Ré Ostréa

Île de Ré


For an authentic taste of island life, spurn St-Martin's portside restaurants and pick up the cycling path to Ars-en-Ré – on foot or by bike. Within seconds of hitting the coast, the path arrives at Didier Fournier's oyster cabane (hut). Kick back on a brightly coloured bar stool facing the sea and tuck into fresh prawns, whelks, clams and dozens of succulent island oysters.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Île de Ré attractions

1. Clocher Observatoire

0.65 MILES

A hike up the 117 steps inside the bell stone of fortified Église St-Martin rewards with a mighty fine panorama of St-Martin-de-Ré and the coast. The well…

2. Musée Ernest Cognacq

0.81 MILES

This small museum, opposite the tourist office at the entrance to St-Martin de Ré, explores island history through art, ceramics and maritime curiosities…

3. Phare des Baleines

9 MILES

For an overview of the island, follow the crowds to Phare des Baleines, the island's scarlet-tipped, 59m-tall lighthouse on its northwestern tip. Scale…

4. Tour de la Lanterne

11.28 MILES

Easily mistaken for an ornate church spire, the conical 15th-century Tour de la Lanterne is La Rochelle's beauty queen. It was so named because of its…

6. Tour de la Grosse Horloge

11.4 MILES

The gateway to the old city, Tour de la Grosse Horloge is a steadfast Gothic-style clock tower with a 12th-century base and 18th-century top.

7. Musée des Beaux-Arts

11.41 MILES

La Rochelle's Museum of Fine Arts, housed inside a stunning neoclassical building, hosts an impressive collection of 15th- to 20th-century art.

8. Tour de la Chaîne

11.44 MILES

To protect the harbour at night in times of war, an enormous chain was raised between the two 14th-century stone towers at the harbour entrance to La…