Côte Atlantique (Atlantic Coast)

The Fort Boyard is a key element of the Naval Dockyard of Rochefort which extends all along the estuary of the Charente.
If the construction of this fortification on the "Longe of Boyard" was considered as early as the seventeenth century, the project only really started in the course of the 19th century. Built with the aim of protecting the harbor, the mouth of the Charente and especially the large dockayrd of Rochefort from the assaults of the English navy, the Fort was transformed into a prison a few years after its completion.


The Fort has been classified as an historic monument since 1950.


The Fort is 68 metres long on 31 metres large, for a total surface area of 2689 square metres. The surrounding walls peak at 20 metres. The fort is also built on a sandbak called "Longe of Boyard" which gave its name to the Fort itself.


Since 1990, Fort Boyard has been the location of a television game of the same name.


Located between the islands of Aix and Oléron, the Fort Boyard is part of the territory of Rochefort-Océan. Many departures of cruises are possible to bypass the Fort (from Port-des-Barques, Fouras-les-Bains or the Island of Aix).


There is a charge for the boat tour of the fort.

The Jamblet battery helped to protect the Rochefort arsenal and the harbour. The fortification presents a museum space to discover the military role of the island of Aix in the defence of Rochefort and its arsenal.
The Jamblet battery helped to protect the Rochefort arsenal and the harbour where the warships anchored. A simple 2-gun battery in 1756, the battery was destroyed by the English in 1757. Under the Consulate and the Empire (1799-1815), the whole defence of the Aix harbour was rethought and the Jamblet battery was rebuilt. In use until 1926, it was abandoned after the Second World War.


The fortification presents a museum space to discover the military role of the island of Aix in the defence of Rochefort and its arsenal.

French Sailing School.
The "Cercle Nautique de l'Ile d'Aix" is a sailing club welcoming you to a wide range of sailing activities!

-> First trip: an introduction to sailing of all kinds with an instructor

-> Sailing courses for ages 5 and over

-> Trimaran trip for 5 to 6 people (including instructor)

-> Introduction to the sea world: an educational visit to the foreshore

-> Groups welcome

-> Standup paddleboard, single or double kayak, Catamaran F1 rentals

Have fun with your family or friends.

The CNIA now has a MEGA SUP AIR (paddleboard for several people), available for rent from Monday to Saturday.

Now a historical monument, it is the house in which Napoleon surrendered to the English.
Discover the last home of Napoleon I on French soil before his exile to Saint Helena in 1815. The Napoleon Museum exhibits numerous relics that once belonged to him (furniture, portraits, keepsakes.). By the looks of its, it's almost as if the Emperor never left the house.

The island of Aix, classified as a remarkable natural site, is an invitation to travel and get away from it all. It is only accessible by boat, all year round, from the Pointe de la Fumée in Fouras-les-Bains.
The insular charm of a military land: peacefull island, you will discover it on foot, by bicycle or in a carriage. With its fortified village, its coastal batteries, its forts, including the famous Fort Boyard, the island is a place out of time, charming lovers of history and children dreaming of adventures. The only "true" island of Charente-Maritime, Aix Island draws a great pride in its imperial past. Under the First Empire, it was transformed into a fortress island and became the cornerstone of the defense of Rochefort. After a first visit in 1808, the Emperor Napoleon I went to the island again in July 1815 and settled for four days in the house of the Governor, his last residence on French land before his exile in St. Helena. It is also on the Aix Island that you will find one the last workers of the Mother-of-pearl in France. A remarkable natural site: The Aix Island, 3 km long and 700 m wide, concentrates all the diversity of the coastal landscapes of the Charente-Maritime. Classified on the list of "Remarkable Natural Sites", it is a fragile place that one must respect. Advice: The sand dunes protect the coast. Participate in saving them by respecting the walking paths. Preserve the flora and do not pick the flowers. Keep the island clean and you can collect garbage bags free of charge from the Tourist Office to put your waste in. The fortified village by Vauban is located on the southern part of the land, bordered by beaches, creeks and rocks. The island, accessible only by boat, is in the heart of the pertuis of Antioch, between the island of Oléron and and the peninsula of Fouras.

Africa on the island of Aix.
Africa on the Aix Island : The creator of this museum, Baron Napoleon Gourgaud (1881-1944), liked to hunt in Africa and he was passionate about ethnography and the natural sciences. In this museum, numerous collections of trophies, sculptures and ethnographic objects that the baron brought back from his many expeditions in Southern and Eastern Africa and his animal dioramas representing the African fauna realized by the Londoner taxidermist Rowland Ward.