Highlight
Penal colony ruins of Île Royale
Walk through the cell blocks and barracks of France's most notorious penal colony.
Typical duration
75 min
Price
Free to wander
From port
0.6 km / 0.4 mi
Transfer time
12 min
Indoor / Outdoor
outdoor
Queue risk
low
👨👩👧 Family friendly⚡ Good for short stops
🕐 Best time to visit
Straight after landing, before the midday heat
The plateau of Île Royale is lined with the stone buildings of the bagne: the convicts' quarters, the cell block for the condemned, the old hospital and the guards' houses. Many are roofless and taken over by trees, which makes the place eerily beautiful. Information panels explain daily life in the colony, the escapes and the famous prisoners. Don't enter the crumbling hospital ruins.
Getting there from the port
Walk up the paved track from the landing stage to the plateau (about 10 minutes).
Best transport: walk Cost: Free