Loix

Linking nature and heritage

Want to discover a village where time seems to stand still? Welcome to Loix, a beloved peninsula on the Ile de Ré. Surrounded by salt marshes and wild landscapes, the village offers a true natural spectacle. The marshes, tended by local salt-marsh farmers, are home to exceptional biodiversity. A place where serenity and authenticity come together to offer an unforgettable getaway. Loix has been awarded the Cittaslow label, and is a place where good living contributes to its gentle ambience. You’ll quickly succumb to the charm of its landscapes, between ocean and salt marshes, where living heritage and natural beauty come together.

Authenticity and charm preserved in a remarkable environment

To come to Loix is to indulge in a host of enchanting natural landscapes along the way and once you’re here. With its 670 hectares, between land and sea, and its 14 kilometers of coastline bordered by the Atlantic, the proud Ars and the salt marshes, the Loix peninsula has found a balance between economic dynamism and environmental protection. This small village truly flourishes in the heart of nature. In fact, it’s said that you don’t pass through Loix, but you go there, and not for nothing.

The village is linked to the rest of the Ile de Ré by two cycle paths, one of which runs along the harbour, offering a different view of Loix at every turn. This path leads to one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Retais landscape: the passage of the tide mill, the last magnificent vestige of the golden age of the salt trade. In fact, its salt trail winds through olive groves and salt marshes, along delicate wooden footbridges to the salt marsh ecomuseum.

Loix, with its 735 or so inhabitants, invites you to relax and unwind. Tranquil by nature, as evidenced by its Cittaslow label, it’s the ideal setting to take your time and discover the typical alleyways that make it one of the most authentic villages on the Ile de Ré, even today. And who knows, maybe you’ll come across a curiosity like the colorful and richly illustrated street signs.

Did you know?

Loix was the last village to be attached to the rest of the island, in the ^19th century, thanks in particular to the establishment of its salt marshes.

A wealth of crafts born of white gold in a stunning natural setting

Very few salt marshes were exploited on the island before 1375. In Loix, a few were developed south of the village by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Michel-en-l’Herm, enabling the creation of the parish in 1379. Salt farming really took off in the early ^15th century, thanks to the diking of plots taken from the maritime domain. Over the following centuries, marshland owners built a number of fine residences, including the now-defunct Feneau house and the Tourettes house on rue de la Genève.

At the northeastern end, at the Pointe du Grouin, there’s a small beach in the shape of a cove, with calm, clear waters and lifeguards on duty in summer. The Pointe du Grouin beach is an invitation to fish and relax, against a backdrop of the fortified village of Saint-Martin and the marshes of La Couarde, with its skyward-pointing bell tower. The Fort du Grouin, a unique ^18th-century military vestige, overlooks the site and enhances the picturesque character of this haven of peace.

Plage Du Grouin Fort Loix Jules Serrurier

North of Loix, you’ll discover many local producers and craftsmen, proving that the Ile de Ré has a real talent for craftsmanship. Escape among the hundreds of old books and documents restored at the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” certified bookbinding workshop, sample the many varieties of local honey, get intoxicated by the scents of the island’s famous donkey milk soaps, and discover many other players in the local heritage!