Even smaller than L’île-d’Aix, the island of L’île Madame is only accessible during low water from Port des barques, via the Passe aux Boeufs causeway, a few kilometres beyond the Pointe de la Fumée.
Also fortified, its history includes the grisly incident in 1794 when 275 priests were starved to death and buried where they dropped. A white cross in pebbles marks their mass grave. The Ecomusée (Tel: +33 5 46 84 19 19) is devoted to information on oyster farming, and nearby is La Ferme Aquacole (Tel: +33 5 46 84 12 67), a farm for fish and shellfish.
The salt marshes, now drained, are fantastic for bird watching.