Flaming mussels, markets and beaches in Charente-Maritime

In La Tremblade, Charente-Maritime, mussels are cooked over burning pine needles in a local tradition called moules à l’éclade, a spectacle served by canal-side restaurants such as La Cabane des Bons Vivants. The pine needles are set alight inside a large open oven so the shellfish cook in their own juices; charred shells are then prised apart to reveal orange, juicy molluscs.

The practice was developed by Marennes-Oléron oyster farmers along the River Seudre, and evenings on La Grève — the avenue between oyster beds and colourful huts — make for sunset meals in a working oyster-farming village. Nearby Royan offers a striking Marché Central completed in 1956, with a 50-metre-span dome and space-age skylights, where visitors can buy local cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin and Comté, charcuterie including le grillon charentais and saucisson, and fresh produce.

The Église Notre-Dame de Royan, rebuilt after wartime bombing, has a concrete belltower and a triangular stained-glass window and is said to have inspired the Game of Thrones Dragonstone audience hall. Beaches range from the surf at Plage Le Vieux Phare, overlooked by the red-and-white Phare de la Coubre, to the sheltered Plage de Boyardville on Île d’Oléron, reached across pine forests.

Key Topics

Culture, Moules À L'éclade, La Tremblade, Marennes-oléron, Royan, Île D'oléron