Les Portes en Re, Ile de Re, Charente Maritime

Description:

Geography and Transport

Les Portes-en-Re is the northernmost village on the Ile de Re, off the Atlantic coast of La Rochelle.  The commune covers an area of 8.51km².  The island is accessible via a 3km toll bridge (cost from 9 euro to 16.50 return), and the D735 is the main road that runs through it.  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.  Les Portes-en-Re can be reached on the D201.  From La Rochelle there are motorways towards Niort (N11) and Rochefort (N137).  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.
See also:  St Clement des Baleines, Ars en 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

This part of the island is said to be popular with artists, who are looking for peace and quiet in which to paint the beautiful landscape.  There is a large beach at La Plage de la Conche between Les Portes and St Clements, and another at the edge of the Trousse-Chemise Pine Forest (Pointe de Fier), which has a small estuary.  There is a beach dedicated to children at Les Portes, which offers childrens clubs for all age groups, with various supervised activities (a half-day for one child will cost around 17 euro).

Amongst visitor attractions here are the salt marshes (Marais Salants) and the Maison du Fier, a museum housed in a former salt warehouse.  The Natural Reserve de Lilleau des Niges is a 195ha reserve operated by the LPO (La Protection des Oiseaux), where over 310 species of birds can be observed at this breeding site and migratory stop-over point.  The Nature Centre at Les Portes has free exhibitions during summer.

Facilities

Activities here include tennis and boating clubs, a 9 hole golf club, equestrian centre and surfing.

Most facilities are available including Supermarket, restaurants and cafes.

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). 

Education

There are no schools in Les Portes.  Nearest facilities are a nursery school at Ars en Re (9km), a primary school at St. Clement des Baleines (6Km), and a secondary school at St. Martin de Re (22km)

Key Stats

A 20.3% of homes here are main homes, with 78% of properties are classed as second homes. There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (45.1% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (36.3% vs 18.2%).  15.7% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (49% vs 51%).  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: