Le Dramont & Île d’Or

The coastline surrounding the Dramont peninsula and the Golden island is truly spectacular. 

While travelling en-route to the west side of the Riviera, from Mandelieu to Fréjus you will pass the stunning volcanic red rocks of the Estérel with its tiny coves and rocky headlands. Cap Dramont is part of the Estérel National Forest. At the summit of the Cap Dramont, a semaphore was built in 1860 on the ruins of a watchtower dating back to 1562. It is still used as an observation post. The main beach in the Dramont was one of the most important ones during the landing in Provence. 20,000 GI’s from the 36th Infantry Division from Texas disembarked on August 15th 1944 and above the beach there is a landing craft, several plaques and large memorials with the important history that this beach played in the liberation of southern Europe in WW2. At the foot of the cape you can see the very picturesque port of Poussaï.

I’ile d’Or extraordinary destiny started in 1897 when an architect of the Dramont, by the name of Sergent, bought it for only 280 francs (a Peugeot car was twenty times more expensive!). A few years later, it changed owner and the Doctor Auguste Lutaud acquired it, perhaps in a card game! He declared himself “August the 1st”, sovereign of the island. He had the red rock tower built according to the unusual Sarasin architecture (in the region, architects used to favour the architecture of Genoa with a round base). The island became popular for sumptuous receptions. Today, it remains private property.