Fort Boyard 1-Hour Boat Trip from Boyardville

Fort Boyard

Fort Boyard stands on a sandbank in the strait between Île d'Oléron and Île d'Aix, built to protect the approach to the naval arsenal of Rochefort. Work began in the early nineteenth century, but building on a shifting sandbank proved so difficult that the fortress was only completed in 1857. It is an oval of stone about 68 metres long and 20 metres high, with rows of gun ports in its walls.

By the time it was finished, cannons could fire much further and the fort was no longer needed; it served briefly as a prison and was then left to the waves. Today it is known across the world as the setting of a long-running television adventure game show. Visitors cannot land, so a Fort Boyard boat trip is the only way to see it up close.

Boyardville, the village born from the fort

Boyardville is a small, peaceful seaside village on the east coast of Île d'Oléron. It grew from the camp of the workers who built Fort Boyard from 1803, and it still takes its name from the fort a few kilometres offshore. Today it is a sailing port with a marina, a long sandy beach and the pine forest of Les Saumonards right behind it.

How to get to Boyardville: Île d'Oléron is linked to the mainland by a road bridge, and Boyardville lies about twenty minutes' drive from the bridge across the island. Arrive early to find parking near the marina and enjoy a walk along the channel before boarding.

Île d'Aix from the water

After circling the fort, the boat follows the coast of Île d'Aix, a small crescent-shaped island at the mouth of the Charente. Cars are not allowed on the island, which keeps its village, its ramparts and its old forts remarkably quiet. From the sea you see its lighthouses, white sandy coves and fortifications built to guard the estuary.

Île d'Aix is a popular day trip in its own right, reached by ferry from the mainland, but this cruise gives you a beautiful overview of its coastline in a few minutes. Your crew explains how the island, the fort and the coastal defences formed one system to protect the harbour of Rochefort.

Île d'Oléron and its coast

Île d'Oléron is one of the largest islands off the French Atlantic coast, famous for its beaches, pine forests, cycling paths and oyster beds. The Marennes-Oléron basin is one of the best-known oyster-farming areas in France, and you can see the farming parks and colourful fishermen's huts along the channels near Boyardville.

During the cruise there is a photo pause with views back towards the Oléron shoreline. What to do on Île d'Oléron after your boat trip: visit the citadel of Le Château-d'Oléron, cycle through the forest of Les Saumonards or relax on the beach at Boyardville. The best time to visit is from spring to early autumn, when the beaches are warm and the oyster huts open their doors.