The welcome hasn't improved much since the days of arriving convicts, but the rooms in the artfully renovated director's house are something out of a breezy Bogart film. If you want a more Papillon-like experience, you can stay in simpler rooms in old guards' quarters (some with terraces) or sling a hammock in the cleaned-up prison dormitories.
Don't leave without having at least one meal (set menu €26) at the restaurant, which serves the best fish soup (€10) this side of Provence. There are no cooking facilities, but bringing picnic supplies (and plenty of water – it's not potable on the islands) can keep your costs to a minimum.
