In February: visit the oyster-farming and nature site of Fort-Royer

Located on the Ile d’Oléron, near Boyardville, opposite the Ile d’Aix, the Fort Royer oyster-farming site is an authentic oyster-farming village. With its colorful fishermen’s huts, it is also home to a remarkable flora and fauna. Every year, this unique site attracts many tourists. Your 4-star Saint-Tro’Park campsite invites you to discover one of the most beautiful heritage sites on the Luminous Isle: the Fort-Royer Natural and Oyster Site. A visit to share with the whole tribe!

A little history… The oyster route

Oyster farming, which gradually replaced saliculture (salt production) in the 20th century, is one of the jewels of traditional culture on the island of Oléron. The oyster route takes you along the east coast of the island, between Boyardville and Château d’Oléron, to discover the marshes, channels and oyster beds. It continues south to Saint-Trojan les Bains, where you’ll also discover the atypical Port des Salines. Fort-Royer is a century-old village, still run by eight oyster farmers. Their forebears, farmers of the sea, shaped this vast muddy foreshore with their bare hands, picks and shovels. Departure for a walk to Fort-Royer.

A stroll through the heart of oyster farming in Fort-Royer, Oleron

Would you like to discover oyster farming and understand why the Verte Marennes-Oléron and its unique “merroir” are so famous worldwide? Let the guides from the Association du Site Naturel et Ostréicole de Fort-Royer tell you all about the great oyster story. You’ll learn all about oyster farming, from rearing oysters in the oyster beds and maturing them in the oyster beds to working in the oyster huts. When the tide’s out, put on your boots and let our guides show you the flora and fauna of the oyster beds and rocky coastline. Perhaps you’ll even be able to taste the edible seaweed when the sea rises? For children curious about nature, there’s an unusual treasure hunt to discover the queen of shellfish…

Site Naturel et Ostréicole de Fort Royer: a protected nature reserve

The Fort-Royer Naturel et Ostréicole site is hidden away in the heart of the splendid Moëze-Oléron national nature reserve. It’s a vast wetland made up of mudflats, salt flats, marshes and sand dunes. A haven for a multitude of terrestrial and marine animals. With its unique biotope, the reserve is home to a remarkable array of flora and fauna, including beautiful saltwort. A new ornithological observatory enables visitors to observe the hundreds of birds that take shelter here, as well as the 60,000 or so that land between October and March each year. The site opens on February 5, 2022!

SITE NATUREL ET OSTREICOLE DE FORT-ROYER:
BP 43 – La Perrotine (next to Boyardville)
17310 Saint-Pierre d’Oléron
Tel: 05 46 47 06 48 (leave a message to be called back)
sitedefortroyer@gmail.com