St Clement des Baleines, Ile de Re, Charente Maritime

Description:

Geography and Transport

St Clement des Baleines is a village located on the westernmost edge of the Ile de Re, off the Atlantic coast of La Rochelle.  The commune covers an area of 6.80km².   The town sits on the D735 that runs through the island from the bridge. 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.
See also:  Ars en Re, Les Portes 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

The village of Saint-Clement-des-Baleines runs from la Cote Sauvage to the sandy beach at La Conche, in the direction of Les Portes en Re.  It is close to the salt marches (Marais Salants) and the forests of Trousse-Chemise and Lizay.  There is a museum housed in an old salt warehouse at La Maison du Fier, which has exhibitions on the heritage of the area and production of salt.  Nearby is the Natural Reserve de Lilleau des Niges, 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 village is best known for its 57m high lighthouse Le Phare des Baleines, introduced in 1854 it is still operational and offers visitors stunning views across the beaches, marshes and pine forests.  Prior to the introduction of the lighthouse, Le Phare des Baleineaux (built in 1682 and 27m high) was used as a seamark.  The last remaining fish-lock at La Moufette is an interesting example of how the Rethaise population ensured they had food in ancient times, and this can be found close to the Phare des Baleines.  Parc Amazonia is close-by to Saint-Clement, and this has 8 different museums, with themes from zoological, floral and oceanographic.

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

There are basic facilities here, more amenities are available at nearby Les Portes en Re and Ars en Re.

Education

There is a primary school at Saint Clement des Baleines, but the nearest nursery is at Loix (13km), and the nearest secondary school is at St Martin (17km).  College level education (Lycee) is available at La Rochelle.

Key Stats

29.6% of homes here are main homes, with an incredible 68.1% of properties classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (35.4% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (32.3% vs 18.2%).  15.5% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer females than males resident here (48.3% vs 51.7%).  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: