If you’re keen to visit France, but have no interest in getting mixed up in the Olympic Games frenzy that will be Paris this coming summer, there are plenty of places in the country to where you can escape. Better even, if you want to have nothing to do with the rest of the world in general, your best bet is to head to one of France’s islands. Easily accessible from the mainland, these Atlantic and Mediterranean islands, popular with the French, but almost entirely unknown by foreign tourists, are also the perfect destinations for a tranquil, beachy vacation far from the madding crowd.
Photo: JP Chret/Shutterstock
9 French Island Airbnbs for Those Who Want Nothing to Do With the Olympics
We hope you love the Airbnbs we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
- Ouessant Island
- Sein Island
- Groix Island
- Belle-Île-en-Mer
- Noirmoutier Island
- D’Yeu Island
- Ré Island
- Oléron Island
- Corsica
Île d’Ouessant: Seafront fisherman’s cottage
Photo: Arthur DAMLAIMCOURT/Shutterstock
Ouessant Island, also known as Ushant Island in English, is located west off mainland Brittany in the Atlantic Ocean. While geographically very isolated, especially in the winter, the island is connected to the mainland via ferry from the towns of Lanildut, Le Conquet, Camaret, and Brest, and 15-minute flights from Brest. Ouessant Island is small, but there are lots to see, including archeological sites, traditional windmills, and some of France’s most impressive lighthouses. There are also lots to do, such as hiking alongside the island’s cliffs, looking for dolphins and seals, spending time on the beaches, or swimming in the island’s turquoise waters.
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $90 per night
Île de Sein: A very small house on a very small island
Photo: Pavel Ilyukhin/Shutterstock
Also located west off mainland Brittany in the Atlantic Ocean, but further south than the above-mentioned Ouessant Island, Sein Island is tiny: just over 0.3-mile wide and 1.1-mile long. That said, it’s big enough to be home to 266 inhabitants and welcome visitors in search of some peace and quiet. While the island is very remote, there are ferries (minimum one hour) connecting it to the mainland. The island is car-free and the only way to move around is on foot (hiking poles are forbidden.) The Goulenez lighthouse, the Saint-Guénolé church, and the prehistoric standing stones are the highlights of the island, but there are also a couple of museums to visit if you want to learn more about life on Sein.
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $101 per night
Île de Groix: A house with a view and a large garden
Photo: Francois Hurtaud/Shutterstock
Also located off the coast of Brittany, but this time a lot farther south, Groix Island has one claim for fame: It is home to la plage des Sables Blancs (i.e. White Sands Beach), the only known convex beach in Europe. No matter what your plans are for a trip to Groix, you need to check out this beach, whether for a swim or a simple walk. While Groix Island is bigger than the aforementioned islands of Ouessant and Sein, it’s still better to leave the car parked and explore on foot or by bike, which you can rent very easily. There are 16 miles of hiking trails and 24 of miles biking trails taking you all around the island so you can admire the beauty of its coastline, its lighthouses, its beaches, and chapels and churches. Groix Island is accessible from the mainland from the city of Lorient or the town of Lomener, depending on the time of the year, via a 45-minute ferry ride.
12 guests, five bedrooms
Price: $322 per night
Belle-Île-en-Mer: Charming house with sea views
Photo: JP Chret/Shutterstock
The largest of the Breton islands, and the busiest, Belle-Île-en-Mer, more commonly known as Belle-Île, is better enjoyed in the early spring and mid- to late September, when the flow of tourists is gone and the island is quiet again. While walking, biking, and e-biking are the best ways to see the island, you can also rent a scooter or a car. Belle-Île is only 12-mile long and 5.5-mile wide, but there are 50 miles of hiking paths for those who prefer to explore it the slow way. There are four towns on the island, and enough beautiful beaches and scenery to keep you dazzled for days. The Vauban Citadel, the Grand Lighthouse, and the Port Cotton sea crags should be top of the list of must-sees during a stay on Belle-Île. The island is connected to the mainland by ferry from the towns of Quiberon, Vannes, Port Navalo, Le Croisic, and la Turballe, depending on the season.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $215 per night
Île de Noirmoutier: Seafront modern home
Photo: Labellepatine/Shutterstock
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the Vendée region, Noirmoutier is not too small an island: It is 11-mile long and 7.5-mile at its widest, and is home to four towns. Although it is an island, Noirmoutier has been connected to the mainland by both a bridge and a causeway for several decades. The 2.7-mile causeway is open to cars, bikes, and pedestrians, but is only usable when the tides allow — it get submerged when the water level is high. You can also get to the island by ferry from the town of Pornic on the mainland, or by bus from the city of Nantes. There is a multitude of things to see and do in Noirmoutier, including visiting the fine-sand beaches, hiking and biking the many trails, walking among the magnificent pines of the protected Eloux forest, exploring the local bird reserve, and more. While getting around by car is allowed, biking is a great way to take in everything the area has to offer.
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $192 per night
Île d’Yeu: An adorable small house with blue shutters
Photo: DGSHUT/Shutterstock
Located South of Noirmoutier Island, off the coast of the Vendée region, d’Yeu Island is accessible from the mainland by ferry from the towns of Saint-Gilles Croix de Vie and Fromentine, and by helicopter from the town of La-Barre-de-Monts. It is also accessible from Noirmoutier Island by ferry during the summer, so you can island hop during your French vacation. d’Yeu Island is the perfect spot for those who want to spend time in nature, hiking the coastal trail (17 miles) or the inland paths (ranging from four to six miles), as well as enjoying lazy days on the small, secluded beaches peppering the coastline. The natural landscapes of the island, including its dunes and rocky cliffs, is where you’ll get your kicks, but the manmade structures, like the prehistoric sites, lighthouses, the Old Castle on its rocky perch, are also worth visiting.
Four guests, one bedroom
Price: $111 per night
Île de Ré: Traditional house near the beach
Photo: Eo naya/Shutterstock
While there’s been a bridge connecting Ré Island to mainland France for several decades, it’s still very much considered an island, and a pretty one at that. Ré Island is popular in the summer with visitors so your best best for a relaxing time and empty beaches is to come in the late spring or in September. Exploring the island by bike a wonderful way to take it in, and it helps keep the place quiet. Whether by bike or on foot, there are salt marshes to visit, vineyards, forests, beaches, and more. The island also offers plenty of opportunities to spend time on and in the water by renting SUPs, or taking surfing or sailing lessons, among others. Oysters, salt, small potatoes, and glassworts are local specialties you’d be remiss to pass on.
Eight guests, three bedrooms
Price: $376 per night
Île d’Oléron: Townhouse with sea views
Photo: E. Cowez/Shutterstock
Linked to the mainland thanks to what used to be France’s longest bridge, Oléron Island is the second-biggest island in France after Corsica. Located just south of Ré Island, Oléron Island is best explored by bike thanks to the 80 miles of bike path that crisscross it, but you may need to car from time to time. Much like Ré Island, Oléron is famous for its oyster farms, salt marshes, beautiful beaches, sand dunes, forests (which cover 12 percent of the island), and vineyards.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $116 per night
Corsica: Modern house with gorgeous sea views
Photo: Pawel Kazmierczak/Shutterstock
The biggest island in France and most likely the sunniest of them all, Corsica is extremely popular with French tourists, especially in the summer. Corsica is located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast from Cannes and Monaco, and good weather is pretty much guaranteed. Hiking, biking, and sunning yourself on the beach are the top activities to partake in while in Corsica, but they are not the only ones — far from it. Diving is big in Corsica, so is mountain biking, horse riding, and canyoneering. Local culinary specialties include charcuterie, cheeses, citrus fruits, chestnut flour, and more, which you should make a point of trying them all out. Corsica is easily reached from the mainland by ferry from the cities of Nice, Marseille, and Toulon, or by plane. There are regular flights from most major French airports.
Four guests, two bedrooms
Price: $298 per night