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Surfers also might consider taking a left and having a look at the area between Le Bois Plage and La Couarde, a large beach that can have some fun waves. Right along the beach there´s also some campgrounds. La Couarde is very popular amongst kiteboarders.

Next stop to the west is Ars en Ré, a picturesque village rivaling La Flotte for being the main attraction of the island. The village is surrounded by salines and has a small harbor with sailing and windsurfing school.

The salines west of Ars are a paradise for birds and can be explored via a string of small roads that are only open to bicycles and walkers.

On the westernmost tip of the island sits the Phare de Balleine, a lighthouse helping the ships to pass the tricky entrance to the bays north and south of the island. The area around the lighthouse hosts some very touristy shops and restaurants, two holiday villages and a few bunkers from WWII. South of the lighthouse the sea is hardly accessible due to the reefs responsible for the existence of the island. North of it begins a long stretch of sandy beaches and the part called La Conche, just north of the lighthouse, can be a really good place for windsurfing in good waves. The beaches – and small reefs – further north have good surfing waves. Le Lizay is the best spot here.

Continuing to the north there is some nice pine tree woods and more beaches and on the northern end the again pretty picturesque town of Les Portes. Here the really rich and famous have their “cheap” settlements and prices in local restaurants have adapted to their clients. But there is also a few apartments and holiday houses to rent and if you come outside summer season you find reasonable prized base camps. There are some summer kids camps and a large sailing school at a nice beach just west of the main town. 

As said before, in summer the island is packed with tourists and accommodations are expensive and you have to book far in advance. But if you are wise and come in spring or autumn you find plenty of reasonable prized places to stay.

Camping is expensive as all over France. If you come with your van or mobile home you are allowed to stay on two mobile home places for a maximum of 4 days. A very small one is at the northernmost end of the road in Les Portes. A bigger one is to be found at St. Clement de Balleins and costs a few Euros. Police hunts everyone staying outside the camp ground and mobile home areas during summer months.

Besides the cultural interests the island is a paradise for water sports as long as you are not looking for massive waves. Sailing is the big thing here and if you like windsurfing or kiteboarding in medium winds you´ll have fun here during the summer months.

In winter the island gets battered by heavy winds and solid waves fairly often. Best spots then are to be found at the western end of the island and you can get good wavesailing and surfing conditions pretty often.

As the waters around the island are very shallow only the west and parts of the south of the island gets waves and that only from mid to high tide. Still waves will only be about half the size then on the coasts south of Bordeaux.

The island has a wide net of bicycle roads and plenty of safe beaches what makes it a good place for summer holiday with children.

For general information on the island and for finding accommodations check the official website of the Ile de Ré

Best swell forecasts are provided by magicseaweed

For a few more pics of the island check this

For the island gallery click here

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