The port’s commercial zone

A little history

History of the commercial zone

The history of the commercial zone is inseparable from that of the port itself. The Saint-Denis-d’Oléron marina is the fruit of a long battle against coastal silting, won after centuries of effort and failure. The first jetty may date back to the XIIᵉ century, facilitating the transport of wine from Chassiron to La Rochelle. By the XVIIᵉ century, documents already mention a tax earmarked for harbor repairs. Two centuries of dikes and jetties constantly destroyed by sand followed, until the project was abandoned in the early XIXᵉ century.

It was thetourist boom that rekindled the port’s ambitions: better studied and better financed, the new port was inaugurated in 1989. Then, in 2006, a shopping area was added to the Blue Flag-labeled infrastructure: bistros, restaurants, ice-cream parlors, chandlery, souvenirs, local products, bicycle rentals… The pedestrian promenade along the quay now offers an exceptional setting for yachtsmen and visitors alike.