Alistair McGowan's heaven on earth: Ile de Ré, France

I discovered Ile de Ré, a little island off the west coast of France, a few years ago – quite by chance really – and have since been back several times. The island, which is about 20 miles long and three miles wide, is very old, very quiet and very natural – and an absolute haven for cyclists.

It has a huge cycling network, so you can hire a bike and cycle just about everywhere along paths sandwiched between salt marshes and fields, and past historic chateaux. It's marvellously flat too, so not only can you see from one side of the island to the other, but you're spared any back-breaking hill rides.

In fact, it's the perfect holiday cycling destination for families and even for people who've never been on a bike because it's so peaceful and quiet. What's more, it's very safe, the only real danger on the roads being posed by other cyclists.

The little towns and villages all seem to have their own harbours and everything about the island feels so wonderfully French. It's also a great place to go if you're into gawping at butterflies, birds and flowers.

Another bonus is that it's so accessible: whenever I've gone, I've simply got the train to Paris and then taken another train to nearby La Rochelle, so it's a very good way to have a low-carbon holiday, too.

If you're looking for somewhere to stay, try the Hôtel de Toiras (0033 5 4635 4032; www.hotel-de-toiras.com), which is in the island's nominal main town, Saint Martin, and looks out over its pretty harbour.

Just about everywhere you go the food is good, so it's difficult to single out anywhere in particular. And fish and oysters seem to be on the menu just about everywhere, so if you like seafood, you're in for a treat.

It can get busy in the summer so the autumn and late spring or early summer are perhaps the best times to visit. The one thing it doesn't have is a lot of nightlife, so if you want loud clubs and hordes of drunken tourists, it might not be for you.

On the other hand, if, like me, you prefer to wake up to the sound of sails flapping in the sea breeze, I couldn't recommend anywhere more heavenly.

• Alistair McGowan's new six-part series, 'Continuity', starts on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday, August 18, at 11pm