Nearby Le Domaine d'Oléron

Tourist guide

Not to be missed...

• The port of La Cotinière and its guided auction tours offered by the Tourist Office. Everything you need to know about this artisanal port, boats, fishing techniques and auctions...
• The Chassiron Lighthouse, on the far west of Île d'Oléron... Climb up 224 steps to admire the panoramic view it has to offer, including its gardens, cliffs and fish weirs, at low tide
• The citadel of the Château d'Oléron overlooking the oyster-farming harbour and its many diverse brightly-coloured artists cabins
• A cruise on board a ship or sailing boat around the must-see Fort Boyard. Departures are available from Île d'Oléron, more precisely from Saint-Denis d-Oléron and Boyardville.

On the beach side...

The north-east coast opens onto the Pertuis sea.

It is recommended for families with children because the sea is calmer there. On the other hand, the tides are more pronounced than on the Atlantic Ocean side, but you can alternate the pleasures of swimming with the pleasures of shore fishing. The nearest villages are Boyardville, La Brée les Bains and St Denis d'Oléron.

The West Coast opens directly onto the Atlantic Ocean.

It is appreciated for its waves and its large sandy beaches bordered by large dunes. The tides are less pronounced but the waves are bigger! The most famous (but also the most crowded) beaches are located in the southern part near Grand-Village-Plage, Vert-Bois or St-Troyan-les-Bains. There is sand as far as the eye can see.

Culture and heritage

To discover: The ports: Marennes marina, those on the island of Oléron (Le Douhet, Saint Denis d'Oléron, La Cotinière), the Seudre estuary, the beaching port of La Tremblade, that of the Gironde estuary (Royan, La Conche beach, etc.). Cruises: departing from Boyardville, approaching Fort Boyard, stopping off on the Ile d'Aix, the Oléron-La Rochelle connections, inter-island cruises, ‘passeur’ and ‘bus de mer’ boats. But also, an immense heritage from Rochefort to Angoulême and Saintes, the Poitevin marshes, Aiguillon bay and the gates of Niort...

We also recommend...

• La Rochelle aquarium, with over 12,000 marine animals and 3 million litres of sea water
• La Palmyre zoo, 25 km from the campsite