Meals and wheels

Way back in the hippy-dippy Sergeant Pepper year of 1967, some flower children tried to start a revolutionary new ownership-is-theft philosophy. The first step towards their dream was to provide free bikes for all.

Instead of having your own bicycle, you could just pick up the nearest one you saw in the street – free bikes were always painted white – and then leave it for someone else to use once you had reached your destination.

A psychedelic pop song about the famous white bicycles seemed to play endlessly on pirate radio stations. And more than 40 years later I found myself humming it. La Rochelle's 350 free bikes are a bright shade of yellow and completely legal. No one ever steals them, because prior to picking one up at several council-run points people have to show convincing ID like a passport and fill in a form. You can almost hear those old hippies muttering about crazy bureaucracy, man.

Then you get to go off on two wheels to explore one of the most prosperous holiday resorts on France's Atlantic coast, from its big harbour guarded by three medieval towers, to a neat grid of boulevards and a warren of old stone streets.

Almost everything worth seeing is just an easy pedal away. The town spreads out from the picturesque harbour along a flat coastline, and, in this respect, a comparison with Bridlington might be made were it not for La Rochelle having much more clat.

Around the harbour and yachting marina on a summer's evening is a rich kaleidoscope of bright glitterings and sounds. These are not emitted by arcade games, but come from the nightly arts and crafts market selling spectacular holograms, bizarre musical instruments, multi-coloured lights. Even local writers have a stall for selling their own books.

The town was heavily pedestrianised as far back as the early 1970s and cycling is the joy it rarely feels here in the UK, with 135 kilometres of cycling paths. There is the beautiful Parc Charruyer to see, and since La Rochelle is one of the oldest seaports in France, there is a fine Muse Maritime. A novelty attraction is the Muse des Automates with its collection of 300 puppets.

Cinema buffs who loved the Second World War film, Das Boot, will want to see the German U-boat pens that were used both as a film location and as one of the original bases for terrorising British convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic. They are located in the commercial port area of La Pallice, but have to be viewed from the road since they are not open to the public.

You quickly learn that eating is La Rochelle's chief pastime. The old covered market hall in Place du March is foodie heaven, while the open-air tables which flank the busy harbour are a constant sea of moules-frites and croque monsieur. For something more substantial, ask any local where to eat and the chances are they'll direct you to Restaurant Andr in Rue Saint-Jean Du Prot for exquisite seafood at surprisingly bargain prices. For a more upmarket experience, we also loved the nearby Les Flots.

Huge platters of fruits de mer seem to be on most tables because trawlers land fish and seafood at La Rochelle on every tide. Oysters are popular too, and if you want to see where they come from, you just cycle across the bridge to the beautiful Ile de R, where oysterbeds stretch round many parts of the shore.

The Ile de R is worth considering as your main holiday centre, although the accommodation is noticeably more expensive in view of it being a favourite destination for the French middle classes.

It's mostly as flat as a crpe and so, not surprisingly, the bike also rules these roads. To come here and never cycle would be like going to Whitby and not having fish and chips.

More than 100 kilometres of dedicated cycle routes criss-cross the island, and although there are no free bikes, plenty of hirers cater for budget-conscious tourists. They even operate breakdown patrols, like the AA.

A typical day out on the island might involve setting off on a bike from one of the larger towns on the north shore, such as La Flotte with its abundant hollyhocks, or the classy port of Saint Martin, and heading westwards along the cycle routes to villages like Ars en R, Loix and Les Portes en R.

At this end of the island, the shore is chequered with thousands of salt pans, some of them laid out by monks from the local Abbaye de Chteliers as long ago as the 12th century.

Far from being ugly, they add to the island's character, and everyone wants to take home a bag of the finest quality fleurs de sel.

The south coast has the best bathing beaches, with shallow waters and constant lifeguard vigilance, and – bearing in mind the safe cycling – you can see why the Ile de R is so popular with young families.

Along the shore, birds like avocets, purple herons and little egrets seem to be everywhere, and it's little wonder they are the main subject for artists in the form of mobiles, cards and tableware at the island's craft shops.

As in La Rochelle, eating is a focal point to many holidays, and again it's hard to avoid seafood in Saint Martin, which is as exclusive a town as you will ever find with its whitewashed cafs, chic shops and smart restaurants clustered around a long harbour.

But if the return to your hotel involves a bike ride, then avoid the local speciality of Pineau des Charentes poured into half a Charentaise melon. Delicious though it is, Pineau is treacherously strong – as much as 22 per cent proof – and definitely not compatible with trying to cycle home.

FACTFILE

Jet2 operate a return flight each Saturday from Leeds Bradford to La Rochelle between mid-May and late-September, operated by Jet2. Fares start at 29.99 one way, inclusive of taxes. For details, visit www.jet2.com

In La Rochelle, Roger Ratcliffe stayed at Au 33 rue Thiers, a Maison d'Htes de Charme, at 33 Rue Thiers. Visit www.33ruethiers.com or phone 0033 546 348606.

On the Ile de R he stayed at Hotel de Toiras, 1 quai Job Foran, Saint Martin-de-R. Visit www.hotel-de-toiras.com or phone 0033 546 354032.

YP MAG 12/6/10