Read 9 tips of a local to know how to optimize your getaway in La Rochelle, our small pearl on the French Atlantic Coast.
La Rochelle, a small port city on the Atlantic Coast, definitely deserves a stop if you plan to visit the French west coast. It is a thousand-year-old city, endowed with a rich historical and urban heritage. The official motto of the city is that attached to its coat of arms, it currently reads: “La Rochelle, generous and beautiful” replacing the one created in the 70’s and used for three decades: “La Rochelle, beautiful and rebellious”. The old one is actually still more often used by locals.
I would say, you can visit most of the touristy places at your own pace in three days without having to rush. However, to fully discover the tiniest corners of the town and get to know the lifestyle of locals and the atmosphere of the city, I would recommend staying a week.
I lived in La Rochelle for over 6 years and I would say seasons to avoid absolutely are winter and the beginning of spring. It can be deadly cold with lot of rain, quite depressing, and the city is quite empty as well as students and locals usually leave for school holidays.
La Rochelle is the perfect city if you want to discover the place by foot or with a bike. However, because it is a small student city, a lot of bars and clubs run around the same spot in the center. You might want to be in your lodgings far away from the possible noisy places or avoid the busy nights.
I recommend making a reservation near the seaside, in the district of Les Minimes near Aytré, south west of La Rochelle. It is a very quiet and safe neighborhood. You will just need approximately 30 minutes to walk to the city center or less than 10 minutes by car. During your stroll, you can walk along the port until the magnificent towers of La Rochelle.
One of the main political choices that has been taken over the last years in La Rochelle was to ban cars in the center. Even if cars are not banned everywhere, it became quite the task to drive and park your car near the historic center of the city. The biggest advantage is that the city became so much quieter than in the past, pollution decreased as well. You can hear the ocean and seagulls which is very appreciated by locals and tourists!
So being a pedestrian or a cyclist has a lot of advantages in La Rochelle! Avoid the car as much as you can for logistic reasons. People go slowly in La Rochelle, it’s a city where people take their time, relax and try to avoid stress. Indeed, if you stay long enough, you will find that the local mindset is very different from the biggest cities in France.
As in the local saying: “La Rochelle: beautiful, and rebellious” …. She is also unpredictable!
Whatever the season is, In La Rochelle… ALWAYS bring an umbrella or a waterproof jacket.
Indeed, the weather is really unstable. It can be very sunny and drastically change in 20 minutes as if a storm was running over the city. A lot of tourists finish under the rain and wished they brought an umbrella! People usually run under the famous arcades of La Rochelle to protect themselves, but it is usually quickly crowded.
La Rochelle is known to its proximity to environment protection, especially littoral and ocean ones. The aquarium is a living proof of it and locals are very proud of it. Since 1996, the La Rochelle aquarium has launched an awareness campaign: The sea is not a trash can.
The aquarium also hosts the Center for Care and Studies for Marine Turtles (CESTM). It takes care of stranded turtles from the Atlantic Arc to the Opal Coast. The aim of the CESTM is to participate actively in the conservation of these species by carrying out scientific research aimed at better understanding their behavior and thus contributing to their protection. The center is supported by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.
Sea turtles stranded on the coasts due to garbage, shipping, or water cooling are collected at the CESTM of the La Rochelle Aquarium. They are then treated for several months and then released at sea once recovered.
Once they are released, scientific study their trajectory. Here are some examples of the journey of three turtles after their release: Ile de Ré ; Icare ; Idole (yes, that’s the turtle’s name!)
The aquarium contains more than 12,000 marine animals of 600 different species distributed among the 3 million liters of seawater in aquariums, including 1.5 million liters for the shark basin.
You can rent an audio-guide with the language you want and navigate at your pace inside the place. If you are hungry as well, a delicious restaurant runs on top of the aquarium, showing off a great view of a part of the city. I really recommend you spend some time there and discover the amazing local and foreign species.
To go to the Island, you have to cross the second longest bridge of France, approximately 3km. I recommend you taking your car or a bus to go there outside the tourist season (spring, fall, winter) and to ride a bicycle to go there during summer. Why? Because so many people are crossing the bridge with a car, creating endless traffic jams. It can take up to 2 hours to just cross the bridge. If you just want to spend the day at the beach, jump on your bike! Of course, if you need lot of stuffs and don’t want to bother bringing the whole family there taking a car is a solution. It might be worth spending some time in the traffic.
Plus, you have to know it is not free to drive to the Ile de Ré. Indeed, you have to pay a tax of about 17€ per car to enter the island depending on the car. The tax goes to the association of the preservation of Ile de Ré. However, it is free for pedestrians or cyclists crossing the bridge.
People say it helped regulating the number of tourists during summer, which was reaching saturation!
A lot more regional products deserve to be discovered but I would recommend trying this list for a first trip to La Rochelle!
- Ernest le glacier
- Tonton Maboule
To taste a delicious homemade ice-cream, go to Ernest le Glacier in front of the Coursive theater located in the old port. Well known in La Rochelle, you cannot be disappointed by those ice-creams. Ernest is an institution in La Rochelle. Another addresses, less known by tourists, is Tonton Maboule (this means Mad Uncle). Its owner is a real enthusiast. He will be able – when the number of clients is low – to explain some little professional secrets to you: from the choice of his raw materials to the manufacturing techniques in the laboratory.
- Le P’tit Nicolas (bistronomic cuisine: gastronomic food in a bistrot setting)
- Tonton Louis (seafood)
- La Marée (seafood)
- Les Flots (gourmet cuisine)
- Christopher Coutanceau (gourmet cuisine)
- Le Pompom (bistrot)
- Le Café de la Paix
If you want to take a break and have a good cup of coffee in the city center. I recommend you this Brasserie. Indeed, the atmosphere leaves people speechless, the place in a Belle Epoque setting is adorned with chandeliers and, gilded ceilings. The decoration, which includes Napoleon-style woodwork, moldings and floral paintings on the ceilings, chiseled chandeliers, large wall mirrors, dates from the beginning of the 20th century.
I am sure you will end up having amazing lunches, dinners and coffee breaks at these top places. What’s more, they are all definitely Instagram approved!
If you go to La Rochelle, why not spending some nights in a boat? The city is known for having one of the biggest marinas in Europe. A lot of amazing boat with all the necessary can be rented as a place to stay during your getaway in La Rochelle. It is an amazing experience!
If you interested in discovering the west coast and La Rochelle, I recommend you check out this 100% customizable itinerary: ROAD TRIP DOWN THE WEST COAST OF FRANCE. An amazing 17-days road trip alongside the French west coast.
If you enjoyed this article, I recommend you to read my previous one on how travel can affect your life.
