Les Boucholeurs is a perfect getaway place in which to breathe the sea air and explore a lesser-known part of Châtelaillon and Yves. This small fishing and oyster-farming village has managed to preserve its identity and to display its traditional know-how with pride. It’s a small, simple and beautiful town that is far from the crowds and very different from the centre of Châtelaillon seaside resort.
Coucher De Soleil BoucholeuCoucher De Soleil Boucholeu
Les Boucholeurs is an Authentic Fishing Village
Les Boucholeurs is a Secret Worth Sharing
Fishing for Good Ideas
We packed our backpacks and set off by bike along the short ride (4 kilometres) beside the sea. We took a break at the pleasure port when the children got thirsty. We cycled through the centre of Les Boucholeurs, took a diversion through the marshland and rode to the coast to see beautiful panoramas of Aix Island, Enet Fort and Oléron Island. Opps, I almost forgot the most important thing, our delicious oyster-tasting stopover!
Balade Velo Boucholeurs ChoBalade Velo Boucholeurs Cho
Land & Sea Fishing Traditions
We arrived by bike, cycling alongside the small Les Boucholeurs beach. Our timing was perfect, at low tide we could watch the oyster farmers in action in the distance. The children hadn’t imagined seeing tractors driving on the sandflats. One of them drove towards us towing a flat-bottomed boat. The local shellfish farmers designed them to float in almost no water and to sit stable on the sand at low tide. And was there anything special about those black stakes we saw stuck in the sand in the distance? They were the famous ‘Bouchots’ to which mussels cling, from whence comes the name of the village! The children were amazed and we parents learnt just as much. There was definitely something special here, the countryside… but by the sea!
Boucholeurs Famille ChatelaBoucholeurs Famille Chatela
Parc Huitres Tracteur ConteParc Huitres Tracteur Conte|
Parc Huitres Boucholeurs2 CParc Huitres Boucholeurs2 C
Parc Huitres BoucholeursParc Huitres Boucholeurs
The Calm after the Storm
Rotonde Boucholeurs OeildudRotonde Boucholeurs Oeildud
Rotonde Boucholeurs HauteurRotonde Boucholeurs Hauteur
When we arrived at the immense ‘Promenade des Boucholeurs’, we had a wonderful view! We could see the imposing walls of Enet Fort and the curves of Aix Island. We also learnt that under our feet everything was new. After the Xynthia storm (2010) extensive work was done raising the embankment by 10 metres and enlarging it with a magnificent rotunda in the centre. We rested for a while on the decorated benches with their hand-made mosaics by an artist from Fouras.
Good Tasting
Four kilometres by bike, that deserves a good meal. We headed for the oyster sales cabins to taste some of the treasures of the sea. We first stopped in at Maud Chollet’s cabin and she explained how she grows mussels, then we dropping anchor at Ambiance Cabane where the terrace overlooking the sea and the fresh sea air irresistibly whet
our appetite. The adults ordered an excellent seafood platter, with fresh-harvested oysters, direct from the producer to the consumer. The young wolves had seafood rillettes and sardines. Yummy… We’ll be back!
Degustation ConteursDegustation Conteurs
Next time we’ll try out Saveurs Nacrées and sit up on the high terrace to enjoy the superb sunset.
