The Velodyssey from Saint Brévin-les-Pins to La Rochelle

Day 1: St Brévin les Pins
Individual arrival at St Brévin and hotel accommodation.

Day 2: St Brévin – Pornic (26 km)
Bike delivery, if rented, will take place between 9:00 and 10:30 am. After breakfast, departure for a beautiful ride along the coast of Pays de Retz, between sand dunes and scented pine forests. Skirting the ocean, you will reach the beautiful seaside resort of Pornic which retains a particular retro charm. Take advantage of the golden beaches or the small coves for a toning swim or take a walk in the colorful harbor. Overnight stay in Pornic.

Day 3: Pornic – Fromentine / La Barre de Monts (58 km)
Today you cross the Marais Breton Vendéen, a lagoon-like landscape with tiny ports and a section characterized by towering wind turbines that share the sky with thousands of seabirds. Next, you arrive at Beauvoir and Fromentine, facing the island of Noirmoutier, at the foot of the bridge. From Beauvoir, you follow a stretch of 9 km along the D22 until all the cycle path sections are completed. If the tide is favourable, you can avoid Beauvoir and take the legendary passage du Gois, a partially paved road that connects Noirmoutier to the mainland when the tide is low. We recommend a stop to taste the oysters, a specialty of the region. You will find the cycle path of Noirmoutier at Barbatre, to then comfortably reach Fromentine through the port.

Day 4: Fromentine – Les Sables d’Olonne (65 or 75 km)
From Fromentine you follow a beautiful itinerary all on cycle path that runs along the Grand Plage through the dunes. This beautiful and fascinating route through the pine forest leads first to some villages, then to the immense white sand beach of the seaside resort of St Jean de Monts. Always on the cycle path, skirting the ocean, you pass the port of St Gilles Croix de Vie, the setting of Brétignoles and Brem sur Mer. Then you enter the forêt d’Olonne and the fantastic landscape of the marais d’Olonne, a bird's paradise (ducks, seagulls, cormorants, spoonbills, plovers, curlews). You finally arrive at the immense beach of Sables d’Olonne, one of the oldest seaside resorts on the Atlantic coast; don't miss the chance to swim even if during this stage you can choose at any time to stop for a dip.

Day 5: Les Sables d'Olonne – La Tranche sur Mer (40 km)
After breakfast, you continue south along the Vendée coast. The route continues on a cycle path to Port Bourgenay and Talmont St Hilaire avoiding the marsh of the Payré estuary. The stage continues on small roads to Jard sur Mer and St Vincent sur Jard, where you can visit the Maison Clémenceau and the wonderful garden designed by Claude Monet. Crossing the forest of Longeville you arrive at another beautiful beach, that of Tranche sur Mer.

Day 6: La Tranche sur Mer – Marans/surroundings (45 km)
From La Tranche sur Mer, you reach La Faute sur Mer and Pointe d’Arcay with the immense beach and dune cords. For seafood lovers, it is a must to taste the "moules de Bouchot", a very famous variety of mussels bred in this particular stretch of coast. From l’Aiguillon, the itinerary moves away from the coast and enters the evocative marshes of the Marais Poitevin, an extraordinary labyrinth of waterways immersed in greenery, a paradise for numerous bird species. Ride on unsurfaced tracks continuing on the new wooden footbridge opened in 2012 until Marans, in the heart of the New Aquitaine region.

Day 7: Marans – La Rochelle (30 or 35 km)
To get to La Rochelle, a beautiful city dominated by the twelfth and fifteenth-century towers, you can choose between two different routes: the shorter route follows the Canal de Marans to La Rochelle, always on cycle path except for a delicate stretch at Dompierre; the second option is to pass through Charron (however, riding for 5 km on the quite busy D105), a very interesting route because it runs along the ocean touching small ports before rejoining with the cycle path that leads to La Rochelle. The city was the main commercial port of the Templar Knights in the twelfth century and continues today to play an important role for fishing and pleasure boating. The historic city center, made famous by Dumas in his novel The Three Musketeers, is definitely worth a visit, as is the port des Minimes.

Day 8: La Rochelle
After breakfast, services end and individual departure.