Île De Ré GUIDE

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Île de Ré GUIDE

Useful information page 4 Sports on Ré page 6 Favourite restaurants page 8 Ideas for a rainy day page 12

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Le magasin regroupe une trentaine de et yaourts, des fleurs, de l'épicerie sèche producteurs fermiers de l'ile de Ré et des (pâtes, bières, farines, gâteaux, fruits à coques... ), environs. des conserves. Les producteurs vous proposent des produits fermiers de saison, locaux Il ne faut pas oublier les incontournables de l'ile issus directement de leurs exploitations. de Ré, vins et pineau, sel, huîtres, pommes de La gamme de produits fermiers s'élargit en terre.... permanence. Vous y trouverez des légumes et des fruits Chaque jour un producteur est parmi nous pour frais et de saison, des viandes gouteuses (boeuf, vous conseiller et transmettre sa passion. veau, porc, volailles et foie gras... ), des fromages

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Welcome to Île de Ré!

our holidays have just started and you Ywill soon come accross numerous This guide is thus rather subjective, a little guides, magazines, maps, local papers, biased and certainly non-exhaustive; but etc. still very honest and, I hope, useful ; a sort To be honest, most of these are quite of « unauthorized » guide to Ile de Ré ! good, look nice and provide you with all the I must confess, however, that we information you need and often beautiful don’t know every restaurant, shop, pictures. museum, beach or craftsman. Your own I had a different guide in mind. HOLIDAY recommendations would be very helpful SERVICES is not a publishing company for us ! and I wanted to give my clients a more This is our own network, no better than personal tool, a guide with « insider » anyone else’s but it is ours and I wanted to information. share it with you. As we live on the island all year round, Enjoy your holiday ! we have our own network and each and Christopher VADOT every company that advertises in this little http://www.holiday-services.netManager, Holiday Services booklet is part of it. We know every single shop, restaurant, name and company HOLIDAY SERVICES which you will find here; and most wanted Concierge service for holiday homes 201 rue des Breuils - 17940 Rivedoux to be part of it. Tel. 05 46 09 36 29 - [email protected] Sarl au cap. 8000 euros - Siret 449 983 402 00016 N° TVA intercommunautaire FR54449983402 Agrément préfectoral : SAP/449983402 Join us Design and layout : 1, 2, 3 ! Simone Design and layout

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Useful information

There are 10 villages on the island. You will find all you need in each of them.

HEATH & SAFETY FOOD The local phone book Le Fil de Ré, which you There are 3 supermarkets on the island : 2 should find in the house or in most shops in Intermarché (La Flotte and St Martin) and one your village is useful all year round. The pages E.Leclerc (St Martin). They are open from 9.00 at the back of the book are dedicated to « Heath am to 7.30 pm, (often even later in July and & Emergencies » and all G.Ps, dentists, etc. are August), Monday morning to Saturday + Sunday listed. morning during holiday periods. The local The local weekly newspaper Le Phare de Ré weekly Le Phare de Ré, in its first 2 pages, will (published every Wednesday) also lists the tell you more each week. doctors, dentists or chemists on duty that week. Each village also has a smaller minimarket An emergency service is also open (in July (whether Carrefour Contact, U Express, Spar, and August only) at the hospital in St Martin etc.) in each village, with, basically, the same (Tel. 05 46 09 20 01) - You can also dial 15 opening and closing hours as they aspire to be (emergencies - 24/7) or 18 (fire brigade). convenient. The gendarmerie (in rural areas - the police Last but not least, you will not miss the in big towns and cities) is located 2, avenue de traditional markets. Each village has its own, Phillipsburg, St Martin (Tel.: 05 46 09 21 17 or 17). whether very big (Ars and le Bois-plage), or small (Rivedoux, St Clément) ; some are more PUBLIC SERVICES charming than others (Les Portes right in the heart of the village, La Flotte and its medieval Each village (but not the hamlets such as la square and surroundings) but they all are lively Noue, which is in fact a part of Ste Marie or Le places with a vibrant atmosphere and plenty to Gillieux, a part of St Clément) has its own Mairie, see and goods to buy. its own Post Office and its own Tourist Office. The Tax Office is located in tS Martin.

VENTE • INSTALLATION • DÉPANNAGE

HOME CINÉMA TÉLÉVISION ALARME VIDÉOSURVEILLANCE RÉSEAU

Johan HEUSSNER [email protected] 06 42 66 22 67 www.jh-concept.fr

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BEACHES AND PLACES OF INTEREST BINS On the east coast of the island, the beaches are Ile de Ré has always adopted a « green » small and pretty rare in fact : la Cible in St Martin attitude. There are no tall buildings, no traffic or L’Arnérault in La Flotte, opposite the hotel Le lights, no large advertising boards and many Richelieu, and Sablanceaux, in Rivedoux, where types of bins. Thank you for sharing this way of kiters meet. life with us. On the south side, opposite the commercial port Each village has its own organization as far as of La Rochelle, is Rivedoux with its long, wild, collecting bins is concerned : every other day sandy beach, a haven for families but also a or every day (as in the centre St Martin during paradise for kite surfers, and sailors in general the summer). Details can be found at the Mairie, when it gets windy. A drink at the Ré Glisse (the in the house book, in the Phare de Ré or the JetSki spot) at sunset (with the sun in your back) phone book Le Fil de Ré and on the website in the summer, after a day at sea, is something cdciledere.fr. not to be missed. Just remember that : bins with a yellow top are Right up north, you will, no doubt enjoy the for recycling (can, tins, plastic bottles…), bins Conche des Baleines, between St Clément and with a green lid are for perishables (to be placed Les Portes. A few years back, it was listed, by in plastic bags) ; in different places in each a British Sunday paper, among the 200 best village, you will also find bins for glass and for beaches… in the world ! The sand, the view, the magazines. waves; even my sister-in-law, who is Australian, was speechless ! A great place for families and surfers. But it is on the west coast that you will find the famous long (and wide, at low tide) strips of sand from les Grenettes (great surfing) outside Ste Marie, right up to St Clément. Those beaches are called Le Petit Sergent, les Petites Folies (naturism tolerated), Gros Jonc, etc.

Ile de Ré is also well known for its 100 kms of cycle tracks (see SPORTS pages). Here are a few places of interest which can provide a goal for a daytime trip on a bike : the Phare des Baleines in St Clément (60 m high and 257 steps to the top where the view is fabulous under a blue sky), the fortifications in tS Martin (one of Unesco‘s world heritage sites), the salt marshes outside Loix (visit the Ecomusée des marais salants, in the right bend before the village), the musée Ernest Cognacq, off the port in St Martin or the Musée du Platin, in la Flotte, two VENTE • INSTALLATION • DÉPANNAGE small museums to learn more about Ré, its past, illustrious characters and traditions.

HOME CINÉMA TÉLÉVISION ALARME VIDÉOSURVEILLANCE RÉSEAU

Johan HEUSSNER [email protected] 06 42 66 22 67 www.jh-concept.fr

JHCONCEPT.indd 1 06/06/2017 16:36

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The sporty island

Coming to Ile de Ré and doing… nothing must be possible, but who really wants to miss out on the numerous sports and activities available ?

Above all, the island is well known among On the water, everything is available and cycling and sailing fanatics. If you have your own possible. The in-sport of the moment is Stand bicycle, then you can hit the tracks immediately Up paddle (drawn from an ancestral Polynesian and cruise from north to south, through forrests, use of a large board, on which one stands villages and salt marshes ; you can also hire holding a paddle using the size bikes in each village, where there are usually of the board to float and more than 3 bike shops. An adult bike for a week beat the waves) which is will cost around 35 euros for instance. Several available in Rivedoux, La companies such as Cycland, Cyclosurf, Tout à Couarde (www.supevasion. vélo, etc. have shops in more than one village, com), Ste Marie, Le Bois, La which can be useful if you run into difficulty. Flotte (www.papaipaddle. The island is more or less flat but the wind com) ; there is also kite makes it steep at times ! A few distances : surfing (you stand on a St Martin-La Couarde via Le Bois = 10 kms; surfboard and are pulled Rivedoux-Les Portes = 32 kms, Le Bois- by a strong and colourful plage-St Clément = 16 kms. It may be kite), in Rivedoux (www. useful to remind cyclists that road signs ilederekitesurf.com), la are not for large vehicles only… It would Couarde or Les Portes. be silly to ruin a holiday because of an accident with a car in a one way street for instance.

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But you may also wish to hire a large boat for (in Rivedoux and Loix), roller and a day or a week ? Then log on to www.iledere- skateboarding (www.dogsrider.free.fr), archery luxe.com/services/fr/prestataire/alain-girard- (www.archersdere.free.fr) or badminton sailing - (Alain Girard : 06 12 41 99 92) or www. (www.rebadmintonclub.org) catamaran-bluenote.com (Bernard au 06 89 88 32 08) or www.catamaran-dreamon.com (Benoit Visit your local Tourist Office for more au 06 18 10 37 51). information. To discover « easy sailing », from the age of 3 (!), come and hire the Iziboat (www.IZIboat.com) at the Centre Nautique Pleine Air - Rue de la Surveillance - Rivedoux - Tél. : +33 5 46 35 62 05, from 1st, July until 31st, August.

You want something quieter ? Then why not try fishing on foot, in the marshes or at low tide in Rivedoux (by the light house), la Couarde or Ars; or sea diving (www.nautilus-plongee.com) in St Martin.

The more conventional sports, such as tennis can be played in each of the 10 villages (a couple of clubs share several courts though), or golf in Les Portes (www.golftroussechemise.com – it’s been going 25 years now !) but also in La Flotte, at its practice ground (www.golfenre.fr ) before the 18-hole course is built. Horse riding is also very popular and there several clubs in Ste Marie, La Flotte, Le Bois, St Clément-Les Portes. Team games, such as football, basketball (the team in St Clément is a very good one at national level) or rugby are very popular but the clubs are usually closed during holiday periods.

Ile de Ré even has its own cricket club (www.iledere- france.com/cricket-ircc), or clubs dedicated to martial arts, aeromodel flying

risan erise roi iha a oe en

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Our favourite Restaurants

Can you imagine coming to France for a holiday, without having a go at the local culinary traditions ? This part of the guide is a tricky one because liking or disliking a restaurant relies on very personal feelings. It is impossible to know them all, not to mention the fact that they often change hands. Here are mine, tried and approved :

FOR A COLOURFUL AND TASTY LUNCH : FOR A GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE : Côté Jardin (St Martin) for its first class simple food and back garden ; La Chaloupe (Rivedoux), for the view on the bridge and the seafood ; Les Tilleuls (Ste Marie) for all sorts of pancakes in an « Antique shop » atmo. ; chez Ré Monde (market square, Rivedoux) which is also a great deli and purveyor of fine food and beverages ;O Parloir (St Martin) for its plancha-type lunch menus ; A l’Ouest (St Chai Nous Comme Chai Vous (la Flotte). Owned Clément), worth a visit for the « andouillette » and managed by Florence et Laurent Favier, sausage but not only ! ; le M (Rivedoux) for the this small room can welcome no more than 25 view and its traditional French cuisine with a people. This is about the only place on the island touch of class, where you will find no steak and chips, pizzas or seafood platters but only imaginative dishes FOR AN EASY AND SIMPLE BITE, in remote such as clam in absinth butter or summer places, off the usual touristic tracks : the Régalet truffle “croquet monsieur” sandwich. The place (Rivedoux) for the large terrace and generous is very fashionable so book in advance. Laurent menus; le Gourmand’ine (La Flotte) for its French Favier is also, since July 2017, in charge of the cuisine with a lady’s touch (the manager is Russian Pergola restaurant (la Couarde) where he will and the chef French) ; un Air de famille (opposite serve the same type of inventive dishes. Post Office in St martin) for its salads and tarts.. In Ars, you want to go to O de Mer, in the little La Fiancée du Pirate (La Flotte) for its pancakes street opposite the Church. It is in the same and kid’s area. Last but not least, the Chippie’s class as Chai Nous… (small room, non-touristic Coffee (St Martin) which serves fish’n’chips, food, excellent wine -some from Australia as French type burgers and French « plat du jour » this Belgian couple met down Under). 20 Cours Vauban - 05 46 69 50 42 www.oparloir.com - facebook : O Parloir Application disponible sur l’app store et google play

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FOR A MORE SIMPLE, YET EXCELLENT, FOR A LIVELY EVENING : : Le Cervane (St DINNER WITH FRIENDS : my « usuals » are Martin), for its tapas before dinner, the trendy yet again Côté Jardin (St Martin) for the gentle atmosphere but also the sound of shroud lines atmosphere, fresh food and quiet garden in the in the yachts nearby ; le Nautic (la Flotte) for the back yard; Le Serghi (port of St Martin) for its view, even after sunset, and its pub atmosphere ; beautiful bistro-type room, inventive food and view ; the Soul Train café (St Martin) for a Mojito outside O Parloir (St Martin) for the rather trendy decor ; and live bands Inside ; the piano bar Les 2 Canons Chai Pépette (Ste Marie) for the quality of its « (la Flotte) ; the Kustom Diner (le Bois), for its US- rogue » dishes (tripe, etc.) and meat in general in a type food and atmosphere ; A l’Ouest (St Clément) bistro atmosphere; La Maison (St Martin, towards for the conventional yet tasty grub and the live La Couarde) for the idea of sharing dishes with bands in the evening ; la Pergola (La Couarde), friends at the same table and the cosy terrace; Le a dance club where you can get rid of the calories Taxi-Brousse (la Couarde -in the summer only) eaten earlier on at the nextdoor restaurant. for its low key, still trendy, outdoor atmosphere and surroundings (pool, trees, nearby beach) and Places such as les Q-salés (le Bois), Le Chasse- the fresh fish; Also in La Couarde : lePeu des Marée (Les Portes), la cabine de Bain (Le Bois), hommes, the Bordin zinc and the Restaurant du l’Ecailler (La Flotte), le Balaou (la Couarde) get Mail. L’Océan (Le Bois) is also a very popular place good reviews and are strongly recommended but thanks to its constant quality and reputation. I don‘t know them… yet. In the meantime, your impressions are more than welcome !

20 Cours Vauban - 05 46 69 50 42 www.oparloir.com - facebook : O Parloir Application disponible sur l’app store et google play

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E-mail : [email protected] : E-mail

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07/06/2017 10:09 07/06/2017 1 La-petite-sirene.indd

E-mail : [email protected] : E-mail

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Tél. : 09 67 26 63 55 63 26 67 09 : Tél.

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If the weather turns nasty

As Ile de Ré is surrounded by the Atlantic ocean and not the Mediter- ranean, it is subject to more climate variations. What do you do then, if it gets cloudy or it starts raining ?

ON THE ISLAND : makers » subscriptions. You may also visit your Open since July 2009, the intercommunal local tourist office for alternative ideas. Aquaré pool (www.vert-marine.com/aquare- saint-martin-de-re-17) is the ideal place for all the family in case of bad weather. Which, as a consequence, means the place is pretty full when all families have the same idea…- Aquaré - Chemin du Vieux Marais (near the school and the football ground) in St Martin. Open 7/ 7. Tel. 05 46 66 10 95. The best alternative then becomes the cinema. La Maline (Le Mail, La Couarde - Tel. : 05 46 29 93 53 et www.lamaline.net) is also open 7 days a week and shows most of the popular films of the moment. There is only one theatre though. The local weekly Le Phare de Ré will provide OFF THE ISLAND all details on films and showing times, also The small city of La Rochelle is worth a visit, available in small flyers which you will find at whether it rains or not in fact (www.ville- Tourist offices and many shops. larochelle.fr). The historical centre, around To hire books, comics and DVDs, the municipal the old harbour, but also the Ville en Bois (the libraries, in each village, are a good start but Wooden City), a few yards away from the port, the best place is probable the Mediathèque, in will keep you busy for half a day at least. Without Ste Marie (2 rue de la République - Tel. : 05 46 even mentionning the museums (and there are 43 91 89 - www.mediatheque-saintemariedere. a few such as the Musée Maritime, Musée des fr ) which has a great choice and offers « holiday Beaux Arts, Natural history museum…), you

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13 will enjoy a walk in the city, surrounded by old parking space. A popular spot though, so plan private houses, arcades, monuments, squares on being there all day. and streets full of history. You will find numerous Access : from the ring road, follow the signs « shops, cafés and restaurants and if it not raining Gare » (train station) and then « Aquarium ». anymore, you might even be lucky enough to sit down at one of the terrace cafés and have a Further out of La Rochelle, the beautiful town drink. of Rochefort, 30 minutes away by car, (follow To access La Rochelle is easy : by bus (see the signs as soon as you reach the ring road) below) ; by car : follow the signs « centre ville is also worth a visit with (not-too-young) » when you leave the island onto the ring road. children : the famous Corderie royale (a sort of It takes 15 minutes once you have crossed the mini-museum/library/bookshop about boats, bridge. Main car park is Place de Verdun. The past and Tourist Office is between the port and the Ville present, where en Bois. the ropes for the royal ships, Another possibility, maybe not as classy though, were made). is the … big shopping area Centre commercial Nearby is the de Beaulieu, in Puilboreau (10 minutes away, to site of the your left, once you are on the ring road after the reconstruction bridge). All the big French names in shopping of the XVIII can be found there : Leroy-Merlin (DIY), Gifi century ship (house and garden “bric a brac”), Decathlon Hermione (sports and activities), Hyper U (food), Cultura (www. (books, music, arts & crafts), etc. hermione.com) which will sail If the weather really gets miserable, you may towards the wish to pay the following sites a visit : first the Mediterranean Aquarium (as good as any in the world) and then in 2018. There the small, quaint and fascinating Musées des are plenty of Automates et des Modèles Réduits (past and shops and present models, automatons and dolls - a feast restaurants for the eyes- Rue La Désirée - La Ville en Bois in the same - La Rochelle. Tel.: 05 46 41 68 08) and carry on area and the town itself is nice to visit. Corderie with the local Multiplex cinema CGR (no less Royale - Centre International de la Mer, Rue than 12 screens - Avenue Henri Becquerel à La Audebert BP 50 108 - 17303 ROCHEFORT Cedex Rochelle www.cgrcinemas.fr/larochelle). There - Tél : 05 46 87 01 90 www.corderie-royale.com. also several cheap and cheerful places to eat in the same square (La Boucherie, McDonald’s, Bagel Corner…). All these attractions are basically in the same area and there is plenty of

LA ROCHELLE BY BUS :

bus service n°3 (Compagnie Les Mouettes) will If it is not raining and if you feel like cycling all pick you up from several different places on along the 150 kms of cycle tracks, the best bet the island to La Rochelle (Place de Verdun or is to get on a bus in the morning and hire a bike the station for instance with the Ré Express). at the train station (« Gare ») or Place de Verdun Infos : Tel. : 0811 36 17 17 and or on the Vieux Port (old harbour). Infos au 0810 www.lesmouettes-transports.com. 17 18 17 or www.agglo-larochelle.fr/services.

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2003 - 2013 : 10 years on, and still going strong!

There was no “concierge service” in the area in 2003; even the meaning of the term seems a far cry from the way it is understood today. Whilst established as a recognized profession in New-York and London, this was certainly not the case in France, let alone on Ile de Ré.

HOLIDAY SERVICES was set up, in 2003, over the summertime. Services are provided in because, apart from the odd neighbour or all 10 of the island’s villages, and in La Rochelle. retired friend, holiday-home owners on Ile de Ré had no-one to rely on to manage their property. We would like to thank all our clients, English, French, European and those from even further HOLIDAY SERVICES arrived with a professional afar, some of whom have actually placed their approach, employing staff, designing a bilingual trust in us since Day One. website, providing a service in both English and French, offering insurance-covered contractual arrangements, etc.

The profession itself was given a boost when the “Borloo plan” (named after the minister in charge) was introduced in 2005. This led to the emergence of thousands of start-ups all over the country, though many of these were no longer on the scene after a couple of years.

HOLIDAY SERVICES now employs 5 people on open-ended contracts and increases its staff

2, RUE DES CULQUOILÉS 17630 LA FLOTTE-EN-RÉ VA LA CROIX MICHAUD

05 16 85 49 85 WWW.LATARTENTIERE.COM

en saison hors saison DU LUNDI AU SAMEDI DU MARDI AU SAMEDI DE 9H30 À 19H30 DE 9H30 À 19H00

Tartentiere.indd 1 06/06/2017 16:18

31/08/2017 09:26 31/08/2017 18 HolidayServices_28pages_2017.indd

CONCIERGE SERVICE FOR HOLIDAY HOMES:

House and laundry Maintenance cleaning Surveillance Gardening Annual contracts Small jobs and repairs Personalised services

Charente-Maritime

2, RUE DES CULQUOILÉS 17630 LA FLOTTE-EN-RÉ VA LA CROIX MICHAUD

05 16 85 49 85 WWW.LATARTENTIERE.COM

en saison hors saison DU LUNDI AU SAMEDI DU MARDI AU SAMEDI DE 9H30 À 19H30 DE 9H30 À 19H00

Tartentiere.indd 1 06/06/2017 16:18