Port des Salines, Tourist attraction in Le Grand-Village-Plage, France.
Port des Salines features historical salt evaporation ponds with preserved seventeenth-century facilities and traditional salt-making equipment on Oléron Island near the Atlantic coast.
The salt marshes served as a crucial commercial hub for French maritime trade for centuries, exporting salt to mainland France and international markets.
Local festivals celebrate salt harvesting traditions with artisan demonstrations, historical reenactments, and educational programs about traditional salt-making techniques and regional heritage.
The site operates Monday through Sunday with varying hours, typically from two to six in the afternoon on weekdays and extended hours on Wednesday.
Salt ponds change colors throughout different seasons and create mirror-like reflections of the sky, offering exceptional photographic opportunities that attract photographers from around the world.
Location: Le Grand-Village-Plage
Address: 34 C, Rue des Anciennes Salines, 17370 Le Grand-Village-Plage, France 17370 Le Grand-Village-Plage
Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday 14:00-18:00; Wednesday 10:00-18:00; Thursday-Sunday 14:00-18:00
Phone: +33646706283
Website: https://legrandvillageplage.fr/decouvrir-et-sejourner/le-port-des-salines
GPS coordinates: 45.86181,-1.23047
Latest update: October 24, 2025 08:35
Oléron Island, the largest island in mainland France after Corsica, features a military, maritime, and natural heritage reflecting its strategic position facing the Atlantic Ocean. This Charente island, connected to the mainland since 1966 by a nearly three-kilometer-long bridge, houses fortifications built under Louis XIV, such as the Citadel of Château d'Oléron and Fort Louvois, as well as the famous Fort Boyard positioned on its sandbank offshore. The Chassiron Lighthouse, standing at forty-six meters high, marks the northern tip of the island and guides ships through the waters of the Pertuis d'Antioche. Beyond its defensive legacy, the island offers various natural areas where sandy beaches, pine forests, and salt marshes alternate. Saint-Trojan-les-Bains extends its wooded shoreline to the south, while Boyardville features a protected coast on its eastern side. Visitors also observe oyster farming along the La Baudissière channel and explore the colorful huts that house artist workshops at the port of Château d'Oléron. The Saltworks Museum traces the history of salt extraction, a resource that shaped the local economy for centuries.
Petit Train de Saint-Trojan
3.1 km
Plage de la Giraudière
2 km
Dolmen d'Ors
2.7 km
Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption du Château-d'Oléron
4 km
Église Saint-Trojan de Saint-Trojan-les-Bains
2.8 km
Fontaine, place de la république
3.8 km
Petite plage de Saint-Trojan
4 km
Grande plage (naturiste)
3.3 km
Plage de Vert Bois
3.5 km
Freely accessible fortress
3.7 km
View to the port channel
3.7 km
Saint-Trojan
3.2 km
La Cabane Pattedoie
2.5 km
Colorful oyster farmer huts
3.7 km
Saint-Trojan
3.2 km
L'épinette
2.5 km
Les Cabanes Francis
2.5 km
L'Epinette
2.5 km
La Rabale
2.5 km
La Boudeuse
2.5 km
Fun park
3.2 km
Work of art
3.1 km
Work of art
3.7 km
Work of art
3.8 km
Work of art, sculpture
3.1 km
Work of art, sculpture
3.5 km
Statue, Work of art
3 km
Statue, Work of art
3 kmReviews
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