At the Grand Phare, 257 steps lead up to a height of 60 metres. From there, the panoramic view extends across the Île de Ré and the ocean.
The desire to rent a holiday apartment in Saint-Clément-des-Baleines is part of individual travel planning.
Coast and nature
The tidal bay in the interior of the Île de Ré covers 2,440.66 hectares, also includes Saint-Clément-des-Baleines and is bordered by former salt marshes. To the east of the village, the marshes attract numerous birds in spring. Cycling tours can begin in the centre of Saint-Clément-des-Baleines or at the Phare des Baleines; the lighthouse serves as a landmark.
Culture and history
The Phare des Baleines site includes the Grand Phare from 1854, the Vieille Tour from 1682 and the Parc des Baleines. The Phare des Baleineaux was built between 1849 and 1853.
The Église Saint-Clément combines Neo-Gothic and Neoclassical styles. Its furnishings include a black marble tomb altar and ex-votos with painted backgrounds. The church was built between 1842 and 1843; its bell tower collapsed in 1847 and was subsequently rebuilt.
The Abri du Canot de sauvetage, a lifeboat station, was built in 1869 during a period of numerous shipwrecks between the islands of Ré and Oléron. La Moufette is a preserved fish trap made of dry stonework and illustrates a traditional fishing technique determined by the tides.
Water and tides
At the Conche des Baleines, the Cercle Nautique d'Ars-en-Ré offers E-Foil boards, windsurfing boards, catamarans, dinghies and stand-up paddle boards for hire. The water sports equipment rental point is located at Plage de la Conche des Baleines in Saint-Clément-des-Baleines.
At the Conche des Baleines, the range of activities listed includes kitesurfing, bodyboarding, kite flying, fishing, shore fishing at low tide, windsurfing, surfing and sailing.
The “Safari à marée basse” is considered an excursion for discovering and raising awareness of the marine environment, not an introduction to shore fishing at low tide. During this nature excursion, tidal animals such as crabs, prawns, sea urchins, starfish and small fish are discovered at the foot of the Phare des Baleines.
Further discoveries
La Savonnerie de l'Ile de Ré in Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, near the Phare des Baleines, offers tours of the soap factory on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., from April to the end of September.
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