Island cuteness: beach at Ile de Re. Photo: Alamy

With their blend of beaches, cycling and quirky history, the Ile de Re and her island neighbours are great family holiday spots off western France, writes Fred Mawer.

With its long and undeveloped beaches, picture-perfect villages, mouthwatering markets and miles of cycle lanes, the Ile de Re is indisputably one of France's loveliest seaside spots, but also worth considering for a summer break are other nearby islands off the Atlantic coast.

Though very much on the radar of French holidaymakers, they are far less well known to outsiders, even though they share some of the same enticements.

St Martin de Re town. Photo: Alamy

The Ile d'Oleron has memorable beaches great cycling and seafood, but its down-to-earth atmosphere is completely different from fashionable Ile de Re. There's also tiny Ile d'Aix, with more good beaches and cycling, and an intriguing Napoleonic history.

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So, which to choose? Here are thumbnail sketches of the three Charente-Maritime islands, for a family holiday.

Most visitors to the islands tend to camp, so we focus chiefly on campsites.

The Vail Valley.

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Three of a kind