LA ROCHELLE
Standing like sentries protecting the entrance into the old port of La Rochelle, the dramatic Tour Saint-Nicolas and Tour de la Chaîne, left us in awe as we motored past them into the Vieux Port. We had already spotted the La Tour de la Lanterne and its distinct spire as we made our way up the channel under blue skies. For centuries, the lighthouse lit the way for sailors who came to La Rochelle to trade; it also had a darker side serving as the city’s prison.
We had enjoyed an idyllic sail from Les Sables d’Olonne, passing underneath the sweeping bridge which connects La Rochelle to Île de Ré before identifying the red Tour Richelieu and motoring up the buoyed channel into the city.
France’s Atlantic coast has a multitude of stunning islands just ripe for exploring, and La Rochelle’s proximity to Île de Ré, Île d’Oléron and Île-d’Aix, one of the 15 Ponant Islands, meant it was the perfect base for a season of adventure.
A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
We had booked ahead to secure a berth at Vieux Port right in the heart of
