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Napoleon and Ile d'Aix

Ile d’Aix is an island on the Atlantic Coast, reached from Fouras, 30 km south of La Rochelle. This tiny island of just 2 kilometres long can be reached by ferry from Pointe de la Fume, 2km out on a peninsula from Fouras (summertime only, ferries also leave from La Rochelle and Oleron). A pleasant island to amble around, the history of the island is rather as a fortress, and later as a prison. The island was fortified by Vauban, and these were later increased by Napoleon.

Fort Lidot played host to prisoners during the French Revolution, and the Crimean and First World Wars. There is also a splendid house built by Napoleon. He spent a few days here (July 1815) while he made his plans to escape to America. As we know, his plans changed! and he was exiled to St Helena instead. The house is now a Napoleon museum. If you don’t like walking, horse-drawn carriages also carry visitors around the island.

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