VIDEO: Paddling the Mysterious Islands of the Mediterranean

April 28, 2015

Imagine the Côte d’Azur – otherwise known to most of us as the exotic French Riviera – on the Mediterranean coast, southern France… we usually think of sun-soaked celebrities under colorful beach umbrellas, flutes of champagne clinking on super yachts during film festivals and the roar of a Formula 1 cars tearing past bustling cafes!

TRAK and Thalassa invite you to join us to the same Côte d’Azur but to a very different destination, off the beaten chart and bound for the mysterious “Islands of Gold”: Porquerolles (pop. 200), Hyères and Levant. This little archipelago braves the weather conditions of the open Mediterranean sea and offers pristine natural habitats protected by the difficulty of access.

Julien Burellier, a member of our Adventure Team and TRAK Tour Partner, has led tours to these magical islands for years. His most recent adventure was featured in a national network show, Thalassa (France 3). Aboard a 42’ catamaran mother ship, a small group sailed out to sea, set-up their TRAK kayaks and set-out to explore the island coastline.

There they discovered hidden white beaches and valleys of vineyards: “It’s wild here, you think you’re in a faraway land… the water is crystal clear… like being in paradise… it’s magnificent, like a deserted island.”

Join the group on a virtual tour, courtesy of Voyage-Kayak and Thalassa. Paddle right alongside and imagine sipping a delightful glass of Domaine de l’IIe – a unique flavor of the sea and the sun-soaked soil – grapes cultivated for generations on land that never freezes. Or grab some great paddling action in heavy swell – notice the extreme rocker on our TRAK kayaks about 8 minutes into the video! Our kayak works for novice paddlers on quiet water as well as more experienced paddlers on challenging rough water, due to its unique shape-shifting engine.

If you want to experience what’s possible in our portable performance kayaks, and you want to join Julien to explore this little piece of paradise in France, let us know - the next tours run June through September.

Enjoy the video: