The best road cycling routes around Saujon

Built from 1955 and consecrated in 1958, the Notre-Dame de Royan church symbolizes the city standing tall and proud again. The reinforced concrete monument thus fits into the general trend of renewal in sacred art after the sad events the world experienced in the 1940s. It is considered today as a feat and a masterpiece of modern architecture. "Upon entering this concrete cathedral, be silent. Here, everything is momentum, rigor, roughness, austere beauty. The twilight sings the elusive, the divine, variable and constant like the sea." ANDRÉ MALRAUX Minister of Cultural Affairs (1958-1969)

The carrelets of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer are among the most emblematic elements of the Charente coastline. Their history blends traditional fishing, tourist development, and local heritage. 🐟 Origin of the carrelets Originally, the word "carrelet" referred to a square fishing net used since the 17th century. A precise description can be found as early as 1769, in the writings of the scholar Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau, who mentioned this type of fishing on the Saintonge coast. 👉 At that time, these were not yet the current huts, but simply a net operated from rudimentary structures. ⚓ Artisanal fishing structures The first local carrelets were simple wooden platforms, built by the fishermen themselves to stand above the water. They were mainly used to catch shrimp, fish, and crabs near the shore, without going out to sea. 👉 It was a family and coastal fishery, less dangerous than sea fishing. 🏖️ 19th – early 20th century: transition to a leisure activity At the turn of the 20th century, with the rise of seaside resorts like Saint-Palais, the carrelets evolved. Holidaymakers and notable figures adopted this practice: construction of fixed jetties, appearance of huts on stilts. The carrelets then became places for relaxation as much as for fishing. 👉 They already contributed to the postcard image of the coast. 🪵 After 1945: democratization and multiplication After the Second World War, the number of carrelets increased sharply. They became a symbol of popular leisure and conviviality. The transition was gradually made from a means of subsistence to a recreational activity. 🌊 Storms and reconstruction The carrelets are fragile in the face of storms: 1999: massive destruction (up to 90% in some areas) 2010 (Xynthia storm): new damage Many have been rebuilt identically, respecting tradition. 🏛️ Today: protected heritage In Charente-Maritime, there are about 400 carrelets. They are: integrated into the public maritime domain allocated by administrative authorization (often renewed every 5 years) Since 2018, they have been recognized as cultural heritage of the department. 👉 In Saint-Palais, they can be observed in particular: at Pont du Diable at the conche du Concié at the Puits de l’Auture

📍 Introducing the Gilet Cove The Gilet Cove is a small, natural beach on the oceanfront, located on Boulevard de la Conche de Gilet / Boulevard de la Falaise, in the town of Vaux-sur-Mer, just before Royan. 🌿 It's a sheltered, rocky cove, appreciated for its tranquility and more intimate setting compared to the larger urban beaches nearby. 🏖️ At high tide, the sea can completely cover this small beach, making the space very limited; at low tide, you can enjoy a patch of sand and rocks for relaxing or swimming. 🧭 Features & Tips 📍 Type of place: small, unsupervised beach, nestled among the rocks with sand and cliffs. 🏖️ Tides: access is best at low tide — at high tide the beach can disappear underwater. 🐶 Animals: prohibited from April 1st to September 30th (subject to municipal regulations). 👣 Access: via stairs from the boulevard above, surrounded by villas with sea views. 🚫 Lifeguard services: no lifeguard station or marked services. 📍 Location La Conche de Gilet is often considered the last small beach in Vaux-sur-Mer before reaching Royan/Pontaillac when following the coastline from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer.

Here you'll find a romantic little lighthouse, and behind it lies a garden with a bench overlooking the sea, a lovely place to stop for a break. Afterwards, you can continue along the cliff to the right until you reach Euro Velo 1 again.

Perfect beachside bike trail along the boulevard, with several rest stops with seating and beach acces.

The port of Royan is located between the Foncillon district and the Grande Conche beach, in the heart of the city. Ideally located at the mouth of the Gironde, in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean and opposite Port-Médoc, it consists of a marina with a thousand rings and a fishing port, specializing in “noble” species (sole, meagre, sea bass, etc.). You will find the harbor master's office, the Fishing Port and the auction, as well as a covered shopping arcade, “Les voûtes du Port”, which extends the shopping arcades of the “Front de Mer”. Port, 1100 sheltered places – Reception pontoon – Secure pontoons. Access pass is 0.30 m above the zero of the nautical charts. Basins after dredging 2.30 m from the zero of the nautical charts. Services: water, electricity (220 V) on pontoon, toilets, WC, showers, handling in closed technical area, recovery of careening water, grey water and black water pumps, maintenance and ship repair workshops, ship chandlers on the port, wifi, 24/24 CB fuel, slipway. V.H.F. 9. The port is sheltered from all winds because it is protected by the landing stage of the ferries which ensure the crossing of the Gironde for the crossings to the Pointe de Grave/Le Verdon-sur-Mer.

At the exit of the Coubre national forest, the landscape opens onto the dunes, and you can see the lighthouse. The Coubre lighthouse watches over maritime traffic in the Gironde estuary.

Chaillevette, from the Saintongeais "Chaille" which means "pebble" is a small town in Charente Maritime with 1620 inhabitants, on the Arvert Peninsula. Nestled on the left bank of the Seudre, in a setting of salt marshes, punctuated by "claires" where oysters are refined. The refinement gives them this blue-green color and this typical iodized flavor. Oyster farming by oyster farmers is an essential resource for maintaining two pretty ports: The port of Chatressac, (which almost entered history in the 17th century, having been considered for a time to accommodate the Grand arsenal maritime du Ponant wanted by Louis XIV, which was finally built further north and gave birth to the city of Rochefort), and the port of Chaillevettte. Typical with their oyster huts in various and shimmering colors, bordering the channel and welcoming barges, these two ports have managed to preserve their picturesque character. However, you can enjoy local products in the "tasting huts" and especially the oysters that make our town famous as the "cradle of the oyster". Each of these ports is animated each year by the July 14 festival in Chatressac and the August 15 festival in Chaillevette. In the Chaillevetonne countryside, the cultivation of cereals such as wheat or corn finds its place, without forgetting the vines, which will be used to produce, among other things, the Charente country wine, pineau and cognac.