the Solaris 44 (13.5-metre Italian performance cruising monohull, designed by naval architect Javier Soto Acebal and built by the Solaris Yachts shipyard in the Marche region). In April 2026, Franklin embarked with his father, two of his friends and their respective fathers for four days of sailing around the Îles d'Or, Port-Cros and Porquerolles, in an intergenerational and convivial "fathers and sons" arrangement. Far from exotic destinations, the crew enjoyed an intimate coastal interlude, in an area that none of them really knew. For those wondering whether a yacht charter departing from Toulon is worth the detour, the answer is yes! The bay, the Îles d'Or (Mediterranean archipelago off Hyères made up of Porquerolles, Port-Cros and the Île du Levant) and the April wind hold some lovely surprises in store.  

In this article, I'm presenting the 4-day sailing itinerary departing from Toulon of these six crew members across the Îles d'Or, between unspoilt coves, preserved anchorages and long tacks under sail aboard an exceptional boat. A short stay in weekend format, perfect for discovering this stretch of the Côte d'Azur with a crew before considering longer trips towards Corsica or elsewhere in the French Mediterranean.

A cruise aboard a Solaris 44

It is aboard the elegant Solaris 44 that Franklin and his crew embark for this cruise in the Îles d'Or. This high-end monohull, built by the Italian shipyard Solaris Yachts^[1] (Italian shipyard founded in 1974, based in Aquileia in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, specialising in high-end performance cruising yachts), embodies a certain idea of leisure sailing: performance, elegance and exacting standards. Designed by Javier Soto Acebal (Argentine naval architect renowned for his taut lines and his sporty approach to cruising yachts), it belongs to a lineage that enthusiasts recognise immediately, that of performance cruising yachts, in a universe close to Wally, but in the Italian style. Taut lines, flush deck, uncluttered cockpit, generous rig: everything about this boat says it is built to go fast and go well. "We're a long way from the classic charter sailboat. It's a real sailor's boat", Franklin sums up. Here, no standardised monohull designed for mass charter, but a genuine sailing machine. 

This kind of boat is not for everyone. It is technical, demands a good level, a solid sailing CV and a real familiarity with sporty sailing. "It's not a sailboat you take to potter about at anchor; it's a sailboat that makes you want to sail, really." For less experienced crews, the option exists to embark with a professional skipper, to take prior training, or even to opt for a catamaran that is more accessible in terms of manoeuvres and safety. Fortunately, Franklin and his father already have some miles under their belt, notably a bareboat cruise in the Grenadines which gave them the right reflexes. The handover happens without difficulty from check-in, and the boat is in good hands for the weekend.

The quality of the interior fit-out is the other pleasant surprise. Bright saloon, careful finishings, fine wood, ergonomics designed for life aboard: for six crew members spread across deck and cabins, the boat feels like a floating home in which one feels immediately at ease. The very generous cockpit naturally becomes the boat's living heart: you have lunch facing the sea, you take aperitifs at anchor, you put the world to rights in the evening. "We spent a huge amount of time in the cockpit. It's a place that invites you to stay outside, to enjoy", confirms Franklin. A setting truly worthy of the journey.  

However, what truly sets the Solaris 44 apart is its behaviour on the water. With 15 to 18 knots of wind and a manageable sea, the boat showed all its versatility: up to 9 knots of speed in the breeze, frank feel at the helm, reassuring sea-going behaviour even when sailing fast. To anticipate these conditions, the crew had consulted Météo-France Marine bulletins beforehand (official French marine weather forecasting service, the reference for leisure sailing in the Mediterranean). "You felt the boat respond to the slightest trim. You touch a winch, and it translates immediately into the feel", Franklin tells us. "It's one of the best monohulls I've had the chance to helm. An experience hard to match." The Solaris 44 perfectly illustrates what a yacht charter in the French Mediterranean can offer demanding sailors: performance, elegance and helm pleasure undimmed. 

A small logistical detail appreciated by the whole crew: check-in was done the day before (Thursday evening) at the Toulon marina, which made it possible to sleep aboard at the port and depart relaxed on Friday morning, without rushing. "We really appreciated being able to settle in at our own pace, get our bearings on the boat, and start the cruise calmly the next day", Franklin recounts. The provisioning, ordered in advance, was delivered straight to the boat, a real time-saver that avoids the morning rush to supermarkets and lets everyone get into the rhythm of the cruise straight away. On the price and transport side, Toulon-Hyères airport is only a few minutes from the base, which simplifies access for crew members coming from all over France.

4-day sailing itinerary departing from Toulon

Day 1 (Thursday): Check-in in Toulon, first night aboard

The adventure begins on a Thursday in late afternoon, on the pontoons of the Toulon base. Franklin and his crew, six crew members in all, two generations gathered for the occasion, discover the Solaris 44 waiting for them, neatly moored. First striking impression: "You see the boat, you climb aboard, and straight away you sense it's going to be another dimension. It's a boat that imposes itself, but without overdoing it", Franklin recounts. Taut lines, teak deck, bright and well-kept interior: the Solaris sets the tone.

The afternoon is given over to the administrative and technical check-in with the base: condition report, inventory, safety briefing, handover of onboard equipment. In parallel, part of the crew goes to do the provisioning, shopping for the three days to come, with simple logic: fresh, local, and enough for the aperitifs at anchor. Back to the boat in early evening, methodical stowing of the crates in the lockers, first installation in the cabins. Everyone finds their place.

First dinner aboard, alongside, in that particular atmosphere of the eve of departure when you haven't yet cast off but the cruise has already begun. "We were alongside, we'd prepared everything, and we knew we were leaving in the morning. It's a moment I really love, that calm before the real departure", Franklin slips in. The night is calm in the sheltered Toulon Bay (one of Europe's largest natural bays, sheltered by Mont Faron to the north and the Saint-Mandrier peninsula to the south, and France's foremost military port), rocked by light lapping against the hull. Tomorrow, course east.

Day 2 (Friday): Toulon, Giens Peninsula (about 12 miles, 2 to 3 hours of sailing)

With a relaxed mid-morning departure, Franklin and his crew's cruise truly begins. The night was calm at the port of Toulon, the provisioning is stowed, the boat is ready. Around 10 am, lines are cast off and the Solaris 44 leaves Toulon Bay, one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean, framed by Mont Faron and the fortifications that overlook the city. Course east, towards the Giens Peninsula (peninsula in the Var département linked to the mainland by a double tombolo, historic departure point of maritime links to the Îles d'Or).

Very quickly the breeze sets in, far more than the forecasts had predicted. "We had set out with rather feeble weather files, and in the end we had wind every day. It was a real pleasant surprise for an April month", Franklin recounts. The mainsail is hoisted, the genoa unfurled, and the Solaris immediately starts to fly. First real sailing leg, first trims, first feelings aboard. The boat is lively, precise, pleasant to helm, with a behaviour that inspires confidence on the safety front even when the breeze picks up. The Var coast unfolds, you can make out the rugged headlands, the umbrella pines coming down to the sea, and already that feeling of being elsewhere.

In the early afternoon, the anchor is dropped off the Giens Peninsula, in a sheltered anchorage, for a lunch stop. On the programme: the pickup of a friend by tender, directly on the beach. Small approach manoeuvre, gentle landing on the sand, express boarding: the crew is now complete. "It's one of those slightly cinematic moments that only a cruise allows", Franklin smiles. "You disembark by tender on the beach, your mate is waiting with his bag, you set off again: it's brilliant." First swim (the water is still cool in April, but bathing remains perfectly accessible), lunch aboard at anchor, then the afternoon continues quietly along the peninsula, enjoying the setting.

The crew finally chooses to spend the night at anchor in Giens, in a sheltered cove, to extend this first day of sailing and set off earlier the next day towards the Îles d'Or. Aperitif on deck at sunset, dinner aboard, starry sky: the first night at sea, away from the port, sets the tone. "We really felt that the cruise began there, at anchor, with no port around. It's another rhythm", Franklin recounts. The night is calm, the anchor holds well, and the crew falls asleep to the sound of the light lapping against the hull.

Day 3 (Saturday): Giens Peninsula, Port-Cros, Porquerolles (about 20 miles, 4 hours of sailing)

Waking up at anchor in Giens, breakfast on deck with a view of the Var coast. The boat weighs anchor early to take advantage of the morning breeze and set course east, towards Port-Cros National Park (the first marine national park created in Europe, founded in 1963, which protects a land and sea territory of more than 1,700 hectares at the heart of the Îles d'Or). The crossing is done under sail, with a steady wind around 15 knots. The boat strings the miles together with disconcerting ease, and it is mid-morning when the crew comes within sight of Port-Cros, the wildest and most protected of the Îles d'Or.

It is, without hesitation, the favourite anchorage of the cruise. "Port-Cros is really what we preferred. It's a wild cove, little frequented, you get the impression of being completely alone", Franklin confides. Preserved nature, raw atmosphere, coves seldom frequented in this April period: the island keeps all its promises, and clearly belongs among the unmissable destinations of the area. "You feel immediately that it's protected, that it's different. It's a place apart." On the programme: going ashore for a walk on the park's paths, swim in crystal-clear water, lunch aboard facing the wooded coast. Small anecdote of the stay: swimming is forbidden in the port of Port-Cros itself, something the crew is going to learn to its cost after a friendly warning from the warden, who came to remind them of the rule. "We didn't know, we got told off in a friendly way. In the end, it's part of the memories you tell back home." Proof, if any were needed, that the island holds dear its reputation as a protected territory. The official regulations of the National Park set out, moreover, in detail the rules applicable to leisure boaters.

In the mid-afternoon, the crew sets sail again to reach Porquerolles (the largest of the three Îles d'Or, integrated into Port-Cros National Park since 2012, about 7 km long by 3 km wide), only a few miles further west. Total change of mood: here, it's busier, livelier, more accessible. "You go from a wild cove where you're alone to a postcard beach in less than an hour's sailing. That's what makes the area interesting: you have several very different atmospheres within sailing reach", Franklin observes.

First stop on arriving on the island: Notre-Dame beach, ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Europe and preserved in an almost virgin state. White sand, turquoise water, pine forest in the background. The crew anchors there for the late afternoon, enjoys a long swim and an aperitif facing the sunset, before reaching the port for the night.

In the evening, direction Porquerolles village to dine ashore, at the restaurant. It is also the evening of a birthday celebrated aboard and ashore, in the particular conviviality of these cruises in which two generations come together around the same boat, between fathers and sons. "Celebrating a birthday on a boat like that, in Porquerolles, with your father and your mates: those are moments you can't make up", Franklin slips in. One of those evenings, indeed, that you still talk about several months later. Night falls on the bay, calm, and the six crew members put the world to rights under the stars.

Day 4 (Sunday): Porquerolles, Toulon Bay, return to base (about 22 miles, 4 to 5 hours of sailing)

Last day, and probably the finest leg of the cruise. The wind has picked up once again, always more than forecast, and the return sail towards Toulon takes place in ideal conditions. Long, taut leg, up to 18 knots of true wind, the Solaris 44 flies at 9 knots, perfectly settled on its hull. "Very smooth, very fast. It's that moment that will remain as the best memory", Franklin confirms to us. "The boat was in its element. You feel it's made for that." It's this kind of sailing that justifies a boat of this category: you don't endure the sea, you cross it with elegance.

Approaching Toulon, the crew eases off. Lunch is taken drifting in the bay, sails lowered, in the calm of the inner bay. "We were drifting at anchor, eating quietly, we didn't want to go back", Franklin sums up. Last swim of the cruise, last shared drinks, last photos. Then a quiet return to the base in the mid-afternoon. The boat is handed back, the gear crates are collected, we say goodbye on the pontoon already promising ourselves the next one.

Franklin's verdict is clear: "Toulon is an area you don't spontaneously think of exploring by boat, and that's a mistake. With the right boat, it's magnificent."

How much does a yacht charter in Toulon cost?

The question of budget systematically comes up when a yacht charter departing from Toulon is mentioned. The answer depends on three main variables: the season, the size of the boat and the formula (with or without skipper). Here are the average price brackets at Filovent for a weekly charter, excluding extras (skipper, hostess, deposit waiver insurance, port fees, cleaning, provisioning):

For a four-day weekend like Franklin's, count about 60% of the weekly rate. Beware, however: in high season, some hire companies impose a full week's charter. Franklin's cruise, carried out in April 2026 on a Solaris 44, a 13.5-metre high-end monohull, sits in the premium segment of the table above, around €3,400 per week in low season and up to €4,600 in high season, i.e. about €340 to €460 per crew member for the weekend, once divided between the six people aboard.

Good to know: April and October offer the best value for money to discover Toulon and the Îles d'Or. Sailing conditions are often excellent (Franklin had 15 to 18 knots of wind every day), the anchorages are deserted and prices can be 30 to 40% lower than in July-August. To get a precise quote for your cruise project, the simplest thing is to contact our advisers, who will offer you the boats available according to your dates.

Toulon, Hyères or Saint-Raphaël: where to embark to explore the Îles d'Or?

Three Filovent bases allow you to embark on the Var Côte d'Azur: Toulon, Hyères and Saint-Raphaël. They all open onto the same Mediterranean but do not give the same access to destinations. Here is a quick comparison to help you choose.

In summary: if your main objective is to sail in the Îles d'Or in a short format (weekend or 4-5 days), Hyères remains the most direct base, with Porquerolles less than two hours away under sail. Toulon, chosen by Franklin, offers a more complete approach: a little more sea to cover, but a magnificent bay at departure and arrival, and the widest fleet to find a high-end Solaris 44-type boat. Saint-Raphaël is only relevant if you are planning a week-long cruise or longer: the base is oriented towards the Estérel massif, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and the eastern Côte d'Azur, and reaching the Îles d'Or requires a full day's sailing outbound. The choice therefore depends less on price than on your target itinerary and the time available.

A few unforgettable memories

• The long return leg to Toulon: without hesitation Franklin's best memory. A manageable sea, 18 knots of wind, the Solaris 44 gliding along at 9 knots effortlessly. "It was smooth, fast, exactly what you expect from a boat like that." Everything one expects from a perfect day under sail. The fathers rediscovered their feel, the sons understood why their elders had always told them about those long legs under sail: a real handover, in short, between two generations of sailors.
• The wild anchorage at Port-Cros: island protected by Port-Cros National Park, few facilities, limited anchorages. The place keeps a raw, almost solitary atmosphere, especially in April when frequentation is still very low. "We had the impression of having the island to ourselves", Franklin remembers. The hard-to-reach coves, the preserved underwater seascapes, the park's paths that climb through the pines... A place apart, which alone justifies the crossing to the Îles d'Or.
• The birthday aboard at Porquerolles: hard to imagine a more beautiful candle than a sunset over Porquerolles. The improvised celebration between fathers and sons will remain as one of the high points of the trip, one of those that remind you that sailing is not only technique and charts, but also sharing, laughter and handing things on.
• The pickup by tender on the beach: small manoeuvre, but a great memory. Going to fetch a friend directly on the sand, by tender near Giens, is one of those moments that only a cruise allows. Feet in the water, your mate throwing his bag aboard, you laugh, you cast off, and there you go, the crew is complete. A film scene in miniature.
• Lunch drifting in Toulon Bay: on the return, sails lowered, anchor dropped on a shoal. A suspended lunch, on the boundary between sea and land, as if to make the cruise last a little longer. "We didn't want to go back", Franklin smiles. The absolute calm of a successful end of cruise.

Acknowledgements 

I want to warmly thank Franklin for the time he devoted to our exchange as well as for his magnificent photos and his detailed feedback on this cruise in the Îles d'Or! It is thanks to first-hand accounts like his that we can share with you the reality of sailing departing from Toulon, an area sometimes underestimated, but which holds, as we can see, some lovely surprises in store for those who know how to look there for wind and light.

Sources used for the writing of this article:

• [1] https://www.solarisyachts.com - Solaris Yachts: Italian shipyard, builder of the Solaris 44