La Rochelle à vélo

This final stage of La Vélo Francette shares the way with the longer La Vélodyssée cycle route. You follow the Canal de Marans towards the sea before branching off for the great city of La Rochelle via the Canal de Rompsay. Although this stage is easy, it allows you to end La Vélo Francette with a flourish – plus there’s the possibility of a dip in the Atlantic! Islands beckon just off the coast, if you wish to prolong your experience of douce France!

Nature takes centre stage during this leg of the journey, as you cycle past the water that flows through the charming canals which join the Poitevin marshes. We pass Marans, the ancient watchtower on the estuary of the Niort Sèvre which looks out over the marshes, and follow the canal that leads us to La Rochelle and onto the ocean.

The Sèvre Niortaise remains your guide on this stage, except on two stretches, one where you follow the Canal du Nouveau Béjou, the other the Canal du Pomère. Enjoy the ballet of little boats exploring the wetlands around these parts. You arrive at Marans via its quaysides, allowing you to appreciate how this little town lives via its waterways. Marans traditionally stood guard over the canal, marshes and river estuary; today it stands out because of its futuristic bell tower.

As the famous towers which defend the port of La Rochelle hove into view, a cycle path section takes us to the Port of Minimes, then onto the Cove of Godechaud, right next to the sea. The delightful Bay of Châtelaillon now comes into sight and offers weary cyclists a very pleasant stopping point. After the Bay of Châtelaillon comes a pretty seaside section before heading back inland towards the ‘royal city’ of Rochefort. While the middle section of this route might appear somewhat commonplace, the remarkable town of Rochefort is well worth exploring.

La Belle-Henriette Lagoon, separated from the sea by a narrow band of sand, and then your arrival into La Faute-sur-Mer which stretches endlessly towards the point of Arçay, mark this stage of La Vélodyssée. The route then heads into St-Michel-en-l’Herm through the dried marshes of Marais Poitevin a great expanse of marshes and cultivated land dotted with farms and sheds. The crossing of the Pont du Brault takes us into Charente-Maritime in the ancient district of Aunis. Marans, the capital of the dried Marais marshes, was once a very important look-out point.

This Vendée Vélo Tour stage makes it clear to cyclists the way to follow through the heart of the polders, in an area where the marshlands create a bare, uniformly flat horizon, the cereal fields divided into neat squares. From the Pont du Brault bridge, head to the Porte des Grands-greniers, where you can observe the workings of a sea-lock that closes automatically as the tide comes in. Next, ride along beside a series of canals, including the Canal des 5 Abbés (created way back in 1217), up to the wetlands of the marais mouillé, the ash-tree-lined meadows here regularly flooded. Cross the quiet villages of Vouillé-les-Marais, La Taillée and Le Gué-de-Velluire, continuing alongside the Vendée River up to Elle Island, marking the end of this stage that has led you to the edge of the famed Marais Poitevin marshlands.

This Vendée Vélo Tour stage leads you towards the Marais Poitevin, marshlands known as La Venise Verte, or Green Venice, in France! For starters, follow the meanders of the Sèvre Niortaise River, then tackle the slopes of Vix’s vineyards before continuing your cycling adventure through the Parc Naturel Régional du Marais Poitevin. If you’re really lucky, you may spot a European otter on Charrouin Island, while foodies will enjoy tasting the local speciality, préfou (unleavened garlic bread), in Maillé. At Maillé, ride alongside the Aqueduc, a surprising piece of hydraulic engineering built to deal with a point where two rivers cross paths, but without mixing their waters… For a fine end to this stage, do visit Maillezais Abbey, its majestic ruins visible from afar. To give your legs a rest, embark on a punting trip to explore the heart of France’s Venise Verte from the quays of this charming village.

Before the Vendée Vélo Tour cycle route leads you away from the Marais Poitevin, explore a bit more of its wetlands by riding to the pretty port of Courdault at the end of a major canal. Midway along this stage, you reach the village of Nieul-sur-l'Autise, designated a Petite Cité de Caractère for its cultural attractions. It’s a good place to stop for lunch and to appreciate Nieul Abbey and the Maison de la Meunerie, the latter featuring one of the last-surviving watermills in the region. Further on, you can branch off for the Plage de Chassenon and make the most of the lake’s beach, perhaps enjoying a well-deserved dip. To give you strength for this stage’s final stretch, make a little detour to La Lutine tea shop in Saint-Michel-le-Cloucq to sample some tasty local specialities.

Escape Rochefort’s arsenal for the last stage of La Flow Vélo, the sea’s influence increasingly evident. The route hugs the final few kilometres of the Charente River, with a unique crossing via a transporter bridge, one of the few still in use in France. You continue beside wetlands before the Atlantic comes into view. Pedal along the final stretch to Fouras to the rhythm of the ocean waves. Extend your adventure to nearby Aix Island, taking your bike on the ferry, arriving on a little crescent of land dotted with whitewashed houses, beautified by hollyhocks… plus you can enjoy fabulous views of the Charente Estuary and Fort Boyard, an island prison turned sensational TV show setting.