From island to island

The four islands of the Charente archipelago are all equally attractive. Their natural environment, their sunshine, their history, their magnificent beaches and their gentle way of life form their identity, making them desirable and authentic. For a weekend or a holiday, it is the dream destination.

The Isle of Ré, pearl of the Atlantic

Undeniable assets

30 km long and 5 km wide, the island of Ré is bathed by the clear, warm waters of the Gulf Stream. It's not easy to choose just one word to describe it, as it has so many qualities :

• Beaches of blond sand;
• White houses;
• Hollyhocks and mimosas on every street corner;
• Salt marshes;
• Small typical villages;
• A renowned vineyard;
• Maritime pine and holm oak forests;
• Thalassotherapy centers...

The island of Ré has more than one attraction to seduce the day visitor or the holidaymaker. It also attracts many celebrities. The eastern part of the island is cultivated: early vegetables, vines and the famous new potatoes.

Once you have crossed the bridge, you can cycle from village to village, stopping off at its superb fine sandy beaches.

Towns and villages on the Isle of Ré not to be missed

• Rivedoux-plage is the gateway to the island with its beautiful beaches and its oyster farming vocation. By taking the direction of the D35, you reach the fort of La Prée.

• The commune of La Flotte, a former fishing village, classified among the "most beautiful villages in France". Discover the Châteliers Abbey, a former Cistercian building founded in the 12th century and remodeled in Gothic style in the 15th century. Today, only the façade and walls remain.
• Saint-Martin-de-Ré is in some ways the capital of the island. The port and its small streets have a crazy charm. Its fortifications, remodeled by Vauban, are classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Nearby, the Barbette park overlooks the sea. The citadel still houses common law prisoners. The Ernest-Cognacq museum owes its name to the founder of the Parisian department store La Samaritaine and a native of the island. It is housed in a 16th century hotel and has a collection of objects from the Rétais heritage. The Saint-Martin church, once fortified, offers a superb panorama of the island from its bell tower. Are you motivated? You will have to climb the 117 steps before this beautiful gift!
• Continuing along the northern route, you arrive by a small road between the salt marshes and the saltworks ecomuseum at the village of Loix. It is a peninsula within the island, a picturesque place. A 10 km loop leads to the tide mill that was used to clean the salt at Pointe du Grouin.

• Ars-en-Ré welcomes many boats to its marina. The town is classified among the "most beautiful villages in France". The bell tower of the Saint-Étienne church has the particularity of being painted in black and white. It once served as a landmark for sailors before the construction of lighthouses.

• At the western end of the island, the village of Saint-Clément-des-Baleines was born from the merger of 6 hamlets. It is dominated by the Phare des Baleines, 57 m high, which offers a superb panorama. The village stretches between the Côte Sauvage and the large fine sand beach of La Conche, on the edge of the forest.

• Les Portes-en-Ré, tip of the island between forests, salt marshes and beaches. It is also the starting point for visiting the Lilleau des Niges nature reserve, populated by hundreds of bird species. The Maison du Fier hosts exhibitions. Don't miss taking a few steps in the famous Trousse-Chemise wood, sung by Aznavour, nearby.
• La Couarde-sur-Mer, the center of the island, is bordered to the south by a huge beach of fine sand. It is ideal for water sports. Its special feature: the village has the only bandstand on the island.
• Le Bois-plage-en-Ré, on the south coast of the island. Its immense beaches, dunes and pine trees form an idyllic setting.
• Sainte-Marie-de-Ré is the oldest village on the island.

Oléron Island, the luminous island

The qualities of Oléron

The island of Oléron is the largest island in the archipelago, measuring 30 km long and 6 km wide. Beaches, oyster beds, marshes, state forests, dunes, cliffs... So many different places in the same territory.

The ocean is a wonderful playground for practicing many water activities. The island of Oléron is accessible free of charge by a bridge, built in 1966. Watch this space, because for years, the state has been threatening to make it chargeable like that of the island of Ré!

100 km of cycle paths have been built to cover it. It has an eastern coast , gentle and ideal for family swimming and a wild coast, more exposed to wind and waves, ideal for surfing.

The towns and villages of the island of Oléron

• Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron is the geographical, economic and commercial centre of the island. It owes its nickname of "capital" of the island of Oléron to the size of its population. The church, with its 32 m high hexagonal bell tower, served as a beacon for sailors. A lantern of the dead has been erected on the site of the old cemetery. The writer and academician Pierre Loti is buried in the garden of "la maison des aïeules", his family home. The town is home to a museum of Oléron traditions and heritage.
• Heading south, we reach the port of La Cotinière. This is the first fishing port in Charente-Maritime. It welcomes a multi-coloured fleet, from which sea bass, sole, langoustines, etc. are unloaded.
• Saint-Georges-d'Oléron is one of the oldest and largest towns on the island. Its 12th century Romanesque church is an architectural gem.
• At the northern tip, in a natural and wild area, the Chassiron lighthouse, 46 meters high, houses a museum and offers a superb panorama of Oléron, Aix and Ré. Many fish locks, typical of the Charente islands, are visible at low tide.

• The exceptional site of Fort Royer, in the Moëze-Oléron nature reserve, bears witness to a typical landscape of multi-coloured oyster huts.
• In La Brée-Les-Bains, you can admire a 15th century windmill.
• The Château d'Oléron, located in the far southeast, is the "oyster capital". A former stronghold, it preserves the remains of fortifications and a citadel.

• In the southwest of the island, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, a seaside resort, has pleasant fine sand beaches and a 2,000-hectare maritime pine forest. The late 19th-early 20th century villas bring a special charm. The omnipresent mimosa in the town gives rise to a festival in February. A thalassotherapy center welcomes many spa guests.

• Le-Grand-Village-Plage, like Dolus d'Oléron, can boast the most beautiful beaches on the island and unmissable sites : the Port des Salines with its salt marshes and its eco-museum and the bird marsh, an essential stop for all nature lovers.

The island of Aix, between the sky and the water

3 km long and 700 m wide, the island of Aix is surrounded by fortifications. It has small white houses lined with hollyhocks. Beaches, wild coves, undergrowth and vineyards punctuate the landscape that can be discovered on foot or by bike and even by horse-drawn carriage.

The customs officers' path allows you to go completely around the island. To the east of the island, in the forest, Fort Liédot, nicknamed the summit fort because it is located on the highest point at a height of 9 m, was built as a means of defense. It was a prison for a long time. The Saint-Martin church and its priory were occupied by Cistercian monks, the first inhabitants of the island.

How to get to the island of Aix?

The island of Aix is accessible by boat from Fouras and in season from La Rochelle, the island of Oléron or the island of Ré.

What to do on the island of Aix?

As soon as we arrive at the Fort de la Rade, we take a Levis bridge which opens onto the Place d'Austerlitz. Aix had Napoleon as an illustrious guest who stayed there after the Battle of Waterloo. We owe to Baron Gourgaud, the great-grandson of the Emperor's orderly officer, a museum with portraits, busts in his image, objects that belonged to him, mortuary relics... Similarly, an African museum displays a collection of objects brought back from Zaire and Kenya in the 1920s/1930s by Baron Gourgaud. Mother-of-pearl is worked on the island, in one of the last workshops.

From the pier, you can see Fort Boyard. Built to guard the mouth of the Charente and protect the Rochefort arsenal, this enormous stone vessel was to house a garrison of 260 men and 74 cannons on 3 levels. However, it became obsolete before being completed in 1859, in the face of advances in artillery. It was transformed into a prison. For several decades, it has been used for recording the television game show Fort Boyard.

Although it cannot be visited, it can be approached up close during sea trips organised from several ports in Charente-Maritime, from April to September.

Madame Island, the smallest island in the archipelago

We reach Île Madame when the sea withdraws from Port des Barques via the Passe-aux-Bœufs. Wild, it extends over 70 hectares.

To the north, an 18th century fort offers a beautiful view of the island of Aix, Fouras and the island of Oléron.

To the southeast, a pebble cross on the ground bears witness to the place where 254 priests who resisted the Revolution were buried. A pilgrimage honors their memory every summer in August.

In the middle of the salt marshes, an aquaculture farm offers oysters and shellfish for tasting.