The mild climate of Oléron Island, the southernmost island on the Atlantic coast, has earned it the moniker "mimosa island". Yet beyond its sunny natural environment, there is plenty more to enchant visitors on this piece of land off the Rochefort coast measuring 30 km long by 8 km wide!
The place is renowned for its oysters, farmed in special ponds called "claires" in the Marennes-Oléron basin. In an oyster hut in Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, the Oléron Oyster Centre (Maison de l'huître oléronaise) offers guided tours of the oyster beds and tastings.
Access to Oléron Island is via its famous bridge spanning over 3 km, opened in 1966 and now free to use. Between superb sandy beaches and beautiful pine forests, there are many places to visit. Must-sees include the picturesque and lively fishing port of La Cotinière; the island's former historic capital, Le Château-d'Oléron, with its citadel offering a stunning view of the ramparts; the colourful huts on the beach at Saint-Denis-d'Oléron; and the Chassiron lighthouse perched on its rocky cliff, offering a panoramic view from a height of 46 metres. You can also see the century-old oyster farming village of Fort-Royer, the oyster farming site of La Baudissière and the Port des Salines in Le Grand-Village-Plage.
Two beautiful beaches vie to be the star attraction: Saumonards beach, on the east coast, and the big beach of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains. The forest is also ever-present, covering some 3,000 hectares with many marked paths. In Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, the Oléron Island Museum presents the island's treasures to visitors. The island has many spots where you can enjoy water sports, and opportunities to approach the legendary Fort Boyard, its star attraction, by sea.
The island of Oléron is the largest island on the French Atlantic coast. The "light" island is famous for its wonderful sandy beaches, but also for a haunting kind.
From south to north, from east to west, the eight municipalities of the island of Oléron offer many possibilities of visits: Saint-Trojan-les-Bains "seaside" and forest, Le Grand-Village-Plage and port saline, Le Château-d'Oléron and its impressive fortified citadel, Dolus-d'Oléron and marsh birds, Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, with its pedestrian streets and its fishing port Cotinière, Saint-Georges-d'Oléron and small villages, Chaucre, Domino, Boyardville... La Bree-les-Bains and its authentic, narrow streets, and finally, the northern tip of the island, Saint-Denis-to Oléron where stands the lighthouse of Chassiron, 46 meters high.
The Oléron island has many small villages. I need to think outside the box to find out, turning a flowered hollyhocks pink alley, the architecture of these small villages Chaucre, Arche, La Rémigeasse... Many villages with fishermen's houses with green or blue shutters in the whitewashed façade.
Oléron, it is of course also landscapes of great diversity with beautiful sandy beaches on the edge of beautiful pine forests, but not only... A Chassiron, north of the island, there are limestone cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, or on the northwest coast of sandy beaches with few rocks, ideal for the practice of fishing on foot.
On foot or by bike, the island offers a wide variety of scenery to discover: large state forests, marsh areas for them to bird watching, agricultural land which cultivation of the vine, cereals...
Oyster farming is a secular activity on the island where the colorful huts of oyster ports retained their typical appearance. Fishing is also an important activity as evidenced by the fishing port of La Cotinière, first Charente-Maritime fishing port. The arrival of the boats in harbor at high tide is a true spectacle.
The vineyard work remained as an ancient activity. The Oleron vineyard appellation "Cognac" and allows growers to develop the famous "Pineau des Charentes" and excellent local wine.
The Oléron island has several exceptional sites such as the Château-d'Oléron citadel built according to plans by Vauban, the lantern of the dead in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron twelfth century and holds a record: c is the highest in France. The Romanesque church of the eleventh century Saint-Georges-d'Oléron, meanwhile, is the oldest monument of the island. The iconic lighthouse Chassiron, striped black white, guiding sailors to enter the sluice of Antioch is the most visited site in the island of Oleron. Less known but equally surprising, include among others finally the halls of Saint-Georges-d'Oléron and the mill of La Brée-les-Bains.
Guide of the Charente-MaritimeUnmissable places and recommendations in the Charente-Maritime
CharentesGuide to the territory - Tourism and staying here
Guide of Le Château-d'OléronTourism, breaks and holidays around Le Château-d'Oléron
Municipality of Le Château-d'OléronDetailed tourist information about the municipality of Le Château-d'Oléron
Guide of Saint-Denis-d'OléronTourism, breaks and holidays around Saint-Denis-d'Oléron
Municipality of Saint-Denis-d'OléronDetailed tourist information about the municipality of Saint-Denis-d'Oléron
Guide of Saint-Pierre-d'OléronTourism, breaks and holidays around Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron
Municipality of Saint-Pierre-d'OléronDetailed tourist information about the municipality of Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron
Guide of Saint-Trojan-les-BainsTourism, breaks and holidays around Saint-Trojan-les-Bains
Municipality of Saint-Trojan-les-BainsDetailed tourist information about the municipality of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains
Guide of Le Grand-Village-PlageTourism, breaks and holidays around Le Grand-Village-Plage
Municipality of Le Grand-Village-PlageDetailed tourist information about the municipality of Le Grand-Village-Plage
Guide of La CotinièreTourism, breaks and holidays around La Cotinière
Municipality of La CotinièreDetailed tourist information about the municipality of La Cotinière
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Beautiful Villages in FranceThe most beautiful villages: charm and character guaranteed
Outings in the Charente-MaritimeIdeas for walks and hikes in the Charente-Maritime
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