[4] Ars-en-Ré is one of 10 communes located on the Île de Ré off the coast of La Rochelle and is in the north-western part of the island some 8 km west of Saint-Martin-de-Ré.

Access to the commune is by the D735 road which crosses to the island from the end of National Highway N237 at La Rochelle.

[5] Its harbour is the largest on the Île de Ré and is located at the bottom of the Fier d'Ars (a body of water penetrating the land from the north-east and bordered by marshes), which is reached by a channel through the salt farms.

There are 150 moorings on buoys in the outer harbour and the channel has a capacity of 550 berths, mainly dedicated to pleasure craft.

[12] Since 2011 the commune has belonged to the network "Villages of stone and water", a label initiated by the General Council to promote exceptional sites with the distinction of being located near a body of water (sea, river, pond ...).