When staying with us at our family holiday cottages in the Charente Maritime region of western France, La Rochelle is a 'must see' and very probably number one on our list of family days out.
The area has been inhabited since before Roman times. The Romans used the area for the production of salt (still produced today on the salt flats of the nearby Ile de Re and Il d'Oleron )and of wine. It became an important port in the 12th century; became
English for 12 years in the 14th century and then became an independent protestant republic in the 16th century. More recently it was an important German stronghold during the war with a submarine base and was the last French city to be liberated. Today La Rochelle has a population of around 80,000 and is an important tourist centre being the third most visited city in France.
Being just an easy one hour drive from our holiday cottages, La Rochelle has so much to offer for a full day out. Before you start, pop a bottle of wine in the fridge for later.
We recommend starting the day early (particularly in peak season) and arriving at the La Rochelle aquarium
at around opening time (9am in summer) You could quite easily spend several hours visiting this popular attraction, so to get in early before the crowds is highly recommended particularly if you have young children.
The tour starts with a descent to the depths of the ocean in a submarine disguised as a lift and when the doors open you are immediately surrounded by fish, rays and even sharks. The aquarium is divided into the oceans and waters of the world, so you'll travel from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, to the Pacific, the Caribbean, the Indian ocean, lagoons and finally to the tropics giving a great insight into the flora and fish found in these very differing waters.
Why we love the La Rochelle aquarium so much is that it is so child friendly and we mean toddler and baby friendly too. We have been taking our children here since they were tiny and they loved crawling up to the huge tanks that rise from floor level, so even on hands and knees your baby will get a great view. The star attraction is the three story shark tank where you can sit and watch these majestic creatures to the sounds of classical music; however my two adore their own star attraction which can be found in a hallway ! Its an interactive projection of fish swimming on the carpet - when you walk or jump and 'splash' in the projected water the fish scatter to your movements - we love it and the boys will happily spend 20mins trying to catch the fish !
The tour ends in the obligatory gift shop where you can purchase large fluffy turtles and sharks if you wish. There is a restaurant there too which is very good but we prefer to move onto our next La Rochelle highlight - Andrés seafood restaurant.
From the aquarium you could walk around the port or take the electric boat across (which happens to drop you just in front of Andrés)
Andrés in La Rochelle is by far and away our most favourite restaurant in the Charente Maritime. Found at the entrance to the old port, it is
easy to find and is the centre of all the best restaurants in La Rochelle - our theory is the further away from this point you get along the harbour, the further you get away from top class seafood ! If you want moules frites then feel free to choose anyone of the hundreds of seasonal restaurants that pop up as soon as the sun starts to shine, but if like us you love seafood and want top quality and freshness served with professional and friendly staff then Andrés is a great choice for all the family.
There are long tables and it's always busy so noise levels are high, great if you've got a chatty toddler or hungry baby. They have high chairs, there are baby changing facilities and a child toilet in the bathroom. The staff have always been very friendly towards our children and they have a great kids menu too.
After an enjoyable lunch at Andrés or one of the many other great restaurants La Rochelle has to offer, take a stroll through the old town. Old buildings, steep slate roofs, covered pedestrian walkways and many plazas where you can sit, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the world go by. It's definitely a people watching town. Even in mid winter the locals wrap up and sit in the sun sipping a Ricard or a hot chocolate watching the yachts pull out of their moorings and into the deep blue sea beyond.
Shopping is a popular French pastime too and the streets are lined with small boutiques, jewellery shops and some gorgeous baby clothes shops.
Parking is usually not a problem. The large St Jean d'Acre car park is centrally located between the beach and Andrés restaurant and is our recommended car park if you arn't going to the aquarium (which has it's own large car park) In June though St Jean d'Acre is closed due to the Francofolie music festival so you can go to Place Verdun parking (underground) or use the park and ride system.
