Charente-Maritime by bike: a great cycle tourism destination!

Between land and sea, the ideal place for bike rides and hikes

The unspoiled and slightly rugged coastline offers breathtaking views and a wide variety of landscapes within easy reach. La Rochelle, Rochefort and Royan, martitimes towns par excellence, guarantee you unforgettable stages where heritage and culture are at the rendezvous. Inland, the Marais Poitevin, east of La Rochelle, is calm and peaceful with its many canals and villages with unspoiled charm. In Charente, the river of the same name welcomes you with its beautiful Charente houses, its comic strip capital, Angoulême and its hidden corners. With a highly developed cycle network (greenways, towpaths, own cycle paths), you will be happy to cycle at your own pace and in complete safety.

3 major cycle routes pass in Charente-Maritime: The Vélodyssée, the Flow Vélo and the Vélo Francette

La Vélodyssée, the French part of EuroVelo 1 (>> find out more) stretches from the north of the department (Marans to Royan) along the Atlantic coast. Entirely signposted, this route is easy to follow and almost entirely on clean trails. It is the most frequented French cycling route, ahead of its “competitors” the Loire by bike, the ViaRhôna or the Mediterranean by bike.

>> All the circuits on the Vélodyssée

The Flow Vélo, which leaves from Thiviers in the Dordogne, recovers the Charente river at Angoulême and follows it to Fouras via Rochefort. It is a recent course which is signposted in both directions. Its small paths, towpaths and cycle paths in the heart of the countryside make it a very pleasant route to walk and still little used.

>> All the circuits on the Flow Vélo

The Vélo Francette is a national route that goes from Ouistreham (Normandy) - La Rochelle via the Marais Poitevin. If you love lush green countryside and quaint towns and villages, this itinerary is for you! The route was voted “best cycle route in Europe” in 2017 in the bicycle country, the Netherlands. Here too the markup is complete and we alternate between towpaths, cycle paths and secondary roads.

>> All the circuits on the Vélo Francette