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Marennes / Royan La Vélodyssée, the Atlantic Cycling Route

Description Reviews and personal stories

In family, In forest, Seaside, Nature & small heritage

45,42 Km

3 h 01 min

I begin / Family

Marennes

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Royan

45,42 km cycling route from Marennes to Royan

Cross the Marennes region by bike, between salt marshes and the Seudre estuary. Then, from Ronce-les-Bains, savor the scent of sea spray and pine trees along the cycle route, a cycle path in the middle of the Coubre forest, all the way to La Palmyre. Park your bikes and enjoy a swim on one of the beaches of the Côte Sauvage. After all, isn't the coastline from La Palmyre to Royan known as the Côte de Beauté?

The Vélodyssée offers you a royal stopover with a sea view, a cycle path that winds through the coastal forest and past pretty beaches, all the way to Royan and its Belle Époque villas. Unforgettable!

Elevation of the stage

61 m 61 m

Waytypes of the stage

Cycle path: 42,29 km By road: 3,14 km

Surface of the stage

Smooth: 44,68 km Rough: 0,74 km

Itinerary

The exit from Marennes is via a specially developed cycle path along the RD 728E. Be careful when crossing the bridge over the Seudre River.
🆕 A new cycle route has been implemented by the Charente-Maritime Department to bypass the Seudre Bridge crossing, with the provision of a ferry service from June 4, 2024 to September 30, 2024. Learn more.

Once you arrive in Ronce-les-Bains, a charming little town with fine sandy beaches and oyster huts, you begin your journey through the Coubre Forest along a continuous cycle path through this vast expanse of maritime pine-covered dunes. You pass by the Coubre Lighthouse, where a stop is a must to discover this incredible structure, listed as a Historic Monument. You then return to the road to La Palmyre, still on a cycle-only route. Leaving La Palmyre, the route crosses the pine forest and quickly reaches the coast. The greenways along the coast can occasionally be covered in sand.

Be careful when crossing Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Royan, where the paths are often located on the sidewalk and are very busy. Don't hesitate to move onto the road, which is often quiet. In Royan, you should be extra careful at the sometimes tricky intersections if you are heading towards the train station: Boulevard de la République, Cours de l'Europe, and Place du Docteur Gantier. As you pass through L'Embellie, there has been a slight change in the route due to coastal erosion. The surface changes from asphalt to temporary limestone over 500 meters; be careful. Construction work is underway near the "Petit Poucet" car park in St Palais-sur-Mer. A temporary bypass is in place. The same situation applies to Pontaillac. Construction work in front of the Casino will begin in mid-March and will be completed by the end of June 2025.

Connections: A connection provides access to the town centers of La Tremblade and La Palmyre.