Camping Les Dunes

When not traversing the coastline on foot or the countryside on a bike, peruse the eye-catching villages in this pretty part of the world. La Couarde-sur-Mer's white houses pepped up by colourful shutters (five minutes’ drive) will liven up your social media snaps, while Saint-Martin-de-Ré (10 minutes) has a cute harbour and historic citadel to stop off and explore. Adorable Ars-en-Ré is known for its bell tower and La Flotte (both 15 minutes) is home to the handsome Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-Ré dite des Châteliers and the Fort La Prée. It also hosts a market day – just the spot for stocking up on tasty treats. Take your goodies off for a picnic at Loix, a peninsula wedged between the sea and salt marshes, or have a crack at kayaking around the Pointe du Grouin (15 minutes) here. Also near the ocean, the Phare des Baleines lighthouse has a mini museum (20 minutes) to meander around. When it’s time to head back to the mainland, leave via the bridge to La Rochelle (half an hour away) and tick off the top sights in this town: think the aquarium, marina, Lantern Tower, Chain Tower, Tour Saint-Nicolas fortress tower and cathedral.