by Standing on top of the belvedere in the Le Lanternon hotel, I watched the weathered, stone buildings of the capital of Île de Ré turn in the shade of ripe peach flesh. In front of me, Saint-Martin-de-Ré shot out in the shape of a star against the Atlantic Ocean. Behind him, the two-mile bridge that connected Île de Ré with La Rochelle felt like he was in another universe.
This beach island off the west coast of France has been popular during the pandemic, with well-heeled Parisians flocking to enjoy its patchwork of 10 holly-filled villages, salt flats, bike paths, beaches with sand dunes, oyster beds and Unesco-listed port town. And who can blame them? The Gulf Stream creates a micro-climate that makes Île de Ré one of the sunniest places in France, with an average of 2,600 hours of sunshine per year. Only Corsica and Marseille can top it. At 33 square miles and flat as a crêpe, Île de Ré is great for exploring by bike, and spring is the best time to avoid the hassle of bike traffic along its 60 miles of tracks.
Given that 580 hectares of the island are covered in vines, it is perhaps surprising that the locals historically did not rate the local stone. There is a long history here of making Pineau des Charentes and fortified Cognac, which you can find out about at the recently renovated museum in Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
These wines are not made internationally cépage (grape varieties) and are not traditionally considered great for making still wines, but things are changing. The island’s first organic wine and tasting room, Domaine Arica, opened in April 2024, and owners Marine Houttemonne, 33, and Simon Pitoizet, 34, have big plans for their Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Provence rosés. The couple told me that the soil there is very similar to the soil of Sancerre in the Loire Valley; their wines are on the best wine lists on the island.
The picturesque port capital of Saint-Martin-de-Ré is surrounded by the Unesco-listed citadel of Vauban and is home to the kind of boutiques that sell Breton tops and straw market bags to well-heeled visitors. In spring, you may not need a reservation for the buzzy Bistrot Marin on the seafront, where the menu du jour often includes razor-sweet clams drenched in parsley butter and the catch of the day. Or there’s the relatively new Le Sergi, which offers high-end but no-fuss portside dining, and Le Bordan Zinc serves up burgers and seafood tapas. For those traveling avec les enfants, don’t miss the ice cream at La Martinière or Crêperie La Sarrasine. Regardless of the season, make a reservation in advance for A Côté de Chez Fred, an unassuming place with red plastic chairs set back by the sea where my husband and I enjoyed the best meal of a week; oysters, pan-fried sole meunière and a bottle of wonderful mineral Menetou-Salon.
The north and west of the island are known for vineyards and salt flats, and several whitewashed stone buildings serve fresh oysters and shellfish on paper plates until mid-afternoon. A popular spot is Ré Ostrea, with its colorful metal bars overlooking the water’s edge and oyster beds acting as the restaurant’s lobster tank, while La Cabane du Feneau’s garden site is quickly booked and only open between 11.30am and 3pm.
The best beaches are in the south of the island. Bordered by dunes or forests, La Couarde, Gros Joncs and Grennettes are better protected from the wind and are the best for swimming. At Plage des Gollandières, Beach Bar serves plates of steak frites and there are tables on the sand. Nearby Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré is ideally situated for family holidays, with many of the island’s Eurocamp-style accommodations hidden among the pine forests.
Loix is the place to enjoy water-based activities. Arrange a guided canoe trip or windsurfing trip down the Fier d’Ars with Planète Sport et Loisirs, try your hand at windsurfing or catamaran charter. Horseback riding with Les Chevaux de Loix is another way to see more of the island.
The further north you go, the quieter the island gets, and among the lattice of salt flats you will find the prettiest villages and ports. Fleur de sel – known locally as white gold – is still hand-picked here, and there are honesty boxes on the cycle paths where you can buy 250g (or more) bags to take home as souvenirs. At the top of the island, you can scale the 1850 Phare des Baleines lighthouse for sweeping views of the golden-sand beach. From Les Baleines, loop round to Les-Portes-en-Ré, where 80 percent of the village and surrounding area have been bought by second-home owners. The village is pleasantly quiet, with a pottery shop, a small boulangerie, a great little wine shop and some hip brunch spots like Café Maau, run by a group of young surfers. Head further afield to the Cabane La Patache for experimental French fare perched on a pine-backed cove that disappears at high tide.
Each of the island’s 10 villages has a fresh produce market, some open daily. Flotte has a wonderful medieval market, “Plus Beaux Villages de France” (official ranking of the most beautiful villages in the country), selling fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, local cheeses, local meats, salt and takeaway snacks. Ars-en-Ré has a large indoor and outdoor market and a small but perfectly shaped harbor with some good restaurants and some art galleries. The Church of Saint Etienne, where pre-Roman, Romanesque and Gothic architecture meet, has a monochrome octagonal belfry, which can be seen for miles.
Back in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the five-room design hotel Le Lanternon, which owner Jérôme spent two years renovating, offers original moldings, parquet floors, fireplaces, porcelain basins and curved wooden staircases against muted paint colors background, antiques. sources on the island and objets d’art. There is a peaceful, south-facing garden with mature fig and olive trees around a petite pool. Villa Clarisse & Spa is just a little bigger, with nine rooms and a pool, with a spa added last year, and recently Relais Thalasso Ile de Ré unveiled an improved therapeutic center. Le Phare, meanwhile, calls itself an “open-air hotel”, with a trendy airflow bar and a heated outdoor pool.
Although it may no longer be the best kept secret in France, it can be savored la belle vie that Parisians like, minus the crowds, if you travel outside the high season to this perfectly French island idyll.
Emilee Tombs was a guest at Le Secret (00 33 5 46 34 83 68; lesecretdere.com), which offers doubles from £178. Ryanair flies to La Rochelle from London Stansted (from £15 one way), and from there it’s half an hour’s drive across the bridge.
