A short guide to Ile de Ré

There are a number of beautiful islands near the French coastal city of La Rochelle. The largest is Île d'Oléron, the smallest is Île d'Aix. Île de Ré, where I've spent dozens of summers since I was born, is 85 square kilometers and has about 20,000 inhabitants. For me, it's one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Here are some tips for everyone who asked me for it in the past few years!

Until the late 1980s, you could only reach Ile de Ré by ferry. That changed in 1988 when the island was connected to the mainland via France's third longest bridge — 3 kilometres long. You would expect mass tourism to follow, but fortunately you won't see tall apartment buildings like on the Belgian coast here. Thanks to a smart tourism and building policy, you can see the white bungalows with orange roofs that the island is famous for everywhere.

Nature has also remained intact all my life. Île de Ré has more than 300 species of birds, mostly found in the salt marshes or around the mussel beds. That vibe out Call me by your name? Yes, it hangs around here! Good news for those who love oysters: 8,000 tons of oysters are grown every year on Ré. That's 3% of the total production in France! There are several cabannes where you can eat or buy them directly from the producer.

Here you can do just about everything by bike: the island has more than 100 kilometers of cycle paths. They connect the ten villages, each with its own identity. You can feel free to visit Rivedoux and Les Portes skip, while Ars, La Flotte and certainly Saint-Martin-de-Ré are worthwhile. Thanks to the site designed by Vauban, the latter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll also find the donkeys that symbolize the island. In pants, indeed, to prevent annoying insects.

In terms of base to stay, you should ideally choose Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré or La Flotte. They are centrally located and big enough to have a supermarket. Over the past 30 years, I've stayed in various places. Until I was 12, we rented a house with the whole family in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, in recent years, including Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré and Loix. Renting a cottage last minute is expensive on Ile de Ré anyway, so you should ideally book somewhere in the autumn for the coming summer.

There are also several campsites on the island. Huttopia has two that look really nice but we've never done before, but this summer we stayed for a week at Flower Camping Le Bel Air in La Flotte for the first time. Not in a tent, but in a lodge. We'll do another week next year anyway!

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The most important tip for Île de Ré is to rent bicycles anyway — two good rental companies that you can find in several places are Cyclo-Surf and Cycland. Reserve your bikes in advance so you'll have what you want anyway. As mentioned, almost everything on Ile de Ré is done by bike! There are very good bike paths and everywhere it is always clear how far it is to the next village. One of the most beautiful bike rides is the one along the coastline from Saint-Martin-de-Ré to Loix.

In several villages, you have a good bakery called Au Pain Marin. Those croissants and chocolate cakes there are really great — they also almost always do 3+1 free so chances are you'll always come back with more than you planned.

A very nice bike ride from Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, for example, is to the Phare des Baleines. You can also climb this lighthouse. As a child, we always made it a day trip, with a break in Ars. Here, for example, you can have an afternoon at Le Café du Commerce — a must here are the Breton pancakes with cider.

If you can cycle even further, you can continue to the Réserve naturelle de Lilleau des Niges. Here you drive between the salt pans and see dozens of birds. Are you tired on the road? Then you can use a free navette with space for bicycles at the back. Just before and after noon, some bike lanes can get quite busy, so try to avoid them.

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Ice creams are the best thing about La Martiniere. When I was a kid, it was only in Saint-Martin but, now, they also have shops in a few other places. One of them sits at the foot of the Phare des Baleines — ideal as a reward after climbing the lighthouse.

A number of beaches in Ile de Ré are pebble beaches — nice for an evening aperitif but less convenient for taking a break. Plastic sandals are especially useful with children. Of course, there are also a number of sandy beaches, such as Plage des Prises in La Couarde and Plage des Grenettes in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré.

A boat trip to Fort Boyard, the island's most famous neighbor, is of course essential for those who have never visited Île de Ré. From Saint-Martin-de-Ré, several boats depart daily to the sea prison. Unfortunately, you cannot enter it, but such a trip is recommended just for the passage under the bridge.

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Want to go to Ile de Ré too? You can get there in about eight hours by car. The trip by train is more fun (you can go via both Paris and Lille). Flights to La Rochelle also depart from Charleroi. You then have to buy a bus ticket to cross the bridge by both train and plane, which costs less than five euros per person.