Apparently, we're not the only ones who wanted this salty break this October weekend.
There are traffic jams even before taking the bridge to reach the island.
The car parks are packed and the terraces of cafes and restaurants are crowded.
We begin our mini road trip on the island, heading towards La Flotte, a small village renowned for its architecture, its port and its maritime atmosphere.
We immortalize the beautiful facades, the moored boats and take the opportunity to discover the local market and the village streets.
Then, we take the road again to La Cible beach, where we plan to have a picnic facing the sea.
We eat our lovingly prepared sandwiches there before reaching SaintMartin-de-Ré by walking along the old prison.
It is the largest city on the island and undoubtedly also the most touristy.
It looks a lot like La Flotte but much larger and more popular.
We also find some similarities with La Rochelle.
The rest of our mini road trip continues to the Phare des Baleines in the far north of the island, where we ultimately don't stop.
The parking lot being full... We can't even imagine the crowds there must be here in the middle of the tourist season.
The bike really remains the best solution for getting around the entire island, we'll find out next time!
So we end our road trip at the end of the afternoon on Trousse Chemise beach, a beautiful beach bordered by dunes.
We stop there for a few moments to capture the last rays of the sun trying to make their way through the clouds, before heading back towards the hustle and bustle of Paris...
We will definitely come back, but with bikes and a little more time :)