Lively quays to breathe the sea air, terraces to taste a dozen oysters fresh from the water or watch the comings and goings of the boats... Places of life and meetings, the ports of theOleron Island reveal some well-kept secrets to you.
The port of La Cotinière
During your camping stay in Oleron, drop anchor on the port of Cotinière, the first artisanal fishing port in Charente-Maritime. On the lively pontoons of the port of the Cotinière, has Saint-Pierre d'Oléron, unload treasures of flavors every day: wriggling langoustines, line-caught sea bass, sole, clams, cuttlefish... Small boats and short sea trips are a guarantee of freshness for gourmets. You can choose to sit on the terrace of one of its many cafes to watch the maritime ballet of the colorful trawlers in the port or extend the walk along the seafront towards the bay of Parrot and the beach of the Feathered Finch.
- Things to see and do: the market Victorine to buy ultra-fresh fish and seafood (every day from 3:30 p.m.), a guided tour behind the scenes of the fish market at the port of La Cotinière.
The port of Douhet
Located at Saint-Georges-d'Oleron, between the villages of Foulerot and the Boulassiers, THE Port of Douhet is a former small commercial port that has become a very pleasant marina, well sheltered from the winds. It has 290 moorings, including 20 rings reserved for overnight stopovers. Served by a free shuttle and cycle paths, the tourist port of Douhet is very lively during the summer, with cafes, restaurants and a nightclub.
- Things to see and do: a walk between the wooded dunes of Douhet, the large Saumonards beach and the old salt marshes.
The port of Boyardville
Saint-Georges-d'Oleron, THE port of Boyardville is a small port with locks accessible at mid-tide by the channel of the Perrotine, with 180 floating places on pontoons, around fifteen of which are reserved for visitors. It offers easy access to Aix Island, Madame Island And Fort EnetIn summer, the quayside is lively with small souvenir shops, restaurants and terraces for a good time. It is also an important oyster and mussel port. Notice to oyster lovers and mussels!
- Things to see and do at the start: a boat trip around Fort Boyard or to La Rochelle, the Oyster Route between the port of Boyardville and the Castle of Oleron (5 km tourist circuit, along the coast).
The Castle Port
Built around 1790 south of the citadel, the port of Castle of Oleron In the 19th century, it became a very active commercial and passenger transport port before the construction of the bridge inaugurated in 1966. It is also an oyster port and an essential oyster transit center in the basin of Marennes-OleronOyster farming is still very much alive. Castle of Oleron, as evidenced by the oyster farmers' huts installed around the port and the strong Pâté. Don't miss the channel of Gold and its multi-colored huts. It is the longest oyster channel (1.5 km to the sea) and one of the most beautiful in France.
- Things to see and do: watch the oyster farmers return to their pontoons with the tide, stroll among the designer cabins on the port of Oleron Castle, visit the Robert Léglise Shipyard, where old boats are restored by enthusiasts.
photo@Elsa Coeffe / Charentes Tourism