A RELAXING LUXURY HOLIDAY IN COGNAC AND THE ILE DE RE QUAINT VILLAGES

Overflowing with beauty and rich in history, our luxury travel experts in France have criss-crossed the Ile de Ré and the entire Charente coast, to reveal its splendor and hidden gem to you. We’ve curated the perfect 8-night luxury escape, filled with unforgettable experiences and the best hotels in the world.
We will prepare you to discover the best kept secrets of the Charente coast on the France West coast during a holiday that promises to open your eyes to its natural beauty, its culture and its exceptional heritage. The Charente coast is a foodie’s playground and we’ve included our favorite restaurants and local hangouts to give you a taste. From peaceful Ile de Ré, you’ll head inland where you’ll experience private tastings at cognac producers, 2CV wine tours and estuary rides, all in luxury and in the purest style of Luxe Travel France. Here is a little taste of what awaits you.

ILE DE RE MAGICAL QUAINT VILLAGES

Your unique experience on the Ile de Ré begins in the magical and relaxing setting of the hotel Richelieu with its elegant and luxurious atmosphere, the ideal starting point to discover this city full of charm.
The Ile de Ré is a harmonious mix of eleven small villages made up of a string of whitewashed houses, decorated with garlands of hollyhocks growing like a sentinel along its narrow streets.
Unspoiled nature, typical architecture, sandy beaches and oyster huts, lighthouses and bell towers, fishing boats returning to port with the day’s catch in the golden mist, salt marshes and well-maintained vineyards are all the charm of the Ile de Ré which embodies the French island life, marked by a great sweetness of life.
As often on the Ile de Ré, it all starts with a bike ride. Our guide will take you to explore the island and its sumptuous landscapes by bike, hair in the wind, through the forest, along the vines or the sea, the nose filled with the smell of pine mixed with that of salt and the powerful perfume low tide.
You will lose yourself in the magnificent alleyways of the oldest and most magnificent village on the Ile de Ré, La Flotte, with its white stone houses with red clay roofs that stand out behind colorful shutters. You will then immerse yourself in the rich historical past of Saint-Martin-de-Ré with its preserved walls and its buildings organized around its port, its restaurants, terraces and bistros. You will then dive into the history of its magnificent star of the fortifications of Vauban classified as World Heritage by Unesco before climbing to the top of the bell tower to admire a unique panorama of the fortified city but also of the Île de Ré. On the way to the north of the Island you will reach the villages of Ars-en Ré, a jewel of Retoise architecture before reaching La Couarde, its many remains and its 5 km of fine sandy beaches.
To better enjoy the sweetness of life on this dream island, we provide you with a Méhari, the ideal car for summer outings in the open air, while enjoying the wonderful landscapes of the island and the wide open spaces.
Gourmet dinner, a bistro, a terrace on the port, a table with your feet in the water, an oyster hut in the middle of the marshes, your gastronomic breaks will be a treat for your taste buds and for your eyes.
The other days will see you kayaking or standing on a paddle in the canals feeding the salt marshes, to discover the ornithological natural reserve of Lilleau des Niges and boating to Fort Boyard, along the coast of Ile de Ré, for a unique moment in a secret corner where a parasol and a picnic prepared by a Chef await you, somewhere alone.

COGNAC OLDEST TRADITIONS

After six nights on the Ile de Ré, you will be taken by your driver to a green and cultural destination, which has lived on vines since the 12th century and eau-de-vie since the 17th century: Cognac. Here you can explore the vineyards, the cellars of the oldest trading houses and distiller families and the architectural treasures of this city of 250 cognac houses with a local expert guide. Tonight, the fabulous Hôtel des Chais Monet will be your cocoon.

SEE THE FULL ITINERARY AND CUSTOMIZE THIS EXPERIENCE

We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something completely bespoke to you. Contact us on +33 545 833 652 to start planning your holiday.