Doors in D

LES PORTES EN RÉ ON THE ÎLE DE RÉ IN CHARENTE-MARITIME

Located at the western end of the Île de Ré, on its northeast coast, Les Portes en Ré opens onto the Pertuis Breton, facing the Vendée coast in the Poitou Charentes region. Les Portes en Ré has also preserved its traditional character, with white-fronted houses with green shutters lining the narrow streets. The flower-filled alleyways add to the charm of these characterful, typically Rhaeto-Roman houses.

The wild environment of this village in the Rhone valley makes it a dream destination for nature lovers. Forests, salt marshes and beaches form an exceptional landscape to discover during your vacation on the Ile de Ré. Les Portes en Ré is home to a dozen beaches, each as beautiful as the next, for the whole family to enjoy. There’s even a naturist beach. The village is about 9 km north of Ars en Ré and 5 km east of St Clément des Baleines.

Lilleau des Niges nature reserve

A precious natural area at the tip of the Ile de Ré, the Lilleau des Niges nature reserve welcomes thousands of migratory birds to the heart of the salt marshes: ideally located on the Atlantic flyway, the reserve offers a heavenly refuge for these species, between land and water. More than two-thirds of the bird species observed on the island of Ré are concentrated in the marshes of the Lilleau des Niges reserve.

The marsh environment is protected by a ban on motor vehicles. The reserve can be visited on foot, which also encourages observation of the species that nest here: white stilts, geese, egrets, among almost 250 species of waterfowl. The reserve’s fish populations and diverse flora are another of its riches, to be discovered along the educational trail and cycle paths that criss-cross the marsh between the Fier d’Ars, the Baleines lighthouse and the Trousse-Chemise wood.

Places to visit in Les Portes en Ré

There’s so much to discover in this little village. First of all, let yourself be tempted by a stroll through the village on the history of Les Puits, and discover its narrow streets and flower-filled alleys. Take a detour to the former station of the Petit Train de l’Ile de Ré and its locomotive shed, which is now the fire station.

Nature is also an integral part of the village. Firstly, the Maison du Fier with its museum and the Lilleau des Niges Nature Reserve in the middle of the salt marshes, a paradise for over 30,000 migratory and sedentary birds.

You can cycle through the nature reserve or take one of the many tours and/or events offered by the LPO. Right next to the Maison du Fier, next to the salt shed, is the village’s old port. Finally, let yourself go on the pretty beaches of Les Portes-en-Ré: La Patache, the “last beach” on the Ile de Ré, Trousse-chemise, from where you can see the entrance to the Fier d’Ars, and the banc du bucheron (a sandbank that is only accessible by boat at low tide).