The beach at La Rochelle was very nice when we visited and I was highly impressed. It’s not the biggest beach but it was nice and clean and the white golden sand was beautiful. I didn’t venture too much into the sea as the tide was out but we had a great time

If your travelling on a large cruise ship, chances are you'll dock at the industrial terminal about 4 miles away. Most cruise ships call this stop Bordeaux but it is actually a 2 hour bus ride away. Carnival offered free port shuttle busses from the ship to the drop off immediately beside Plage de la Concurrence in La Rochelle at the All du Mail turnaround. It took about 10 minutes as it weaved through the industrial port buildings. From here, it is a short 5 minute walk to the central marina district in La Rochelle which is surrounded by eateries and shops. Even better, near the stop is a great bicycle rental shop called Cylco Parc. You can rent a bike here and explore the area as it is chocked full of dedicated cycle paths or you can bike down the Plage de la Concurrence which has a beautiful dedicated bike lane. The beach is wide and beautiful if your just looking to relax and lay out and there is a small vendor that offers umbrella and chair rental near his snack bar. Behind the beach is a beautiful little Park called Parc Charles Edouard that has a small zoo which is free along with some inexpensive carnival rides for the kids. No need to pay for an expensive excursion when this area offers so much to see and do by supporting the local economy.