If you wish to discover the surroundings of La Rochelle during your stay at the Hotel François Ier, we invite you to visit Ile d’Oleron. With its 30km length, its famous Marennes-Oleron oysters and the unmissable Fort Boyard, Ile d’Oleron has a charm not to be neglected. Between activities, walks, discoveries and tastings, we invite you to discover what this island has to offer through this article.
Hotel François Ier gives you advice : what to do on Oléron Island ?
Oleron, the largest island of the Atlantic coast and close to La Rochelle is known for its beautiful beaches, its fishing ports and marinas, its charming and authentic villages.
Ile d’Oleron is a land rich in landscapes, activities and colors. During your stay at the hotel François Ier we recommend you to discover this island.
Come and enjoy the wild and urban nature of Ile d’Oleron. The diversity of the island allows you to go from a seaside town to a pine forest or from a sandy beach to an oyster farm.
Discovering the villages of the island of Oleron
– Le Château d’Oléron : Le Château d’Oléron is a village not to be missed. Known for its mythical citadel, you will be surprised by the animation of its daily market. A visit to the port of Château d’Oléron is also recommended, where you will find many huts of local artists and creators. It is a colorful village full of charm.
– Saint-Trojan-les-Bains: A seaside resort on the island of Oleron, Saint-Trojan-les-Bains is a charming village with beautiful architecture and a well-developed fauna and flora. Your hotel with parking in La Rochelle recommends a guided tour with the “P’tit train de Saint-Trojan”.
The advice of your hotel in La Rochelle: go to Saint-Trojan-les-Bains in February and come to celebrate the Mimosa Festival. You will be welcomed by a floral scent present in the whole island and you will be able to attend the parade of flowered floats going through the village.
– Saint-Pierre d’Oléron : capital of Ile d’Oléron, Saint-Pierre d’Oléron is the city where most of the commercial activities take place. But beyond its recent development, Saint-Pierre d’Oléron is rich in heritage and emblematic places.
The François Ier Hotel gives you the keys to spend an exceptional day: Start by visiting the covered market where you will find local and fresh products for your lunch. Continue by visiting the remains of the salt marshes and more particularly the marsh of Eguille. Then, finish your day by enjoying an ice cream on the Port de la Cotinière.
– Saint-Georges d’Oléron : Highest point of Ile d’Oléron, Saint-Georges d’Oléron has the best view on Fort Boyard. Indeed, Saint-Georges d’Oléron attracts by its numerous beaches including Boyardville. You can also discover authentic and typical houses painted with whitewash. Thanks to its two marinas, enjoy an immersive experience among pleasure boats, jet-skis and other catamarans.
The beaches of Oleron Island
Obviously, you can’ t imagine a stay in La Rochelle without thinking about the beaches.
Ile d’Oleron has a large number of them, which are worth a look.
The climate and the high rate of sunshine make it possible to enjoy the beaches of the island all year long. To swim, walk, picnic or admire the sunset.
On the island of Oleron, you will find both fine sandy beaches and wilder coasts, enough to delight everyone. However, the beaches of the island of Oleron are subject to tides, so we recommend that you check the tide times and coefficients.
The François Ier hotel in La Rochelle offers you a list of the most famous and pleasant beaches. The beach of Boyardville in Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, the beach of Saumonards in the north of the island, the beach of Gatseau, the Grande-plage of Saint-Trojan-les-bains, the beach of Chaucre in Saint-Georges d’Oléron and the beach of La Rémigeasse.
For adventure lovers who like to practice water sports, there are perfect beaches for that. The François Ier hotel gives you the best surfing spots on the island of Oleron: Saint-Trojan-les-bains, Grand Village, Vert-Bois, Saint-Denis-d’Oléron (la pointe des Boulassiers), Les Huttes.
Activities
Ile d’Oléron is an island that has a lot of potential and has many places to discover. We suggest you a list of activities and places to discover during your visit on the Ile d’Oleron.
Let’s start with the unmissable Fort Boyard. Although it is not possible to visit it properly, it is possible to take a boat and get close to it in order to go around it. You will find many companies offering boat trips.
The lighthouse of Chassiron is also to be discovered. Located in Saint-Denis d’Oléron, climb its 224 steps and enjoy a panoramic view of the whole island. If you are lucky, you might see the Ile de Ré.
As mentioned above, you can’t go to Château d’Oléron without visiting the Château d’Oléron citadel. An iconic fortified complex, its role was to protect the port of Rochefort. You can access the citadel throughout the year and discover ephemeral exhibitions.
For food lovers, a visit to the “route des huitres” (oyster route) is inevitable. Located between Château d’Oléron and Boyardville, it is a 5km road that leads through several oyster beds. You can taste the typical Marennes-Oleron oysters there.
If you can’t visit Fort Boyard, Fort Louvois is accessible from Bourcefranc-Le-Chapus, a town located just before the bridge of Oléron. Come and discover the keep, the station and the architecture of the one called “Fort Boyard’s little brother”.
How to get to Ile d’Oléron from our hotel François Ier ?
To reach the island of Oleron by car, you must take the direction of Rochefort and take the bridge at Bourcefranc-le-Chapus. Contrary to the bridge of the Ile de Ré, the Oleron bridge is free. With a length of more than 3000 meters, it was for a long time the longest bridge in France.
Your hotel in La Rochelle is located 64km from the bridge, so you should count on at least one hour of travel. This can increase significantly during the summer and also depends on where you are going.
You can also go to the island of Oleron by sea. From La Rochelle, avenue Michel Crépeau, you can take a boat that will drop you off at the Boyardville pier. The journey time is 50 minutes. This option is only available from April to September and during the All Saints’ Day vacations.
The other solution is to reach the Ile d’Oléron by bus. To do so, go to Place de Verdun which is located a few minutes walk from our hotel. The line 7, from La Rochelle, allows you to reach the island and offers several stops all year round. We invite you to inform you about the schedules with the Transports Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
In conclusion, our hotel in La Rochelle strongly invites you to reserve one day of your stay to visit the Ile d’Oléron. As you have seen, you will find many things to explore during this day. The François Ier hotel remains at your disposal for any information or questions concerning your trip.
