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THE first time I visited the Ile de Ré was by boat. As we nosed through the dog-leg entrance leading into the harbour at St Martin, I was busy on deck, concentrating hard on unravelling ropes and juggling fenders, my mind totally absorbed on the complexities of mooring in a new marina.
My skipper called down from the flybridge, ‘Stop what you’re doing and take a look around you’, and as I looked up from the bow to take in our new surroundings, my eyes widened in both astonishment and delight.
Although the Ile de Ré is only 340 kilometres from Jersey and linked by a bridge to the bustling city of La Rochelle, it is comparable to a fragment of the South of France, but this one uprooted and relocated in the Charente region.
Around the harbour of St Martin-de-Ré, pastel-shaded shutters adorn mellow, ageing buildings, each crowned with the faded terracotta-tiled roofs so reminiscent of the Côte d’Azur. If shabby chic had a birthplace, it was surely here, where the houses are weathered to perfection and no garish shopfront or gaudy decoration is permitted to disrupt the subtle ambience of the waterfront.
We have revisited the Ile de Ré on several occasions since that first arrival, each time exploring a little more of this lovely island, but St Martin always remains a favourite destination, even though, in the height of the summer – and this time we visited in August – the town is overflowing with visitors.
The queues at the perennially popular ice cream stall, La Martinière, stretch into the street, as tourists deliberate over the 60-plus flavours on offer; should it be mango and ginger, seaweed praline or burgundy blackcurrant sorbet today, or a simple duo of vanilla and pistachio? And once the ice creams have been despatched, the next question is which of the many restaurants to book for dinner… perhaps the popular Baleine Bleu, on an island in the centre of the port, the bustling Belem on the waterfront or George’s, the chic and expensive new offering at the turreted Hotel du Toiras? Tourist menus are still advertised in many establishments, but as with everywhere else in Europe, the prices have escalated dramatically over the past couple of years.
Hidden behind the restaurants is the food market, offering not just fruit and veg, but everything for the most demanding epicurean. The scent of cheese, ripe melons and shellfish mingle in the air, as locals rub shoulders with visitors, all eager to purchase fresh local produce, delivered daily from the farmers and fishermen of the island. This is the perfect place to buy provisions for a picnic, before hopping on a bicycle and setting off to explore.
Whilst the Ile de Ré is around 19 miles long, its width varies between three miles and a mere 77 yards. It may be France’s fourth-largest island, but the surface area is less than 33 square miles, and most of those are beautifully flat, making it the perfect place to explore by bicycle. And better still, the whole area is criss-crossed with cycle tracks, some running parallel to the roads, others leading away into shady woods, across arable fields or through fruitful vineyards where swelling grapes ripen languidly in the sun. At intersections with busy roads, most drivers are considerate towards cyclists, relinquishing their right of way to the numerous two-wheeled tourists of varied age, confidence and ability.
Less than half an hour’s cycle ride from St Martin is the small town of Le Bois-Plage-En-Ré, which lives up to its name, with woods on its outskirts and over two miles of sandy beaches along the shore.
Throughout the summer, there is a daily street market here, a colourful conglomeration of stalls selling everything from clothes to saucepans, alongside a small funfair teeming with young children trying to hook a duck or take a turn on the bumper cars. It is a good place to stop for a beer, or a glass of the local speciality, pineau, but more than one glass may make for a wobbly ride to the beach, the lighthouse of La Baleine at the tip of the island or on to one of the other equally pretty towns in the region, La Couarde, La Flotte or Ars-en-Ré… t he butt of so many jokes!
It may be 15 years since that first, unforgettable, glimpse of St Martin, but the beauty of the island remains undiminished, while I remain thankful that we can enjoy this Côte d’Azur experience so close to home.
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