La Concurrence Beach
The most central beach, about 150 m of sand by the promenade near the Old Port, lifeguarded in July and August.
Place du 8 Mai, 17000 La Rochelle
Lifeguarded in July and August; swimming is difficult at low tide (rocks).
- Home
- Things to do
Things to do in La Rochelle
Boat trips to Fort Boyard and Île d’Aix, three town beaches, guided tours, a festival calendar from the Francofolies to the Grand Pavois, the Minimes marina and the Charruyer park.
Boat trips from the Vieux-Port
Excursion boats leave from the Vieux-Port, on the Cours des Dames and the Esplanade Saint-Jean-d’Acre, for Île d’Aix, cruises around Fort Boyard, Île de Ré (Saint-Martin) and Île d’Oléron. Sailings run all year with some companies, with many more departures in summer.
Departures Vieux-Port (Cours des Dames)
Destinations Fort Boyard, Île d’Aix, Île de Ré, Île d’Oléron
Around Fort Boyard
The oval sea fort (68 × 31 m), built between 1801 and 1857 in the strait between Aix and Oléron, has been the set of the Fort Boyard TV game show since 1990. The cruises circle it before heading for the islands. Fort Boyard →
No public access to the inside of the fort has been confirmed: Fort Boyard is seen from the excursion boats.
Île d’Aix
A car-free island of 1.19 km², where Napoleon spent his last days in France (12–15 July 1815). Boats from La Rochelle run in summer; the year-round ferry leaves from Fouras. Île d’Aix →
Boat companies
- Compagnie Inter-Îles — Île d’Aix, Fort Boyard and the islands, all year with more sailings in summer: inter-iles.com · +33 5 46 50 55 54
- La Rochelle Croisières — larochelle-croisieres.com
- Other operators at the Vieux-Port include Croisières SMR, Navipromer, Kapalouest (catamaran). Check routes and timetables with each company.
Fort Boyard cruises on GetYourGuide
To cross the harbour, the electric Yélo Bus de Mer links the Vieux-Port with Les Minimes in about 20 minutes. Sea bus and Passeur →
The Vieux-Port, Île d’Aix and Fort Boyard. Click a photo for the detailed page.
Sources: guide-charente-maritime.com (Inter-Îles) · the-french-atlantic-coast.com · Wikipedia (Fort Boyard) · Wikipedia (Île-d’Aix) · Yélo (boats). Checked 14 October 2026.
Beaches
La Rochelle has three ports and three sandy town beaches: La Concurrence, Les Minimes and Chef-de-Baie.
Les Minimes Beach
The sandy beach of the Minimes quarter, next to the marina — reached from the Vieux-Port by the Bus de Mer.
Lifeguarding and facilities: ask the tourist office.
Chef-de-Baie Beach
The third of the town’s sandy beaches.
Lifeguarding and facilities: ask the tourist office.
For a long resort beach, Châtelaillon-Plage is just south of La Rochelle. Châtelaillon-Plage →
Sources: Wikipedia FR (La Rochelle) · plages.tv (La Concurrence). Checked 14 October 2026.
Guided tours & activities
Walking tours, the harbour towers, the Aquarium, Fort Boyard cruises and Île de Ré day trips — book online with our partners.
- All tours and activities in La Rochelle
- Fort Boyard cruises
- Île de Ré excursions
- Lantern Tower tickets
- La Rochelle Aquarium tickets
The interior of the town hall can only be seen on a guided tour (€6 in 2025), booked through the tourist office. Town hall →
Prices, availability and departures are set by the partners. Sources: nous-larochelle.fr (tourist office) · hoteldevillelarochelle.com.
Events in La Rochelle
Upcoming dated events, then the festivals that come back every year.
- 16 Nov2026International Adventure Film and Book Festival (FIFAV)16 November 2026 – 22 November 2026 · Espace Encan, Quai Louis Prunier. Week of adventure, exploration and nature films, books and talks. fifav-larochelle.com
- 29 Nov2026La Rochelle Marathon – Serge Vigot29 November 2026 · Race village at the Espace Encan, Quai Louis Prunier. Popular city marathon run every last weekend of November since 1991. marathondelarochelle.com
Every year
- JunyearlySemaine du NautismeFree introduction to sailing and water sports in a village on the Cours des Dames, run by La Mer pour Tous with the marina (2026: 25th edition, 17–22 June).
- Jun–JulyearlyFestival La Rochelle Cinéma (Fema)Non-competitive film festival of retrospectives, classics and new releases (2026: 54th edition, 26 June – 5 July; 55th edition: 25 June – 3 July 2027).
- JulyearlyLes Francofolies de La RochelleThe great festival of French-language music (2026: 10–14 July; 2027: 10–14 July).
- SepyearlyFestival de la Fiction de La RochelleFrench and European TV drama, with public screenings and awards (2026: 28th edition, 15–20 September).
- Sepsince 1973Grand Pavois La RochelleBoat show afloat at the Port des Minimes (2026: 22–27 September).
- OctyearlyLa Rochelle Jazz FestivalAutumn jazz at La Sirène and La Coursive, formerly “Jazz entre les deux tours” (2026: 7–11 October; 30th edition in October 2027).
- NovyearlyFIFAVInternational Adventure Film and Book Festival: films, books and talks on exploration and nature, at the Espace Encan (2026: 16–22 November).
- Novlast weekendLa Rochelle Marathon – Serge VigotCity marathon run on the last weekend of November since 1991 (2026: 29 November).
The Fêtes maritimes (Maritime Festival), a gathering of traditional boats held in June 2024 and June 2025, has no 2026 edition.
Sources: francofolies.fr · festival-larochelle.org · boatcible.com · CNC (Fiction) · grand-pavois.com · larochellejazzfestival.fr · festt.io · Châtelaillon-Plage tourist office (FIFAV, Marathon) · festivalenfrance.com (Fêtes maritimes). Checked 14 October 2026 — please confirm dates with the organisers.
Grand Pavois boat show
Held afloat at the Port des Minimes since 1973, the Grand Pavois shows its boats in the water rather than in a hall. The 2026 edition highlighted eco-navigation and a “Sortez en mer” area where visitors could try sailing.
The dates of the next edition are published on grand-pavois.com.
Les Minimes Marina
Marina created in 1972 with about 4,700 berths, one of the largest in Europe. Its marina has held the Blue Flag (Pavillon Bleu) since 1985 for its environmental work.
From the Vieux-Port, the Bus de Mer crosses the harbour to Les Minimes in about 20 minutes (€3). Sea bus and Passeur →
The quarter also has one of the town’s three beaches.
Charruyer Park
Nearly 2 km of English-style park on the former western ramparts, funded by a bequest from Mademoiselle Charruyer, with a small animal park.
Free and open-air, it is the town’s great green walk, laid out as an English-style landscape park.
Address Chemin des Remparts, 17000 La Rochelle
Admission free
To explore further by bike, the Atlantic-coast Vélodyssée (EuroVelo 1) passes through La Rochelle towards Rochefort. Cycling in La Rochelle →
Vieux-Port, La Concurrence beach, Les Minimes and Parc Charruyer.
Sources: Wikipedia FR (Port des Minimes) · Wikipedia FR (La Rochelle) · guide-tourisme-france.com (Parc Charruyer) · Yélo (Bus de Mer) · France Vélo Tourisme. Checked 14 October 2026.
More ideas
Towers, museums, islands and good food.