A half-hour drive west from La Rochelle, the Île de Ré is a low, narrow island some 30km long, fringed by sandy beaches to the southwest and salt marshes and oyster beds to the northeast. All the buildings on Ré are restricted to two stories and are required to incorporate the typical local features of whitewashed walls, curly orange tiles and green-painted shutters, which give the island villages a southern holiday atmosphere.

Out of season the island has a slow, misty charm, and life in its little ports revolves exclusively around the cultivation of Oysters and mussels. In season, upwards of 400,000 visitors passing through. The crowds mainly head for the southern beaches; those to the northeast are covered in rocks and seaweed, and the sea is too shallow for bathing.

The island is connected to the mainland at La Pallice, a suburb of La Rochelle, by a toll bridge. La Pallice was once a big commercial port with important shipyards, and although it still serves as a naval base, times have changed. As you drive past, you’ll notice some colossal weather-stained concrete sheds, submarine pens built by the Germans to service their Atlantic U-boat fleet during World War II.

St. Martin, the island’s capital, is an atmospheric north coast fishing port with whitewashed houses clustered around the stone quays of a well-protected harbour, from where trawlers and flat-bottomed oyster boats, piled high with cage-like devices used for “growing” Oysters, slip out every morning on the muddy tide.

Have a look at our beautiful, luxurious self catering accommodation on the Ile de Re, and find the perfect base from which to explore this gorgeous region.