Frioul Port
Comprising 4 islands totaling 200 hectares, the Frioul archipelago lies facing the sublime city of Marseille (about 2 km wide). These islands, named Pomègues, Ratonneau, If, and Tiboulen du Frioul, are located respectively to the south, north, east, and west.
The island of If is primarily known for its former prison, the Château d'If, made famous for housing Edmond Dantès. Even if this name doesn't ring a bell, you certainly know the fictional character he inspired, namely the Count of Monte Cristo, in the work of Alexandre Dumas.
Port du Frioul : A First step towards an incredible Archipelago
The marina is quite large as it can accommodate more than 600 boats in its berths. It is surrounded by buildings from the 1970s that house shops on the ground floor and residences on the upper floors. It also has a visitor area for stopovers, which has 100 available places. However, one must be cautious and pay attention because the maximum draft is 5 meters. This port is the first anchorage point of the Frioul archipelago, accessible by boat from the city of Marseille. Frioul offers magnificent landscapes whose natural essence has been preserved for many years. Turquoise waters, dazzling beaches, coves kept like secrets, and a magical fauna and flora, this is what this place hides.
The strategic position of port du Frioul
Well situated, the Frioul archipelago has long served as a strategic defense location with the installation of military forts, trenches, and observation posts. The fortifications began under Henri IV, starting with a fort on Ratonneau Island, followed by the fortification of If Island. Under Louis XIV, the fortifications were extended to the entire archipelago. During Napoleon's rule and the Third Republic, additional military constructions were added, marking the landscape until today.
During World War I, observation balloons were stationed on the islands, which were then fortified by the Germans. The Allies bombed these defenses to facilitate access to Marseille. After the war, the islands remained military grounds until 1975 when the former military harbor was transformed into a marina.
The special features of the Frioul islands
Located in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille and known as "Les Îles" (The Islands), Frioul stands out for the absence of cars, with very limited use of bicycles. About a hundred residents live year-round on these islands, along with pleasure boaters on their boats. The archipelago hosts various facilities, such as a holiday center, a barracks for naval firefighters, a pilot station, and an organic marine farm. However, the lack of essential public services forces residents to travel to the city. Human activities, especially military and recent construction, have profoundly altered the landscape of Frioul, leaving ruins, debris, and pollution.
Fun fact
In 1997, Jean-Claude Mayo, owner of the Brigantin fort on Ratonneau Island, and some friends humorously founded the Free Republic of Frioul, which existed until 2001. With Egrégore le Virtuel as the lifelong president and Jean-Claude Mayo as the "verb conveyor" minister, this fictional republic issued its own "polymoney" and even attempted to join the UN, without success.