You may not have noticed but the Tour de France is coming to Charente Maritime next year for the first time since 1999, over 20 years ago. People are getting rather excited about having the biggest race in the world coming to the region for 3 days and crossing 43 communes. The Tour is a …
This island road cycling holiday in Charente Maritime tours the three islands off the coast. It has been put together for those that want an amazing cycling holiday (about 350k over 4 days) and also a bit of beach time on the wild sandy beaches of this great region with its rich maritime history. Day …
This three day, four night road cycling holiday is a perfect introduction to the back roads of the real Charente Maritime. You fly into La Rochelle and we meet you there so all you have to do is pedal and enjoy the scenery…. Day One: Arrive in La Rochelle Upon arrival in La Rochelle you …
My friend Roddy and I were talking about coffee stops and cycling cafés in Charente Maritime the other day as a client had asked him for some routes with great coffee stops built in. In the UK an integral part of the ride is the ‘Coffee & Cake’ stop where you can have a great …
When you’re cycling along the coastline in Charente Maritime you will almost certainly see some Carrelets. These unusual wooden structures are part of the local scenery now and are visible in seaside towns as well as on the coast by the sea or in the estuary. For centuries, dip net fishing used to be the …
‘Ooh Er Missus!’ – Ile Madame is Charente Maritime’s fourth and smallest island. Having visited Ile de Ré, Ile d’Oléron and Ile d’Aix I have been wanting to complete the set and visit Ile Madame for quite a while. This tiny island of only four square miles can be reached at low tide only across a …
La Flow Vélo starts (or finishes) on the beautiful Île d’Aix just off the coast from Fouras. Ile d’Aix is small but perfectly formed with hollyhocks all over the place and lots of little sandy beaches on its beautiful coves. There’s a tiny village with a few shops and restaurants, the obligatory 17th fort designed …
The gorgeous Île de Ré in Charente Maritime is best known for being an upmarket bolthole where well heeled Parisians can let their hair down away from the grime and dirt of the City of Lights. Its cute villages are lined with picture perfect ‘maisons de campagne’ that used to be lived in by fishermen …
The route has been announced for the 2019 Tour du Poitou Charentes which will take place from Tuesday 27 – Friday 30 August this year. It starts in Niort and finishes in Poitiers 658km later passing through the rolling hills and vineyards of the region. I’m sure that this will be the most action that some of …
You can switch up your cycling trip along Euro Route 1 – La Vélodyssée by going down the Gironde Estuary past Talmont-sur-Gironde with its beautiful 11th century church that overlooks the estuary. Below is the current ferry timetable from Blaye to Lamarque if you decide to do just that! Next up is the picturesque port of …
