Anchored to the Atlantic coast, La Rochelle is best known as la Ville Blanche (White City) as the coastal sunlight brightens up the city with its glorious light breeze. Used to be one of France’s major seaports, La Rochelle’s features boast its notable seafaring heritage. These include an excellent lighthouse collection, ghoulish gargoyles, and the half-timbered houses covered with slate tiles (to withstand the moisture and salt air in coastal regions).

Bonjour La Rochelle!

We were blessed to be able to spend a weekend in La Rochelle, and were greeted by rare sunny days in the middle of rainy Spring. The old harbour in city centre, guarded by two large stone towers of Tour de la Chaîne and Tour Saint-Nicolas, was an impressive sight to behold.

After a day of walking around the city centre, it’s time to party! How to party like a local? On a ship Bar du France 1, of course! After a drink or two, we walked past the ship and Aquarium de La Rochelle to catch the pretty night views of La Rochelle in its city centre.

Île de Ré

One simply cannot miss Île de Ré, a popular island where the sun doesn’t seem to stop shining, when visiting La Rochelle. Tourists and people from all over France visit Île de Ré to experience the perfect coastal holidays on the island’s sandy beaches. It is a real treat for families and tourists to rediscover life’s simple pleasures.

It’s easy to see why – this dreamy golden hued island is like the Hamptons of France. Île de Ré has its share of wealthy Parisians and British holidaymakers, and the prices of the restuarants and boutiques are insanely high. Yet it is bizarre that you rarely find super expensive yachts or sports cars of the rich and famous. Instead, humble working fishing boats and bicycles are the ways of life here.

The tranquil yet chic alternative to your usual city life made people flock here to this little coastal island of dunes and pine forest every summer. Located a mere 30 minutes away from La Rochelle, it is only natural to visit Île de Ré for a day trip!

Saint-Martin-de-Ré

The best way to take in the pleasures of Ile de Ré is to cycle around the island. We went on foot instead as we had a car. For our energetic group, we kick-started our day here by having a picnic with baguettes and a side of ball games. After that, we walked along the quay lined with restaurants and boutiques in the capital Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Remember to stop by the famous La Martinière to pick an ice cream from their wide variety of options. One of us even had the most bizarre oyster flavour!

We continued to walk around from the capital towards the petit food market, and then to the main square. I simply couldn’t resist browsing the antiques, paintings, clothes, and jewelleries! They were beautiful and exquisite, yet painfully expensive.

It was interesting that the picturesque property in Ile de Ré had strict regulations to follow, in order to remain its traditional looks. All houses must have the external walls whitewashed and cannot exceed a maximum of two storeys. Some houses even had their shutters painted dark forest or pine green to match Ile de Ré’s tranquil pine forests.

Le Bois Plage en Ré

We returned to our car and drove to the nearby lively little town – Le Bois Plage en Ré. Bordered by the ocean and pine forests, this town prides itself as the main resort of the island. Even if you are not staying in town, I’d recommend to come by for dinner. Then, have a good stroll on Plage des Gollandières, a vast stretch of golden sand shined in luminous Atlantic light. We had dips in the ocean, played around on the beach, and had the times of our lives without a care in the world. It was the best weekend to relive the summers of my childhood.

Parting with La Rochelle

All good things must come to an end. I was unwilling to part with La Rochelle after spending only a weekend here. Its unique coastal charm and beauty left us wanting to come back for more. It is a must-come city in western France, even if you have only a day or two to spare. I guarantee that you will not regret it.