What to see on the Ile d’Aix
An island hop to the Ile d’Aix by ferry from Fouras, a 20 minute journey, makes for a glorious chill out day, weekend or longer,
At just 3km long and 700m wide – you’re not going to find it tough to get around, you are going to find it totally relaxing to be here. This little gem is a listed “Remarkable Natural Site”. To the north is the ever popular Ile de Ré, to the west is the famous Fort Boyard of TV fame and the bigger Ile d’Oléron and south lies the Ile de Madame.
The island has been inhabited since the 11th century, fortified thanks to its position in the coastal waters, especially when the arsenal was established at Rochefort on the mainland, home to the shipbuilders of Louis XIV and later under the Emperor Napoleon.
He landed here in 1808 and again seven years later, staying for four days in the home of the governor, his last stop on French soil before being exiled to the island of Sainte Helene.
Today you can visit the Governor’s house, a rather quirky museum with a definite atmosphere. A collection of clocks, art and the bed upon which Napoleon slept will entertain you for an hour or two. Turning the house into a museum was the project of Baron Gargaud, a jet setter of the 19th century, one of the bright young things of Paris with more money than he knew how to spend. He heard the house was up for sale and bought it and then dedicated much of his life to finding and buying up Napoleonic memorabilia to fill it up with.