Attractions and Places To See in Forêt Des Combots D'Ansoine - Top 5

The Saint-Palais-sur-Mer golf course (17) is known as: Royan Golf Course ⛳ 🏗️ Creation and context The current golf course was created in 1977 in the Coubre forest, near the ocean. It replaced an old Royan golf course, which disappeared about 30 years earlier (after World War II). The course was designed by architect Robert Berthet. 👉 From the outset, the project aimed to re-establish a golf offering in the Royan region, which was undergoing a period of tourist renewal. ⛳ Course evolution 1977: opening with a 9-hole course. 1980s (around 1987): extension to 18 holes, forming the current main course. 1990s: addition of complementary facilities 6-hole compact course 9-hole pitch & putt 👉 The site then became a truly complete golf complex, accessible to all levels. 🌳 Remarkable natural setting Located in the heart of the Coubre forest, the golf course extends over natural dune terrain. Wooded course (maritime pines), but inspired by coastal reliefs. Exceptional views of the ocean and the Cordouan lighthouse from some holes. 👉 Unlike a pure links course, it is a precise, sheltered, and technical course. 🏖️ Integration into local history The development of the golf course is part of the evolution of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer: - former seaside resort of the 19th century - strong tourist appeal after 1950 - diversification of leisure activities (golf, water sports, etc.) 👉 The golf course thus contributes to the transformation of the region into a high-end tourist destination. 📊 Today 18-hole course (par 71/72) of approximately 6 km Open all year round Driving range, golf school, restaurant Considered one of the most beautiful golf courses in the Southwest.

In the Middle Ages, the site of the Combots d'Ansoine was largely covered by a vast forest of oaks and pines called the "forest of Corles" (Corles, today Courlay, was then a small lordship). Separated from the "forest of Salis" (now the forest of La Coubre) by the cove of Brajado and the marshes of Aiguedouz (Bréjat), it borders to the north the large pond of Barbareu, a veritable inland sea punctuated by small islands, and to the south-east, the coastal forests of the surroundings of Royan (wood of Lo Defens, today of Fées, of Nauzan, etc.). Usage rights were granted to the "habitans and manans" (glandée, panage, bois-mort and mort-bois) and to the ecclesiastics of the abbey of Saint-Étienne de Vaux (foresting, for heating the oven). The clearing of certain parts of the forest, a common practice, explains the presence of small estates or villages: Notre-Dame-de-Buze, Ansoine, Maine-Gaudin... In the 16th century, a climate change called the "Little Ice Age" led to particularly harsh winters. The need for firewood increased, and consequently, so did the harvesting of forests. Violent storms swept the coast and the combination of these different factors led to the remobilization of dune sands. From then on, the dunes began to "walk in Arvert", representing a particularly significant danger for the populations, directly (hamlets and villages submerged) or indirectly (filling of the Gulf of Barbareu. In the 17th century, part of the forest disappeared under the sands. What remained was renamed "Royan forest", from the name of the marquisate of Royan of which it constitutes the western limit (beyond, extend the lands of the barony of Arvert). The decree of 14/12/1810 marks a turning point, as a veritable desert of sand now covers part of the Arvert peninsula. The decision was taken to seed the dunes to fix them, after acquisition of the dunes in question, or, failing that, by the owners. At Combots d'Ansoine, 543 hectares were seeded before being returned to their owners (the last ones recovering their lands in 1944). In 1976, a violent fire ravaged the forest. Following this serious disaster, the coastal conservatory acquired several hundred hectares from 1978 (property of the Delmas family until then), and now owns a small massif of 954 hectares.

Forming a transitional space between the sandy coves and cliffs that characterize the surroundings of Royan, from Meschers-sur-Gironde to the tip of Terre-Nègre, and the vast straight expanse of the wild coast, exposed to the furious assaults of the ocean, the Grande-Côte presents itself as a large beach of fine sand, edged with dunes planted with pine trees. Overlooking the mouth of the Gironde and the Atlantic Ocean, it is often subject to a strong swell, taken advantage of by many surfers in the region. If the phenomena of rip currents are absent, strong currents require a certain amount of caution. The Grande-Côte is divided into 4 sectors: the beach of the Grande-Côte itself, the beaches of Combots and Lède, both partly naturist (over a length of 800 meters) and the beach of Pins de Cordouan. The Grande-Côte stretches from the tip of the Grande-Côte (Saint-Palais-sur-Mer) to the bay of Bonne Anse (La Palmyre, commune of Les Mathes). A vast, straight expanse bordered by a dune line and a pine forest, the Combots d'Ansoine forest (La Coubre massif), it announces, by its configuration and its geomorphological characteristics, the beaches of the Côte Sauvage and the Côte d'Argent. Its northwest/southeast orientation, however, differentiates it from the latter, which face due west. Less exposed to the swell, it is nonetheless occasionally subject to strong waves and rollers, which make it a favorite spot for surfers. Outside of the summer period, sports such as sand yachting are also practiced there. The site of the tip of the Grande-Côte, accessible from the city center by a wide avenue doubled by a cycle path, is a prime tourist site, where souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and fast food restaurants are located. Several parking areas have been set up there. It is a stopover on the EuroVelo 1 cycle route, a European route linking Norway to Portugal, known in its French part as the "Vélodyssée". Its section between the Grande-Côte and Ronce-les-Bains has been developed into a greenway, on a dedicated site for nearly thirty kilometers: the greenway from Ronce-les-Bains to Saint-Palais-sur-Mer thus goes back up towards La Palmyre and crosses part of the Arvert peninsula.

The Grande Côte, a strategic point covering the entrance to the Gironde estuary, concentrated artillery batteries. From mid-1943 and faced with the threat of an Anglo-Saxon landing, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer became part of the Atlantic Wall. While the Todt Organization built massive blockhouses and small concrete structures there, a multitude of anti-landing obstacles dotted the coastal front of St Palais. We can notably mention the fortified battery of the Grande Côte beach, that of the Grande Côte promontory and that of the Puits de l’AUture, as well as the bunker of the Kriegsmarine artillery headquarters. Guided and commented tours of these bunkers are organized and offered on the WEB, among others http://www.blockhausstpalaissurmer.com/descriptif-visite/

This forest path offers breathtaking views of the coast. Bordering the Cambots d'Ansoine forest near La Palmyre, it is a place where nature and the sea meet. From the forest paths, the views open onto the sandbanks that change with the tides.

Discover the hidden history of the Second World War along the coast of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. There you can explore the well-preserved German bunkers, nestled between the forest and the ocean. Don't miss the German Command Bunker, which served as headquarters for Abteilung 284 of the marine artillery. You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the ocean while discovering this fascinating historical site.

There you can explore a 2.5 kilometer beach lined with dunes and forests. This scenic expanse offers a variety of activities, including fishing, surfing, body boarding and windsurfing. Don't miss the historic blockhouses that line the shore.