The best way to organise a cruise to Fort Boyard is to go through the Tourist Office. There you can find out about the different itineraries and choose between a monohull and a catamaran.
After explaining the difference, the choice was quickly made: a beautiful sailing boat for more thrills! We also opted for the guided tour, so that the little ones would understand that this wasn’t just a TV set. It’s booked!
Our departure is from La Rochelle. To get there, we followed Céline’s advice at the Tourist Office and climbed on the train. Off we went for a 7-minute ride along the seafront. Then it’s a 10-minute walk to the port, where you can enjoy the view of the boats and the famous towers.
The whole tribe boards the cruise boat and we’re off for a 2-hour cruise to Fort Boyard. Rucksacks checked*… It’s all there! We quickly passed the port towers to find ourselves facing the ocean as far as the eye can see.
You then have to wait 45 minutes before you see Le Fort. But what a pleasure!
The children are going crazy and nearly lose their caps. Mum, why can’t we go inside? Our guide explains that it’s a listed building and very difficult to access. Unless you have a helicopter!
Hey, isn’t that Father Fouras’s beard over there?
Jules is captivated by the guided tour. As someone who loves history, he was well served! Like him, I learn that the Fort was once used to protect the Charentes estuary.
Construction took too long and the building was overtaken by the new artillery methods of the time. It then became a prison, before being sold to the département for a symbolic one euro. A bargain!
As the visit drew to a close, we took a quick selfie with the children in front of this impressive stone colossus. A great souvenir of our cruise to Fort Boyard.
We left with stars in our eyes, delighted by our discovery. We headed for the magnificent island of Aix and its natural treasures. It’s magnificent… We’ll be back, I promise!
