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France > France regions > Poitou-Charentes > Charente-Maritime > Ile-d'Aix

Ile-d'Aix

Ile d'Aix is an island on the Atlantic Coast, reached from Fouras, 30 km south of La Rochelle.

Ile d'Aix is quite a small island - just 2 kilometres long. To reach it, you need to take a ferry from Pointe de la Fumée, 2km out on a peninsula from Fouras (summertime only, ferries also leave from La Rochelle and Oléron).

A pleasant island to amble around, the history of the island is rather as a fortress, and later as a prison. The island was fortified by Vauban, and these were later increased by Napoleon.

Fort Liédot played host to prisoners during the French Revolution, and the Crimean and First World Wars. There is also a splendid house built by Napoleon. He spent a few days here (July 1815) while he made his plans to escape to America. As we know, his plans changed! and he was exiled to St Helena instead.

The house is now a Napoleon museum.

If you don't like walking, horse-drawn carriages also carry visitors around the island.

Ile d'Aix: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites

Ile d'Aix, Poitou-Charentes
photo of Fort Liédot copyright

Plan a visit to Ile-d'Aix, France

 

PV Holidays, Ile-d'Aix

Map of Ile-d'Aix, France

 

Places to visit - Ile-d'Aix

Any places listed above are within about 20-25 km (as the crow flies)

 

Information and photos

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