Towns & cities · La Rochelle
1 La Rochelle
Prefecture of Charente-Maritime and a great historic Atlantic port, famous for its medieval towers guarding the entrance to the Old Port.
View full page →3 days between La Rochelle, the Île de Ré and Rochefort
A historic port with medieval towers, a flat island perfect for cycling and a royal arsenal: Charente-Maritime offers a seaside break, between maritime heritage and Atlantic mildness.
Our day-by-day itinerary
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Day 1 — La Rochelle to Musée maritime de La Rochelle
La Rochelle: the Old Port and its towers, the aquarium, one of the largest in Europe, and the maritime museum.
Aquariums · Charente-Maritime
2 Aquarium de la Rochelle
In the town centre, facing the Old Port, discover one of the largest private aquariums in Europe.
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Museums · Charente-Maritime
3 Musée maritime de La Rochelle
The La Rochelle Maritime Museum is a floating museum, located in the former trawler dock of the Old Port.
View full page →Day 2 — Saint-Martin-de-Ré to Phare des Baleines
The Île de Ré by bike: Saint-Martin-de-Ré and its Vauban fortifications, Ars-en-Ré and its salt marshes, then the Phare des Baleines lighthouse.
Towns & cities · Saint-Martin-de-Ré
4 Saint-Martin-de-Ré
The fortified port of the Île de Ré, with its citadel and Vauban ramparts inscribed by UNESCO.
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Villages · Charente-Maritime
5 Ars-en-Ré
In the western part of the Île de Ré, just after the narrow isthmus sometimes submerged by the great equinox tides, Ars-en-Ré lies near the salt marshes of the Fier d'Ars.
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Lighthouses · Charente-Maritime
6 Phare des Baleines
The Baleines lighthouse is at the western tip of the Île de Ré (Charente-Maritime), in the commune of Saint-Clément-des-Baleines.
View full page →Day 3 — Rochefort to Donjon de Fouras
Rochefort, town of the arsenal and the Hermione, the Brouage citadel, then the Fouras keep facing Fort Boyard.
Towns & cities · Rochefort
7 Rochefort
A port town founded by Colbert in the seventeenth century for the Royal Navy, known for its historic arsenal and its Corderie Royale on the banks of the Charente.
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Villages · Charente-Maritime
8 Brouage
Brouage was founded in 1555 by Jacques de Pons, for the salt trade, and quickly became one of the very great ports of the Atlantic coast.
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Castles · Charente-Maritime
9 Donjon de Fouras
In the small town of Fouras, close to Rochefort-sur-Mer and La Rochelle, the 'Fort Vauban' stands watch over the town like a lookout.
View full page →When to go
From April to October, with some of the highest sunshine on the Atlantic coast. Summer is very busy on the Île de Ré. The La Rochelle aquarium can be visited all year round.
Getting around
La Rochelle and Rochefort are served by train. The Île de Ré is reached by a toll bridge; on the island, the bike is king. A car is useful for Brouage and Fouras.
Our tips
- Hire a bike for the Île de Ré: over 100 km of cycle paths.
- Book the La Rochelle aquarium during school holidays.
- Climb the Phare des Baleines for the view over the ocean.
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