Ile de Re
Ile de Ré is an island, reached by a long modern bridge, north of La Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime department.
Ile de Ré is quite a large island - about 30 kilometres long - and is a very popular holiday destination on this sunny coast of western France. It has two distinct characteristics - sandy beaches along the south-western side, and salt and oyster beds along the north-eastern coastline. The more important towns and villages are found along the northern edge, and 'resorts' along the southern edge.
The island has different characteristics in high-season - when tourists far outnumber residents - and off-season when the island reverts to its traditional activities of salt and oyster production.
To reach Ile de Ré you need to cross the toll bridge from just north-west of La Rochelle (quite expensive at 16.50 euros return, so you might find you stay on the island more than you expected! Indeed all facilities are available on the island (including supermarkets and petrol stations) and most holidaymakers never feel the need to leave the island at all.)
The highlights of Ile-de-Ré include lovely beaches (especially along the southern coast) and the town of Saint-Martin-de-Ré and its attractive harbour. There are also two of the 'most beautiful villages of France' on the island - Ars-en-Ré and La Flotte-en-Ré.
Other villages include:
- Rivedoux, a resort at the entry to the island
- Loix, on the peninsula along the north-eastern coast
- Saint Clement des Baleines, a small village to the north-west
- Les-Porte-en-Ré, a quiet village at the north-eastern end
- La Couarde sur Mer and Le Bois Plage en Ré, halfway along the south-western
shore both with good beaches
- Sainte-Marie, the village to the south as you enter Ile-de-Ré
Other sights on the island, apart from the appeal of the natural environment and beaches, include one of the tallest lighthouses in France at the western tip (the Phare des Baleines, dating from Vauban in the 17th century) that can be ascended for far-reaching views out to sea and back across the island itself; and the ruins of an abbey (the Abbaye des Chateliers) in the south-east near La-Flotte-en-Ré.
Another unusual experience also presents itself - you can explore the salt marshes of the north around Loix by canoe to better appreciate the unusual environment that Ile-de-Ré offers.
Cycling Ile-de-Ré;
Ile-de-Ré is a very bike-friendly island, with numerous cycle paths across the island - both along the coast and crossing the island - enabling cyclists to avoid the roads. There are numerous cycle hire shops. Note however that these cycle paths are very busy with leisure cyclists and are not ideal for 'serious' road bike cyclists - and the roads are rather congested with cars, especially during the peak summer months.
(Note: we also saw lots of cars arriving carrying bikes and being stopped by police - be sure your bikes are loaded correctly on your car eg not obstructing the number plates if you don't want to be stopped and forced to unload your car just before you get to your destination!)
Many other water sports and boat-trips are also available.
Visit Ile de Re (Poitou-Charentes, Charente-Maritime) travel, gites and hotels
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The Ile de Re hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Ile de Re is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Poitou-Charentes gites for La Flotte holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Poitou-Charentes Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Ile de Re for places to visit near Ile de Re including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Ile de Re in our Poitou-Charentes forum La Rochelle airport at 24 km Nantes airport at 107 km Ile de Re property for saleSee Poitou-Charentes property for sale
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Places to visit near Ile de Re, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Ile de Re.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
12 km: Ars-en-Re (Most beautiful village) 33 km: Ile-d'Aix (Small fortified island) 9 km: La Flotte-en-Re (Most beautiful village) 24 km: La Rochelle airport (airport) 5 km: Saint-Martin-de-Re (harbour town on Ile-de-Re)
See also Ile de Re (version Francais)
