South of the island gourmet cycling route

Discovering local produce is also an opportunity to tantalise your taste buds with quality products! A market, a gourmet meal, a terrace on the harbour, an oyster shack... so many opportunities to treat yourself.

Rivedoux-Plage
Opposite the covered market, which brings the village to life all year round, at low tide you can see all the oyster farmers' tables. At the origin of modern oyster farming on the Ile de Ré, Rivedoux-Plage is in fact a major oyster farming centre.
Oyster farming: all around the island, the work of the fifty or so oyster farmers is governed by the cycle of the water and the tides. Oysters grow in the open sea, and can be matured in marshes (claire). It takes three years for them to reach your plate. Three years of cultivation that require the oyster farmer to be patient and take care of them again and again: the vagaries of the weather, the fight against predators, the customary gestures.
While you're out cycling, take the time to stop off at one of the oyster-farmers' restaurants and savour some oysters overlooking the ocean.
Whatever the season, the woods and undergrowth here offer some wonderfully fresh, colourful and fragrant walks. In summer, you'll find a number of local varieties of mushroom, such as ‘argouane’, the local version of oyster mushroom, and pine cep. Wild thyme is food for the caterpillar of the magnificent blue butterfly, the wild thyme butterfly.
In this village, beekeepers, brewers, confectioners, fishermen and oyster farmers will fill your basket with local produce.

La Flotte
Along the way, the pine trees give way to fields and vines. Although vines were probably cultivated on the Ile de Ré in Roman times, they were abandoned with the Norman invasions, which caused almost the entire population of the island to leave. Activity resumed in the 12th century with the arrival of the Cistercian monks from the Châteliers abbey in La Flotte, who began clearing the original forest and planting vineyards, which rapidly spread over almost all the arable land. By 1880, vines had become the island's main economic activity, covering more than 60% of the territory.
La Flotte reveals itself to you with a charming port that was successively a trading port for wine and salt, then a fishing port, but also a port of call for steamers providing links with the mainland. Today, it is home to numerous pleasure boats, as well as a dozen old sailing ships.
Undoubtedly the island's most typical market, with its medieval-style architecture and half-covered cobbled halls, the La Flotte market is a great place to fill your shopping basket every morning of the year.
Fishermen, oyster farmers, chocolate makers, ice cream parlours... you'll find everything you need in this village. Take a seat on one of the many terraces along the harbour and let the atmosphere lull you to sleep.

Saint-Martin-de-Ré
A former citadel and one of Vauban's major sites, Saint-Martin-de-Ré has preserved within its star-shaped ramparts a past steeped in history: resistance to the assaults of the English fleet in the 17th century, growing commercial activity with the transport of salt and wine in the 18th century, departure point for prisoners bound for the penal colony of French Guiana and New Caledonia in the 19th century.
The port originally served as a trading post for the export of salt and wine. It later became a stronghold for the island's defence. Protected by the ramparts and a breakwater at the entrance, it consists of a harbour for beaching, a basin regulated by a lock and a special feature: a central islet. Today, it is a popular stopover for yachtsmen.
The port is also particularly lively in summer with its night market. Walk along the Quai Job Foran to the covered market, open from February to December. What's more, when you return from the beach in summer, the market is open every afternoon. More gourmet delights... In Saint-Martin-de-Ré, fresh fish, oysters, olive oil, ice cream, chocolates and salted butter caramels will delight young and old alike.

Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré
Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré is home to the island's biggest market, held every morning during the summer, selling seafood, local produce, clothes and antiques. Outside the market halls, merry-go-rounds and games keep the little ones entertained. Take the road to Sainte-Marie-de-Ré to visit the Coopérative des Vignerons de l'Île de Ré!
On the road to Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, this winegrowers' cooperative brings together almost 40 winegrowers and offers a range of white, rosé and red wines, sparkling wine, as well as pineau and cognac. Stop off for a visit to the distillery and cellars to learn more about the production of these local wines and renowned spirits.

Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
Even though Sainte-Marie-de-Ré is by the sea, its first impression is that of a country village. It was here that the Magayants settled, peasants who fished on foot by trapping fish at low tide in locks; after fishing, they returned to cultivate the land.
Renowned for its vineyards, the island's oldest village also boasts the island's only saffron producer. Saffron, the red gold of spices, is passionately cultivated here and has become an integral part of the island's heritage. In autumn, as soon as the temperature drops and the first fog sets in, beautiful mauve flowers appear, revealing a pistil and its three blood-red filaments. The saffron is picked, trimmed and dried on the same day, to ensure a quality saffron between land and sea.
Markets are held in the Place des Tilleuls and the Place d'Antioche. In fine weather, children can enjoy the merry-go-round on either square, while you stroll around the market!
Before heading back to Rivedoux-Plage, take a stroll through the narrow streets and alleys, and admire the old winegrowers' houses, the wine storehouses and stills, the church and chapels, the miller's house... all of which bear witness to the region's rural, historical and cultural heritage.

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