Ile de Ré, a gorgeous place on France’s Atlantic coast, is one of my favourite close to home destinations. It’s perfect for either a short break for a couple or a longer family trip, ticking all the boxes for a great holiday: Short flight (1½ hours from Manchester to La Rochelle); no jet lag; delicious food and wine; no driving; and lots of time spent outdoors.
Picture postcard perfect
The villages of Ile de Ré are ever so pretty with white washed houses adorned with painted shutters in muted shades - like a tiny corner of a Farrow and Ball paint chart - and framed by spires of colourful hollyhocks.
There’s nothing tacky or offending to the eye. Even the electricity and phone cables are underground. It’s tasteful and stylish, but in an understated and laid back kind of way.
Getting around
The island is accessed by a 3km arching bridge from the mainland and the taxi transfer from the airport is the only time you will need to sit in a car.
The favoured means of getting around is by bike; whether that’s the usual two wheels, a tricycle, tandem (say no more), an adult bike with child attachment or a bike with a trailer for babies (and dogs). Anything goes.
To make things all even easier, the island is criss-crossed with cycle paths that weave through pine forests, past stunning poppy fields, vineyards and salt pans where the island’s fleur de sel is harvested. It’s all very flat and sedate so helmets and lycra are optional.
Local life
We rented a rather chic little house on a pretty cobbled street in the picturesque main town of St Martin de Ré.
Each morning we stocked up on delicious goodies at the daily market. What a treat. It sold everything from local cheese to fresh bread and pastries and all number of varieties of saucisson.
Our days were spent strolling around St Martin’s star shaped ramparts that surround the town and then queuing up for the best artisan ice cream at La Martiniére on the harbour front (the salted caramel flavour made with local fleur de sel was divine).
We’d cycle the length and breadth of the island and picnic on the beach. The coast is very reminiscent of Norfolk with vast swathes of sand and even bigger skies. The sea can be a little choppy - the Atlantic breeze, a relief when the sun’s out, is bracing when not.
If you’d like more information on a trip to Ile de Ré or in fact elsewhere in France or Europe, please do get in touch. I can create a wonderful trip for you without you having to spend ridiculous amounts of time doing it yourself, confident in the knowledge that it will be just perfect.