This charming little square sits at the crossroads of several streets in the heart of Hyères, with pastel-coloured houses and sunny café terraces on either side giving it a Provençal feel. Place du Portalet marks the dividing line between two different parts of the city: behind you is the “new town,” while just ahead lies the historic old town, which you’ve now entered. Hyères has been inhabited since prehistoric times, later welcoming the Greeks in the 4th century BCE and then the Romans. It was in the 11th century that a fortified town really began to take shape, crowned by a medieval castle, whose ruins you can still see today. During the Renaissance, the city started attracting more visitors, drawn by its mild climate and seaside location. By the 19th century, Hyères had become a popular destination for the upper class, who built elegant new neighbourhoods full of grand villas and luxury hotels. This gave rise to the “new town,” with its wide boulevards and neoclassical façades, a sharp contrast to the old town’s winding lanes and cobbled streets. Today, Hyères blends these two sides beautifully, offering visitors a rich mix of styles that brings the city’s layered history to life.