Exploring the French Island of Ile D’Aix in Spring

Equipped with Oyster Catching Ile D'Aix
Feature Image: My Basket & Tools for gathering Oysters

Exiled to the Island

Even before we started our workaway adventure in a bed and breakfast in La Rochelle we knew we were going to spend a week on a neighboring island of Ile D’Aix (pronounced eel-dex). The La Rochelle house was booked out for a week and our host had texted us before we arrived to ask us see if we were ok with moving out to the island when the B’n’B guests arrived.

Um! let me think about that for a nano-second before agreeing!

About Ile D’Aix

This two-mile long island is a magnet for nationals with second homes and day trippers, and has a scattered collection of rental apartments and small homes to tempt the tourists.

Ile D'Aix Island La Rochelle France Map

You can still see the fortifications that were built in the 18th Century, to protect the mainland navel base at Rochefort. Fort Liédot was later used as a prison during the French Revolution, the Crimean War, and WWI. The island was briefly home to Napoleon, while he was plotting his escape to America, but he didn’t leave in time and was exiled to Saint Helena instead.

Ile D'Aix Map of the Island
Map of Ile D’Aix

Getting to Ile D’Aix

During the summer you can catch a ferry directly from La Rochelle (30km away), but off-season you have to travel down to Fouras for the short ferry ride.

Ile D'Aix Ferry France
Waiting to board the Ile D’Aix Ferry in Fouras

There’s only a few crossing a day during off-season, but the 20 minute service runs year-round, and the timetable changes each month. Before we were due to spend our week on the island doing our workaway jobs, our host took us on an overnight trip so that we could find the house and familiarize ourself with our surroundings.

Ile D'Aix
View from our new home in Ile D’Aix

Apart from its historical heritage, and tourism industry, Ile D’Aix has a thriving oyster industry.

Oyster industry in Ile D'Aix France

It’s was an overcast and blustery day, but it wasn’t raining so we took walked the 6km around the island’s circumference to explore the coastline, so that when we returned to the island for our imposed isolation, we knew where to find the best oyster spots.

Low Tide on Ile D'Aix
Low Tide on Ile D’Aix

I’m a sun bunny, and love the beach, but there’s an intrinsic beauty to a forlorn looking beach at low tide on a cloudy day.

Fishing huts Ile D'Aix
Fishing huts on Ile D’Aix

This walk around the Ile D’Aix coastline whetted my appetite for our tranquil week-long stay.

shell filled beach in Ile D'Aix
Shell filled beach and abandoned fishing equipment

There were small sheltered rocky bays, and broad sandy beaches, and I was excited by the prospect of exploring the island with my sketch book and capturing the essence of its rugged beauty with my pen.

Ile D'Aix Long Beach
Ile D’Aix Long Beach – I’m overjoyed to be here

Red on the other hand was already hyperventilating from the sheer desolation of this car-free island, and the almost complete absence of other human contact.

Ile D'Aix fortification and moat
Ile D’Aix fortification and moat

Around the other side of the island we stumbled across forts and bunkers and these had the desired effect of kick starting his enthusiasm for a return trip.

Military landscape of Ile D'Aix
Military landscape of Ile D’Aix

But he was absolutely ecstatic when we reached some of the best beaches for gathering oysters, and Red didn’t waste any time trying to dislodge dinner.

Ile D'Aix walking across the oyster beds
Ile D’Aix walking across the oyster beds
Ile D'Aix walking across the oyster beds
Ile D’Aix scavenging for oysters at the beach

Looks like there’s going to be plenty to keep him busy during our next trip. Ironically enough, he doesn’t like oysters, but GUESS what I’ll be having every day for lunch?

Fresh Oysters from Ile D'Aix
Fresh Oysters from Ile D’Aix

Can’t get much fresher than this!

Even though the French Island of Ile D'Aix is deserted during the off-season, there's still plenty to explore, and you get the oysters all to yourself. #travelblogger #visitfrance Share on X

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Author: Roving Jay

Jay is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a travel writer. She works with authors and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their self-publishing goals and reach their target audience through content marketing. Jay has published a series of travel guides, a travel memoir, and nonfiction books about travel writing. She housesits and volunteers around the globe with her husband, a Hollywood set painter, and she’s never more that 10 paces away from a wi-fi connection.

20 thoughts on “Exploring the French Island of Ile D’Aix in Spring

  1. This island looks amazing. I totally agree there is something beautiful about a forlorn looking beach on a cloudy day. And fresh oysters!! Ooh, how I love France. In fact. I should be there right now, but hey C word, so everything on hold and having to live my France trips through travel blogs for now 🙂

  2. This looks a nice place to visit off the beaten track and sometimes a beach on a cloudy day has a magic to it that you just don’t get when the sky is so blue. I can’t stand oysters myself but I imagine that if you do then to have them fresh from the sea is a delight.

    1. We weren’t sure if we were allowed to eat the oysters, but our host said as long as they were over 5cm, we could harvest them. My husband’s the same – he can’t stand them.

  3. Haha the Ile D’Aix fortification and moat looks kind of scary, you did not walk on it right?

    And hey, did you actually pick and prepare your own oysters?
    I have actually never had oysters before, it was one of the things I had on my food bucketlist for our upcomming trip to France.

    1. The bridge and walkway were out of bounds … but even if not, we wouldn’t have walked on that walkway, it was way too weather beaten to trust. Yes we picked our own oysters.

  4. Wow, Ill D’Aix looks amazing! I love oysters, I love beaches and photographing lonely places. Ill D’Aix just got added to my eve growing list of places to go!

    1. If you’re ever heading to La Rochelle it’s definitely worth taking a side trip to Ile D’Aix, and there’s another couple of islands off the coast that have a suspension bridge bridge leading to them.

  5. Wow! This looks wonderful! I don’t like oysters either and we live in Oyster heaven on the eastern shore of Virginia. 🙂 The wandering looks like so much fun, except of course that scary wooden walkway that’s falling into the sea. Thanks for sharing this lovely place.

  6. The island of Ile D’Aix looks to lovely and I am tempted to visit when I can. No people in sight and no cars – winners for me for sure. Totally agree with you that there is something special about low tides and forlorn looking beaches. Exploring the shell covered beaches seems like a lot of fun and I would love to give it a go.

  7. Good to know about Ile D’Aix. The view from your new home in Ile D’Aix looks very rustic and peaceful. This whole island looks very relaxing type and peaceful.

  8. WOW! What a cool journey to get there. There is no people in your pictures, the place looks so vast and uncrowded. It’s amazing to have places all to yourself when you’re exploring somewhere.

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