activities near the campsite

PRÉS VALLET PARK

The Prés Vallet Park is located just south of the village of St-Georges d'Oléron and to the east of Chéray.

A visit to this park packed with fun attractions (mini-boats, table tennis, a skate park, lots of sporting equipment, and fitness and walking trails) will also be a perfect day out for nature lovers, with wooded parkland and a stretch of water that together offer the ideal surroundings for some rest and relaxation.

THE SAINT-TROJAN TOURIST TRAIN

The only tourist railway line on the whole of Île d'Oléron, the line first opened in 1963. As the longest 0.6-m-gauge forest line in France (6 km), it winds its way around the south of the island, taking in the national forest and the Gatseau Bay, finishing at the wildest of Oléron’s beaches, Maumusson (5 km long with no access by road). Open daily from early April until late October. No booking necessary. Also accessible to those with reduced mobility.

http://www.le-ptit-train.com

CHASSIRON LIGHTHOUSE GARDENS

Follow the compass rose to discover the area's many different sides and stories. Enjoy natural local products from Oléron’s northernmost tip. Learn more about the maritime world, marine species, and the intertidal zone. Solve the riddles of Chassiron Lighthouse and immerse yourself in its past. All this and more is possible on visit to the Chassiron Lighthouse and its contemporary gardens, with the help of the various information points, turntables, telescopes, audio descriptions available in three languages (French, English and German), and a topographic map (featuring Braille) that will enhance your stroll around the site. http://www.chassiron.net

FORT BOYARD

Construction on this mighty fort, once thought an impossible feat of engineering by Vauban, was commissioned by Napoleon I. The project was a real challenge for those charged with building the structure, with the fort sitting on an artificial hill created on a sandbank. Halted in 1813, construction began again in 1840, with the current fortress you see today—standing 120 m long and 48 m wide—completed in 1870.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Fort Boyard, you can enjoy a guided boat tour around the fortress. Tours depart from Boyardville and St Denis d'Oléron. You can also admire the fort with your feet firmly on solid ground.

THE CITADEL OF CHÂTEAU D’OLÉRON

The fortress was built in 1630 by France’s Louis XIII. Under his reign, Colbert abandoned Brouage, a port city in decline, and headed to Rochefort, which needed protection from English invasions.

Colbert sent the Chevalier de Clerville to the island to set up a stronghold flanked by redans and small curtain walls. Following his death, Combes continued his work until 1688. One year later, Monseigneur Ferry destroyed part of the settlement. On the side close to town, he built a hornwork with a ravelin placed at its heart.

FORT LOUVOIS

A maritime fortification dating back to the 17^th century, the fort is built on a rock that becomes completely immersed at high tide. It was built between 1691 and 1694 with the aim of exchanging cannon fire with the Oléron Citadel. With a central keep protected by a drawbridge and a moat, the fort harks back to the castles of the Middle Ages.
At low tide, it can be accessed on foot along a paved 400-metre walkway (5-minute walk). At high tide, you can access the fortress by boat from the Chapus harbour (10-minute crossing). Ferries depart every 15 minutes.

http://www.fort-louvois.com

LA PALMYRE ZOO

Nestled deep in the heart of an 18-hectare pine forest, La Palmyre Zoo is one of today's most popular tourist attractions in the Charente-Maritime region. Every year, 700,000 visitors flock to the zoo to see more than 1,600 mammals, birds, and reptiles representing 110 different species. Every year, between 200 and 300 new animals are born at the zoo, a testament to the zookeepers’ excellent care for their animals’ nutrition and welfare. Founded by Claude Caillé in 1966, this unique site has over the years become one of the most famous zoos in France. http://www.zoo-palmyre.fr

CITÉ DE L’HUÎTRE

Located on the Cayenne Channel, between the marshes and oystering huts, Cité de l’Huître (the Oyster Museum) is your gateway to the world of oysters, taking you to the very heart of this industry, the local region, and an exceptional natural landscape.

Explore two sections of the museum during your two-hour visit: the Cabane des Claires oyster farm and a journey of discovery into the world of the oyster, its history, how it is cultivated, and its place in gastronomy.