The bike ride over the bridge was a bit terrifying, but everything else about the Ile de Re was totally magical: as quaint, charming and non-commercial as I remember it 20 years ago. The Ile de Re is one of the most popular places that the French come to just relax and spend time with their friends and family.
The most popular past times here are bicycling, walking, boules and going to the beach. It’s still too cold here for the beach, so it seemed like the most popular activity today was bicycling. By bike is the preferred way to visit this island, and there are more than 100 km of bike paths crossing the Ile de Re in every direction, amazing for an island that’s only 30 km long and 5 km wide. The flat terrain is perfect for experienced and non-experienced cyclists alike. Young and old and families with kids all embrace the special experience of visiting this place by bike
The Ile de Re has 10 towns, and you can visit each by bike. Two of the towns, Ars-en-Re and La Flotte are listed among the 150 most beautiful villages in France. One of my favorites is Saint Martin de Re, with its Vauban designed military fortifications. The northern coast town of La Flotte-en-re is also quite special, with two major attractions, a fort built in 1626 and the remnants of an abbey built in the 12th century.
Exploring the quaint towns on the Ile de Re by bike is a fun past time. But bicycling around the island is also just the perfect way to explore and savor one of of the most enjoyable destinations on France’s Atlantic Coast. A weekend is the perfect amount of time to immerse yourself into an Ile de Re bicycling adventure, unless you are lucky enough to stay longer!
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the Ile de Re.
We were in Ile de Ré in October so didn’t have the gorgeous poppies, but we still loved it and I did my longest rides there. Loved the oysters too!