The writer Pierre Loti, familiar with the place, saw in this island with whitewashed houses a breath of the Orient.
He even nicknamed it the "perfume island", intoxicated by the heady scents of its southern flora.
Under a very pure light, Oléron enjoys a mild and sunny climate, worthy of the coasts of the Mediterranean.
Its beaches bordered by thick forests rub shoulders with charming old villages where markets abound with fresh fish, oysters and local fruits and vegetables.
This large 174 km2 island with a strong oyster culture has made the preservation of landscapes a struggle.
Successful gamble: 84% of its territory is now classified (Natura 2000, Sensitive natural area, etc.) and subject to protection charters.
Wild beaches and salt marshes
Far from roads, cars and parking lots, the most beautiful beaches in Oléron are worthy of their worth! As far as the eye can see from Boyardville, the fine sand of the spacious
Saumonards beach
is hemmed by a dune cordon embracing a forest of pines and holm oaks; sea of oil and a view of Fort Boyard as a bonus. Same natural configuration for the immense beach in the south-west of the island, 8 km of clear sand nestled against the large forest of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains. More exposed, we practice sand yachting, surfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing and kitesurfing. After an invigorating swim, we settle aboard the
P'tit Train de Saint-Trojan
to reach - on rails - the wild part of this sublime beach, but the currents of which can make swimming dangerous.
Read alsoFrom Fouras to Châtellaillon, our favorite seaside resorts in the Charentes
On the tip of the island,
Saint-Trojan-les-Bains
is a small seaside resort from 1898, where the Belle Époque villas line up on the seafront, a few steps from the oyster port.
Crisscrossing oyster beds and salt marshes - to be explored by boat, canoe-kayak and stand-up paddle - the large island network of cycle paths leads us to Château-d'Oléron, a pretty star-shaped village.
Fortified by Vauban and flanked by a citadel, it opens onto a charming port, lining up a string of multicolored huts converted into artists' studios.
The Belle Époque villas of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains.
Lezbroz / OTIOMN
To venture into a setting where nature has reclaimed its rights, in the heart of the island, we plunge into
the Eguille marsh, a
maze of ancient accessible salt marshes.
A journey on foot or by bike will then lead to Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, Pierre Loti's last home.
The lively “capital” of the island, we come across typical old houses, the Museum of the Island of Oléron and this curious Lantern of the Dead, a tower built in the 12th century on an old cemetery… The beating heart of the island can also be discovered on horseback during walks that reach La Cotinière, the large fishing port of Oléron and its auction.
Read alsoThe island of Aix on foot, a very maritime Charente
Stop in villages of character
The oyster huts of Fort-Royer in Oléron.
Adobe Stock
A few pedal strokes towards the east on the oyster road - winding between sea and marshes - leads to Fort-Royer, an authentic centenary village of wooden huts, scattered in the middle of clearings and channels, still in activity.
Nearby, Boyardville, with its marina opening onto the Antioch sluice and its wide bay protected from the onslaught of the sea, has inherited the nickname of "small Mediterranean".
This body of water is popular with windsurfers, while others embark there to navigate between Fort Boyard and Île d'Aix by light catamaran, cruising catamaran or aboard an old rig.
Read also From Bréhat to Oléron, ten French islands to discover on the Atlantic coast
The wild north of Oléron, for its part, offers jagged rocky coasts, intimate beaches and villages with postcard alleys, populated with old whitewashed houses and flowered with hollyhocks.
We delight in a stroll in Saint-Georges-d'Oléron, known for its Romanesque church and its old market, or in La Brée-les-Bains, a quiet seaside resort which has retained the charm of its alleys with the scent of Orient, described by Loti.
The Chassiron lighthouse.
OTIOMN
Devilishly photogenic with its colorful beach cabins, the Boirie beach remains the great asset of Saint-Denis-d'Oléron, a popular seaside resort.
Just like the majestic Chassiron lighthouse which, at the end of the island, dominates these curious fish locks, centuries-old fishing tools linked to the tides.
Travelogue
ASK ABOUT
From the Ile d'Oléron and Marennes basin tourist office and the Friends of Pierre Loti association.
GO
From Paris Montparnasse, take a TGV to La Rochelle (3 hours 20 minutes), then a shuttle boat to Boyardville (2 to 4 connections per day, all year round; 50 min crossing).
By car, the Ile d'Oléron has been linked to the mainland by a free bridge since 1966.
WHERE TO SLEEP ON THE ISLAND OF OLÉRON?
Le Grand Large
is a family-run 4-star, designed in 1965 by a pupil of Le Corbusier.
Nestled in the dunes, it embraces the large wild beach in the southwest of the island.
Wellness area with swimming pool and jacuzzi.
Rooms between 110 and 390 €.
Le Grand Large, 2 avenue de l'Océan, 17550 Dolus-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 05 46 75 77 77.
Novotel Thalassa Oléron Saint-Trojan
, 4-star with contemporary and functional rooms, leaning against the forest that runs along the wild beach of Gatseau.
Restaurant and thalassotherapy center with seawater swimming pool. Double rooms from € 100.
Novotel Thalassa Oléron Saint-Trojan, 31, avenue du Débarquement, 17370 Saint-Trojan-les-Bains.
Phone.
: 05 46 76 02 46.
The Albatross
, facing the ocean, the rooms of this 3-star hotel are decorated with brass and woodwork in a cruise ship spirit.
Restaurant with a waterfront terrace.
Double rooms between 100 and 250 €.
L'Albatros, 11, boulevard du Dr Pineau, 17370 Saint-Trojan-les-Bains.
Phone.
: 05 46 76 00 08.
B&B Le Moulin de la Borderie,
beautiful charming rooms in this typical house, in the heart of a large flowered garden with a heated swimming pool and the tower of a multicentenary windmill.
Count between 100 and 150 € per night.
B & B Le Moulin de la Borderie, 184, rue de la République, 17310 Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 06 80 45 60 42.
Le Vert Bois
, one kilometer from the sea, a small charming 3-star hotel with seaside decor, bordered by a Mediterranean garden with a heated swimming pool.
In addition to double rooms (75 to 170 €), the hotel offers family suites and apartments for 2 to 4 people.
Le Vert Bois, 104, chemin Saint-James, 17550 Dolus-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 05 46 36 87 66.
GOOD TABLES
The coasts abound with fish and seafood, such as sea bass, sole, langoustines… By igniting pine needles on bouchot mussels, we make the essential “eglade”, while oysters are an integral part. of the DNA of the island.
Products to be tasted with a local white wine, because Oléron has been a wine-growing land since Roman times.
Eglade of mussels, a typical recipe from the Ile d'Oléron.
Hemis
Au Gré du Vin
, one of the best tables in Oléron, orchestrated by Céline Parzys, a talented chef who imaginatively sublimates local products with a fine selection of wines, including fruity and balanced ones from Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron.
Au Gré du Vin, place de la République, 17480 Château-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 05 46 85 02 73. À la carte, count around 30-40 €.
Le Relais des Salines
, pretty cabin with terrace on the marshes which celebrates gourmet and refined bistro cuisine.
Around 40 € à la carte.
Le Relais des Salines, port des Salines, 17370 Grand-Village-Plage.
Phone.
: 05 46 75 82 42.
From Île aux Papilles
, a short seasonal menu of inventive specialties with unexpected flavors and alliances.
Tables in direct contact with the tide and the island terroir.
Menus at 31 and 42 €.
From Île aux Papilles, place Camille Mémain, 17310 Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 05 46 36 87 45.
Le Jour du Poisson
, cuisine largely inspired by the sea, but not only.
We quickly let ourselves be seduced by creations combining land and sea, with explosive tastes.
Around 40 € à la carte.
Le Jour du Poisson, 3 rue de l'Ormeau, 17650 Saint-Denis-d'Oléron.
Phone.
: 05 46 75 76 21.
L'Écume
, a regional cuisine that dares a few daring detours in terms of flavors and presentation.
Menus from 17 to 75 €, count between 30 and 45 € à la carte.
L'Écume, 2, rue de la République, 17370 Saint-Trojan-les-Bains.
Phone.
: 05 46 75 34 66.
TO SLIP IN YOUR SUITCASE
Fine fleur de sel harvested in the island's marshes, plain or flavored with red wine from Oléron, Pineau des Charentes… The
La Salorge
boutique
also offers decorative items.
La Salorge, port des Salines, 17370 Grand-Village-Plage.
Phone.
: 07 89 27 61 54.
[Originally published August 16, 2020, this article was updated July 2, 2021].