Last Updated on August 6, 2026 by Colin Le Conte

Île de Ré is not really an island as there is a bridge connecting it to the mainland at La Rochelle, built in 1984.

You can get a cheap bus to La Rochelle which has good train and air connections with Easyjet and Ryanair flights to the UK, so it’s good for crew switchovers or for friends to join.

It is know as Little Paris, and gets very crowded in summer but is a magical place.

David’s review

We did not have time to visit Île de Ré by boat but did take a bus trip to Saint Martin de Re. This is a fascinating little town built within the walls of a Vauban Fort, a Unesco World Heritage site. The pretty harbour is surrounded by lots of bars, shops and restaurants. The visitors berthing is away from the really busy area. It is fairly compact, so expect to raft. There is a waiting pontoon just outside the gate to the marina. It is a good idea to tie-up here and pop into the harbour office and check for space.

The island has a low profile and cycles are the most popular mode of transport

There are 2 main marinas, St Martin and Ars de Re.