Présentation

At only 420 metres from the shore, Île Verte is the only wooded island in the Calanques National Park and the Bouches-du-Rhône department.

Until the early 19th century, agriculture dominated the island. During the First World War (1914-1918), gunners were stationed here. At that time, two turrets were built on the heights. Four cannons were transported to the Calanque de Saint-Pierre. But it was the Second World War that left indelible traces.

The island’s location makes it a point of strategic importance in the Mediterranean. Thus, in 1943, the Germans turned the Île Verte an entrenched camp. They built a series of blockhouses linked by a network of underground galleries. Nowadays, you can still see some blockhouses and the craters made by shells in the pine forest.

Did you know? In the past, Île Verte was a paradise for rabbits. Today they have been replaced by gabians (the local word for seagull in Marseilles), which nest there practically all year round.