Église Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre

Église Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre is a Romanesque church and the remains of a former abbey standing on the L'Almanarre isthmus in Hyères, on the site of the ancient settlement of Olbia. The ruins sit right by the shore, surrounded by salt marshes and open scrubland, making this one of the most rewarding historical stops on the way toward the Giens peninsula.

Where did this site come from?

Benedictine monks founded the abbey in 989, choosing a spot with direct sea access and a strong economic base — surrounding land, gardens and salt pans gave the community self-sufficiency. In 1220, Cardinal Conrad, bishop of Porto and legate of Pope Honorius III, brought in Cistercian nuns from the abbey of Saint-Pons in Gémenos to take over from the monks. A papal bull issued by Innocent IV in 1250 lists the community's holdings — houses, gardens, vineyards and salt marshes — and records a community of thirty-two nuns at the time.

Why is the church a ruin today?

The monastery suffered during the Wars of Provence and was rebuilt afterward, but pirate raids along the coast eventually forced its abandonment. In 1409, led by abbess Saure de Glandevès, the nuns left the exposed, seafront site at L'Almanarre and took refuge inside the walls of Hyères, founding a new convent dedicated to Saint-Bernard. That royal foundation, home to nuns from prominent Provençal families, lasted until the French Revolution, when it was devastated in 1793. Left to itself, the church at L'Almanarre gradually fell into ruin.

What will you actually see there?

Excavations carried out between 1958 and 1963 uncovered the original Provençal Romanesque plan: a single nave ending in a semicircular apse, with a flat-ended choir. The barrel vault, now collapsed, once rested on round arches; a second nave was later added to the north as the church was enlarged. Today visitors can walk among the stone walls, trace the outline of the apse, and spot fragments of the ramparts that once stood alongside the church, all set in the low scrub and sandy ground typical of this stretch of coast. Since 1926, the church and the adjoining rampart fragments have been listed as a French historic monument.

How do you get there, and when's the best time to visit?

The ruins lie on the L'Almanarre isthmus, a few kilometres south of central Hyères, right along the road leading out to the Giens peninsula — reachable by car or bike in well under half an hour. The site sits next to L'Almanarre beach, a favourite spot with kitesurfers, so it's easy to combine a visit with a walk along the water. Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons, and the surrounding salt marshes and meadows draw plenty of waterbirds — worth bringing binoculars for.

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk into the ruins? The site can be explored from the outside and partly from within, but it's a protected archaeological area, so stay off unstable sections of wall.

How long does a visit take? Seeing the ruins themselves takes about 20–30 minutes, but it's worth allowing extra time for a longer walk around the beach, the salt marshes and the nearby Olbia site.

Are there information panels or guided tours? On-site panels explain the abbey's history and the excavation findings; local heritage associations occasionally organise guided visits.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Right next door is the archaeological site of ancient Olbia and L'Almanarre beach, and a short drive further on is the Giens peninsula itself, with its salt pans and viewpoints.