Then, after a long period of abandonment, it was inhabited again in the 1st century BC; Greek and Ligurian dishes were found on the island.

The Bain de Diane and the Plage des Grottes (a nude beach) are reserved for naturists; nudity is formally obligatory there.

Inside restaurants outside the village centre, some clothing, although often flimsy, is often worn but toplessness (for women and men) is quite accepted there and le minimum considered sufficient attire; on the outside terraces, nudity is common, especially at lunchtime.

The owners form the Association Syndicale Libre des Propriétaires à l'Île du Levant.

Outside Héliopolis naturist village the main tourist attraction is the Domaine des Arbousiers, a voluntary natural reserve of 19 hectares (47 acres), established on 3 December 1993.

A 1956 film by Werner Kunz was called Isle of Levant and featured so-called "nudist camp" footage.

Miss Brahms calls it "a nudist colony" but Captain Peacock insists it's a "nature camp".

It was also the setting for a short story, The Reluctant Nudist, featuring Leslie Charteris' character The Saint.

The Reluctant Nudist appeared in the collection published as The Saint Around the World "The Incompleat Guide to the Île du Levant", Henry N. Manney III and Russell Brockbank (illustrator), Road & Track, March 1964.