On holiday with children at Île de Ré

20 December, 2022

Picturesque villages with lovely harbours, endless sandy beaches and the marvellous sea. But there are also kilometres of cycling paths and culinary enjoyment at the best markets and in excellent restaurants … This, in a nutshell, is our summer holiday on the sun-drenched French peninsula Île de Ré.

I enjoyed a wonderful holiday on the White Island, together with my husband and two sons (aged three and six) from 25 July to 8 August 2022. Travel with me on a journey to this magnificent and child-friendly place, and I will tell you about our experiences.

On our way to sunny Île de Ré

The beautiful peninsula Île de Ré is located in the Charente-Maritime department, about a ten-hour drive from the Netherlands. On the way there, we stopped just under Paris, allowing all of us to relax so that we were well-rested at the start of our holiday. On the way back, however, we drove all the way home without stopping, which was possible even with a toddler and a pre-schooler.

To get to the island, we took the bridge at La Rochelle. The toll was € 16. Only a few minutes’ drive and we were already at the other side, which immediately put us in a holiday mood. While a thick layer of clouds shed rain showers on the mainland, the sun shone brightly on Île de Ré. On our right side, there was the vast Page Nord, where kite boarders regularly demonstrate their skill. On the left there were colourful sailboats in the rippling seawater. We soon ran into the first campsites. It immediately felt like life slowed down and I just knew that this island would give us two weeks of enjoyment and relaxation!

Top campsites at La Flotte

As befits a popular holiday destination, there are many child-friendly campsites from which to choose. I am very happy with the campsite that we chose. We stayed at the ACSI campsite Camping La Grainetière, which is perfectly located in the middle of the island near the village La Flotte. This campsite is a relaxed location that focuses on peace and quiet, but there is also enough to do. Our children had fun amusing themselves in the beautifully constructed swimming pool, the amazing (and safe!) playground, and they enjoyed the entertainment in the evening. The campsite is attractively landscaped and very well maintained.
Although Île de Ré is not very big (about the size of Texel), it is very long. If you want to go on a lot of excursions on the island, I recommend choosing a destination in centre of the island. For example, La Flotte, Saint-Martin-de-Ré and Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré. These locations also have various bicycle paths with great routes on the island.

Cycling on Île de Ré

Île de Ré is an outstanding example of a cycling island. Not only does a bicycle contribute to a wonderful holiday feeling and continuous inhaling of the fresh sea air, but it is also a good deal more practical than going out with the car. The villages on Île de Ré have narrow streets and few parking places. So leave the car where it is and get moving!

There are plenty of good bicycle paths to follow on endless bicycle rides to the beach, through the woods and along the many quaint villages. This does mean that there are a lot of cyclists during the high season, which may not be so nice for inexperienced or young cyclists. For this holiday, I brought my own bicycle with a child’s seat on the back for my youngest son. My husband rented a bicycle from the campsite with a trail-a-bike for our oldest son, which was ideal! It meant that our oldest child could pedal too but did not really have to watch out for traffic or steer.

Beautiful child-friendly beach with shallow water

The south side of Île de Ré has the wonderfully wide beaches Plage de Gollandières and Plage de Grenettes. Both are about 20 minutes from Camping La Grainetière.
We went to one of these amazing beaches almost every day. This is certainly a good spot to stay with small children. You can park your bicycle or car close to the beach, which is rather nice when you are loaded down with, for example, a stroller, beach tent, toys and a cool box with food and drink and must walk to the beach. These beaches are also very wide, which allows you to keep an eye on the children. The water depth increases ever so gradually, and the little ones can safely play in the rippling waves. Another major plus point is the presence of a lifeguard. You just feel that much safer.

Are you ever worried about losing your kids at a busy beach? You would certainly not be the first to have this happen to you, but it is not fun. To prevent this from happening, we often do the following: put a brightly coloured piece of clothing on the kids so you can spot them easily, put a bracelet on them with your telephone number, and mark your beach location with something that stands out – a flag, for example. Hopefully, the children will be able to spot you more easily this way.

Les Plus Beaux Villages of Île de Ré

If, like me, you love small, French places with lovely harbours, amazing outdoor cafés and old streets filled with the cutest shops, you can indulge yourself on this holiday! Even though the villages have much in common, they all still have their own character and unique characteristics. There is a reason that several villages on Île de Ré belong to the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France or The Most Beautiful Villages In France. These are the places we visited:

1. La Flotte
2. Saint-Martin-de-Ré
3. Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré
4. Ars-en-Ré

La Flotte

Our campsite was within walking and cycling distance from the village La Flotte, famous for its harbour, charming outdoor cafés and a daily French market with its many delicacies. This market is a must. There are numerous stalls located on an attractive old square under canopies covered with roof tiles, where the most delicious fish, meats, fresh fruit, clothing and other trinkets are sold.

It is a remarkable sight. That is how I describe the La Flotte harbour. Next to the water there are attractive old buildings that house the most amazing restaurants and bars. Tourists parade along the harbour of this Plus Beaux Village all day long.
It is low tide in the morning. so the boats are aground due to the lack of water in the harbour. Do keep an eye on the little ones because there are no fences along the edge of the harbour and it is a steep drop. It is fun to look for cockles and shells in the shallow water on the right side of the harbour at low tide. In the evening, the water level rises again and, once again, all of the sailboats bob merrily in the warm light of the setting sun.

Since our children stay up late while on holiday, we were able to dine out in the evening. In the harbour we ate delicious crêpes at La Fiancée du Pirate and feasted on ray wings at Les Pieds dan L’Eau on the boulevard. Both restaurants are very child-friendly and offered dishes especially for children. And, not unimportant, we also enjoyed the local dishes and wines!

Saint-Martin-de-Ré

The largest and most luxurious place on the island is Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Leaving the campsite, it took us fifteen minutes on the cycling path to get to this village, passing through the old entrance gate, the Porte Thoiras. After cycling for a few minutes, we were already in the large harbour of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, where we saw lots of chic hotels, outdoor cafés that were filled to the brim and plenty of browsing tourists. The holiday atmosphere here is wonderful. After a drink at an outdoor café, we wandered through the narrow, old streets for a while, going into a cute little clothing shop here and there.

Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré

We explored this village on the bicycle as well. Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré is a small village with a cute square by the church. There are a couple of nice restaurants and shops where you can take a break from your bicycle ride. Please keep in mind that the shops often close during the hot afternoons.

Ars-en-Ré

Ars-en-Ré is located in the northwest of the island and is also one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. This village is famous for the black and white steeple of its church. You can also wander through the charming streets with their small white houses and fragrant lavender shrub and hollyhocks by the front doors.

Since Ars-en-Ré was 50 minutes from the campsite by bicycle, we decided to take the car this time. At the beginning of the village, there is a parking place where you can leave the car and continue on foot. First, we explored the square by the church and bought a delicious wine at a local wineshop. We then enjoyed a madeleine with a cappuccino at the outdoor café and thought we had seen everything. Nothing could be further from the truth. Luckily, we walked a little further and found ourselves in the charming harbour of Ars-en-Ré. There are several nice restaurants here as well, where tourists mingle with the locals to enjoy delicacies such as oysters and local wine. Right behind the harbour is a charming market and an indoor food hall. The children had a wonderful time on the old-fashioned merry-go-round with its retro cars.

Great excursions on Île de Ré

1. Phare de Baleine
2. Fort de la Prée
3. Salt marshes
4. Les Châteliers Abbey

Phare de Baleines

Just past Ars-en-Ré, on the westernmost tip of the island, lies the beautiful lighthouse Phare de Baleines (Lighthouse of the Whales). The lighthouse, built in 1854, is 57 metres high and provides a beautiful view from its top. Since we had the children with us, we did not climb up the lighthouse. We did have a lovely walk around it and on the path along the sea. At low tide, you can look for shells and sea creatures here.

Fort de la Prée

This old fort, dating from the seventeenth century, is east of La Flotte on the coast and it stands out because of its shape. The fort provides a wonderful view of the sea. There are many fun activities organised for children and adults can go on a tour.

Salt marshes

Île de Ré is famous for its vast salt marshes. It is possible to cycle through them. Little pots or bags of salt can be purchased as a souvenir anywhere on the island. A great gift idea!

Les Châteliers Abbey

The ruins of this old but impressive abbey are just outside of La Flotte. It is certainly worth the while to cycle past it and imagine yourself in the 12th century.

Our top 10 with fun activities on Île de Ré

1. Enjoying the many beautiful beaches on Île de Ré
2. Cycling with the entire family
3. Looking for cockles and crabs at low tide
4. Sampling local delicacies at the market in La Flotte
5. Having a drink at the outdoor café in the harbour of Saint-Martin-de-Ré
6. If you love oysters, sample them at one of the many farms
7. Visiting the unique lighthouse Phare de Baleines
8. Exploring the lovely village of Ars-en-Ré
9. Shopping in La Flotte and Saint-Martin-de-Ré
10. Going on an adventure at the amazing Fort de la Prée

This was our summer holiday on Île de Ré in a nutshell. We were there for two weeks and were unable to see and do everything we wanted, so we will most certainly go back sometime. But there is no doubt that the island is highly recommended. It is the ideal beach holiday destination – especially with (young) children.

Have you been to Île de Ré and do you have some helpful tips? We would love to hear them!