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Your Perfect Port Day in La Rochelle
If your ship is docking in La Rochelle, it’s likely to have been advertised as Bordeaux. Bordeaux is totally worth the visit, but what if you’ve been before? What if you don’t fancy the 2-3 hour journey there and back? What if you don’t want to, or can’t, pay for an expensive excursion. Maybe you would just like to get off the ship and explore from where your feet land. If this sounds like you, then check out our walking tour.
Below you will find our carefully curated, tried and tested walking tour of Lisbon. Our walking tours are the best way to see the sights and get the vibe of the city. And, of course, we’ll tell you where to pick up the local specialty biscuits. And unlike any other walking tours we’ve found, we’ll tell you where you can take that much-needed bathroom break. Phew!
DISEMBARKING
La Rochelle is a charming port town that’s accessible and family friendly. The port was established in the 12th century, so its modern facilities are mixed with an old world charm.
If this is your first cruise, you won’t be familiar with the disembarkation process (getting off the ship). The day before you arrive in port, you’ll be given plenty of reminders of your docking and all-aboard times. You’ll get these reminders via signage around the ship as well as announcements from the captain and crew. They’ll also let you know if you’ll be time-traveling overnight.
On your port day the captain will announce when you are docked and ready to disembark. It’s a good idea to be ready 30 minutes before the expected arrival time. That way you’re ready to go if the ship docks ahead of schedule. To disembark, you will line-up and the crew will scan your key card. It’s best to take your passport with you as the port authorities may ask to see it.
What to expect at the port
It is not permitted to walk through La Rochelle’s port, so your cruise line will organise a coach transfer into the town. It’s ride of approximately 20 minutes through industrial and residential areas. The coach should drop you off at Place de Verdun, so this is where we will begin our tour.
How to spend your La Rochelle Port Day
Now you’re ready for our walking tour, handcrafted specifically for one perfect port day. You’ll usually have between 4 and 6 hours to explore the port, depending on your itinerary. For a more specific tour based on your itinerary or specific needs, we’ll be launching bespoke tours soon! You can also contact us to let us know what else you’d like to see!
It’s time to get started on our walking tour! Our tour ensures that you’ll see all the major spots in this ancient port town in a loop so you won’t wear yourself out going back and forth.
At the end of this guide, you will find an interactive Google map of the tour. You can save it to your own Google account, or print it out for reference.
Our Port Day Walking Tour for La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a small town, so the entire tour, end-to-end, is approximately 40 minutes if you are able bodied and taking a direct route without pause. What we’re trying to say is, don’t rush. You have plenty of time to take in the sights, make diversions, and stop for food, drink and activities.
As you will most likely arrive into La Rochelle before the town has woken up, we’ll begin with a leisurely morning stroll through Le Parc Charruyer. If you’re here in the Summer you’ll walk through luscious green trees until you reach Plage de la Concurrence (the beach)!
Near the end of the park is Parc Animalier Charles-Édouard Beltremieux. Officially becoming an animal park in 1950, this place is a little haven in the town. It’s free to enter and is open from 7:50am to 7:30pm, 7 days a week.
You may also visit Mini Golf du Mail a little further along if you fancy a round of mini golf. In the school Summer holidays it opens from 11:00am, but outside of this it opens at 2:00pm.
Once you reach Plage de la Concurrence, this is your chance to relax. Take some time to lounge on the beach and check out the lovely views. There are a couple of public toilets in this area which cost 50 cents. They’re there if you need them, but if we’re being honest they aren’t very pleasant.
When you’ve finished taking in the sea air, walk along the walls to the town’s looming Gothic towers. You can go inside for approximately €8 to €10. We didn’t do this personally, so we can’t speak to the experience. However, if you’re interested in French history, it could be perfect for you.
Stroll along the glittering harbour towards the Big Clock Gate at Place Barentin to get some pictures. There’s plenty of places to shop, eat and drink in this area, but we recommend The Famous Pub. Just turn back on yourself to find this relaxed, highly-rated spot to grab a drink and take a load off.
Just across the harbour from the Famous Pub you will see the vintage carousal in Square Valin. There’s a small play area for kids, perfect if there are young children travelling with you. You can feel free to detour across the harbour after your refreshments. The area was pedestrianised in 2015 so it’s safe for little ones to run off some steam for a while.
On your way back into town from Square Valin or The Famous Pub, depending on where we left you, you can pick up the traditional biscuit of La Rochelle: the charentais biscuit. The charentais biscuit is subtly sweet, soft, and slightly crumbly. Head into Biscuiterie La Trinitaine, a local chain established in 1955 to try one. Or purchase a few as a delicious souvenir for your friends and family at home.
Charentis biscuits are often enjoyed with a hot drink, and you can’t go to France without trying the local hot chocolate! So next up, if you’re so inclined, go off the beaten track to Brothers Coffee for a chocolate chaud. It isn’t Parisian style, but it’s still very tasty. The service in this cosy café is friendly and fast.
The final major sight to see on our tour is the La Rochelle Town Hall. It’s an interesting bit of architecture with deep red features and this captivating sun dial which looms over passers-by.
If you wish, you can continue heading North from the Town Hall to visit Vieux Marché de La Rochelle. This beautiful covered market hall dates back to 1834. If you’ve not already eaten lunch you could grab some fresh fruit or cheese from here.
The tour is over and it’s now totally up to you what happens next. If you choose to return to the ship, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’ve seen the highlights of La Rochelle. You can now head back to the coach stop to hop on a shuttle bus back to your ship. Lunch at the buffet, anyone?
If you want to spend some more time in this lovely little port town, you can continue exploring. Get lost in the ancient streets. You’ll find a mix of shops: high-street shops such as Sephora, Zara and H&M, and hole-in-the-wall local shops, art galleries, wineries and more.
Mapping out the Tour
As promised, here’s the interactive Google map of our tour. You can see the route we’ve taken, and we’ve labelled any bathroom breaks on the route for you. You can save it to your own Google account, or print it out for reference.
Just a heads up: our recommendations are carefully researched but things can change. Please read our full disclaimer for more information!
What’s Next
If you need to fly to your departure port, make sure to check out our airport transfer guides.
You can find more of our cruise port guides here. We’re always updating the website with new walking tours, so follow us on Instagram and Facebook to be updated when we upload new ports. Feel free to contact us to let us know what you want to see next!
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