La Couarde sur Mer, Ile de Re, Charente Maritime

Description:

Geography and Transport

La Couarde sur Mer is a village located on the southern side of the Ile de Re, off the Atlantic coast of La Rochelle.  The village sits at the end of the D201 and on the D735. The island is accessible via a 3km toll bridge (cost from 9 euro to 16.50 return) from La Rochelle, and there are motorways towards Niort (N11) and Rochefort (N137).  Ile de Re can still be reached by boat, with the company Inter-Iles from the old port in La Rochelle, and also from a new facility (2008) at La Tranche Sur Mer (Vendee).  Timetables can vary in both days and times of travel depending on the season.  There is no rail link from the island, but La Rochelle does provide access to both regional rail (TER) and the TGV, which links with Paris (Montparnasse) in a shade over 3 hours.  The nearest airport is La Rochelle, and this offers flights to a variety of UK destinations with the major budget carriers.  The commune covers an area of 8.80km².
See also:  Le Bois Plage en Re, St Martin de Re

Climate

The climate here is mild courtesy of the position of the village on the Atlantic coast.  This has the effect of keeping summer temperatures warm (but not excessively hot) whilst keeping winters mild.  Average summer temperatures are between 22C and 24C (14C to 17C night), and in winter this drops to 9C to 10C (4C to 5C night).  Spring and Autumn can be warm with May averaging 19C (12C), and September 22C (14C).  Wettest months are Oct and Nov with 65mm and 62mm respectively, and the driest months are June and Aug with 24mm and 29mm respectively.  This part of Charente Maritime receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

La Couarde sur Mer has 5km of sandy beach, offering all kinds of water sports and seaside activities.  There is a market here every Wednesday selling local produce.  There are a number of campsites situated in and around the village, and the village has amenities such as a supermarket, restaurants and cafes.  La Maline is regarded as the islands cultural centre, and is based in La Couarde.  This 10 year old facility hosts dancing shows, music concerts, theatre, comedy and circus, and has capacity for 275 spectators. 

Economy

The village is part of the La Rochelle economic zone which has an unemployment rate of 9.8%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006). 

Facilities

La Couarde sur Mer has most facilities including, a cinema, supermarket and restaurant.

Education

There is one state primary school here, but there are nursery and primary options at Le Bois Plage, and schools up to secondary level at the capital St Martin de Re.  For college level  (Lycee) education, options are available at La Rochelle.   

Key Stats

 28.6% of homes here are main homes, with a huge 69.4% of properties are classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (38.3% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (32.6% vs 18.2%).  17.5% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (48.9% vs 51.1%).  Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Ile de Re during peak times, but the population of the whole island is normally around 16,500.

Attractions and places to visit on Ile de Re

Key Facilities and Services: