Île de Ré (Saint-Martin-de-Ré)
France · Europe
The water
205 mg/LVery hard
Source: Ministere de la Sante, SISE-Eaux via Hub'Eau API (reseau R. DE ST-MARTIN-LA FLOTTE) · Official figure. Hardness counts dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water; it is the number your hair meets in the shower.
What very hard water does to hair
Among the hardest water on the map: the mineral film builds fast, especially on porous, bleached or colour-treated hair, and ordinary shampoo alone will not shift it. Plan on weekly chelation and richer conditioning, more so the longer you stay.
The washing routine for Île de Ré (Saint-Martin-de-Ré)
Chelating (detox) washes do the heavy lifting: about every second wash, with a gentle shampoo between and rich conditioning after. On a long stay, a weekly deep treatment keeps porous or bleached hair from going brittle under the build-up.
Climate, from recent records (Open-Meteo, ERA5 2015-2024): August is the warmest month, averaging 22°C by day, and humidity peaks in December at about 84% on average. In the humid months, frizz is the main event; anti-humidity styling matters more than wash frequency.
Plugs and power for your tools
Sockets: Type C and E. Supply: 230 V, 50 Hz.
Full sockets by the sink are standard (kept outside the 60 cm splash zones around the bath and shower, and RCD protected, under the IEC 60364 zone rules).
A 120 V only dryer or styler (North American) will burn out on this supply, and a plug adapter does not change voltage. Check the label for dual voltage (100-240 V) before you plug in.
Plug, voltage and frequency: IEC World Plugs and national standards.
Plan Île de Ré (Saint-Martin-de-Ré) properly
The trip planner turns this water profile into a wash plan for your hair type, a chosen kit and a packing list, month by month.