Fort Boyard Boat Trip from La Rochelle

The Old Port of La Rochelle

La Rochelle grew rich from the sea in the Middle Ages, trading salt and goods across the Atlantic, and its Old Port is still the heart of the town. Two massive stone towers guard the harbour mouth: the Saint-Nicolas Tower, the tallest, built in the 14th century as a fortress and residence, and the Chain Tower opposite, named after the great chain that was stretched between them each night to close the port to enemy ships.

Your La Rochelle boat tour leaves from Cours des Dames, the lively quay lined with cafés and fishing boats, and sails straight between the two towers, a view you only get from the water. Anyone listing things to do in La Rochelle puts a boat trip near the top, and leaving the Old Port this way is the best start.

The harbour channel, Les Minimes and the Lighthouse at the End of the World

Beyond the towers the boat follows the channel out to sea. On your right stands the Lantern Tower, also called the Four Sergeants Tower, the oldest lighthouse on the French Atlantic coast. Further on you pass Les Minimes, one of the largest marinas on the Atlantic coast of Europe, where thousands of sailing boats are moored.

At the end of the dyke stands the small Richelieu Tower, built on the remains of the sea wall raised during the siege of La Rochelle in 1627 and 1628 to cut the town off from help by sea. On the point opposite is the Lighthouse at the End of the World, a faithful copy of a famous lighthouse at the southern tip of South America, built by local volunteers and lit in 2000. The guide's commentary brings all of these stories to life as you sail by.

The Pertuis d'Antioche and the islands of Ré, Oléron and Aix

Once out of the harbour you cross the Pertuis d'Antioche, the stretch of sea between Île de Ré to the north and Île d'Oléron to the south that leads ships towards La Rochelle and the mouth of the Charente. Île de Ré, joined to the mainland by a long, curving bridge opened in 1988, is known for its salt marshes, white houses with green shutters and the fortified harbour of Saint-Martin.

Île d'Oléron, the largest island on the French Atlantic coast, is famous for its oyster beds and long beaches, while little Île d'Aix, closer to the fort, is a car-free island of pine woods and old forts. On a clear day all three islands are visible at once, which makes this one of the most scenic La Rochelle sea cruises.

Fort Boyard, the stone vessel

Fort Boyard rises straight out of the sea on a sandbank between Île d'Aix and Île d'Oléron. Its oval shape, about 68 metres long with walls 20 metres high, has earned it the nickname of the stone vessel. Work began in 1804 to protect the naval arsenal of Rochefort at the mouth of the Charente, but building on shifting sand was so difficult that it was only finished in 1857. By then cannons could fire far enough from the shore, so the fort was never really needed and served only briefly as a prison.

The boat makes a full circuit of the fort, giving you views of all its sides, the narrow landing stage and the rows of gun ports. There is no landing, as the fort is closed to the public. If you have wondered how to get to Fort Boyard, this boat trip is the way to see it up close.

Île d'Aix and the return to La Rochelle

Close to Fort Boyard, the boat passes within sight of Île d'Aix, a crescent of land only about 3 kilometres long guarded by Fort Liédot and the walls of its little village. Its lighthouse, with two white towers side by side, is a landmark for every boat entering the estuary. The guide points out the oyster beds and the forts that once formed a chain of defences across the Charente.

The return crossing gives you time to warm up in the heated lounge, buy a cold drink or a snack on board, or stay on deck for the second view of the towers as you sail back into the Old Port. The best time for a Fort Boyard boat trip is from April to October, when the sea is calmest and the light is long.