Saint-Martin-de-Ré is the fortress-town of the Île de Ré, a flat, sunny island off La Rochelle that you reach by a long bridge, built in 1988, for which a toll is charged. The harbour at Saint-Martin is a classic: stone quays, small boats, cafés and shuttered houses facing the water. Behind it rise the walls and bastions designed by Vauban for Louis XIV, which form part of the UNESCO listing of his fortifications, with a citadel that held prisoners awaiting transport to the penal colonies of Guiana.
The island is a gentle place to ride. It is about thirty kilometres long and flat, with salt marshes, oyster beds, vineyards, and villages of low whitewashed houses with pale-blue or green shutters and hollyhocks growing against the walls. Cycle paths run everywhere, and in summer the roads are packed with cyclists and cars. Speeds are low and the pleasure lies in the light, the smell of salt and pine, and the sight of egrets standing in the marshes.
There are a few quirks. Donkeys on the island once wore little trousers to protect them from insects, and the tradition lives on as a tourist attraction. Fuel is available on the island, but prices are higher, and most visitors fill up in La Rochelle before the bridge. Nieul-sur-Mer, on the mainland, is the nearest town of any size, but Saint-Martin itself has about 2,800 people and plenty of shops and restaurants.
The best time is spring or autumn, when the crowds are thin and the weather is mild. In July and August the island is full, and parking is scarce, and traffic into the harbour crawls. Park on the edge, walk through the old streets, and find a terrace overlooking the water. The oysters here are good, the white wine from the island is crisp, and the sea air will sharpen your appetite.