Ile-D'aix: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Île-d'Aix is a car-free island with historic sites, museums and a maritime landscape. Special places include the Batterie de Jamblet, the Phare de l'Ile d'Aix, Fort Liédot and several exhibitions. Those who choose Île-d'Aix for their stay may wish to find or rent a holiday apartment there.

Geographical setting

Île-d'Aix lies at the heart of the 21st Grand Site de France, “Estuaire de la Charente - Arsenal de Rochefort”, and in the Parc naturel marin de l'estuaire de la Gironde et de la mer des pertuis. The crossing from Fouras-les-Bains to Île-d'Aix takes 20 minutes and is offered year-round.

Paths and coast

Plage de l'Anse de la Croix is the only beach on Île-d'Aix supervised in July and August. The diverse landscapes of the car-free island can be explored on foot or by bicycle. In recent years, more than 15 kilometres of paths have been refurbished on Île-d'Aix.

Culture and history

The Batterie de Jamblet can be visited freely and free of charge every day. It was still in operation in 1926 and was abandoned after the Second World War. The Phare de l'Ile d'Aix is a rare type of lighthouse with two towers, which served to mark a very specific hazard.

The Musée Napoléon is located in Napoleon's last residence on French soil. Napoleon lived there from 12 to 15 July 1815; the museum comprises ten themed rooms. The preserved Saint-Martin complex includes the eastern wing of the priory, the transept, the northern apse and the church crypt.

Fort Liédot can be visited independently via its galleries. It houses a permanent exhibition about the history of Fort Boyard and the creation of the television programme of the same name.

Museums and exhibitions

The exhibition “Immersions entre estuaires et mer” presents the marine world of the Pertuis between the continent and the ocean in a renovated bastion area measuring 400 m². The Musée Africain displays numerous trophies, sculptures and ethnographic objects from the Baron's expeditions in southern and eastern Africa, as well as dioramas featuring African wildlife by London taxidermist Rowland Ward. The Musée de la Nacre traces the process from mother-of-pearl as a simple shell-material starting point through processing to finished jewellery, decorative objects and dolls.

Other places: Saint-Bonnet-sur-Gironde, Pont-L'abbé-D'arnoult, Archiac, Aumagne, Meschers-Sur-Gironde, Paillé, Taillebourg, Loiré-Sur-Nie

For the overarching travel overview: Charente-Maritime.