Joined by a bridge to the mainland, a hop from La Rochelle, is the small sunny island where the beautiful people go. Down a peaceful backstreet in the sleepy town of Ars is a whitewashed former fisherman’s cottage, a little house of surprises. Step into the kitchen/diner, simple and well-equipped with oak worktops, white crockery, yellow cookware, a Nespresso machine. The sitting room too is in understated Ile-de-Re style: wood-clad walls and seascape colours, squishy linen sofa and open fire, textured rugs and quirky brocante finds. Then it’s up the narrow painted staircase to two bedrooms panelled in barely-there-pink, with cream carpets, white bedspreads and white curtains at south-facing windows. Pllows, quilts and mattresses are new; linen you hire (or bring your own). No garden but no worry: the island is bliss for bike rides from village to village – or dune-beach to dune-beach (the longest stretch for two miles) – and charming, cobbled St Martin is a French celeb-spotter’s paradise. Cool off at a quayside café, with a plate of oysters or a glass of the local microbrew.
The cottage is charming and perfectly appointed. Centrally located it is an ideal base for cycling around the island, swimming and sampling some of the delicious local seafood and wine. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough. We’ll be back!