La Rochelle to the Dune du Pilat

Route description

From Nantes, with its ducal castle and the giant mechanical elephant of the Machines de l’Île, head south towards La Rochelle, whose old harbour is guarded by medieval towers. From La Rochelle, a toll bridge leads to Île de Ré, a flat island of salt marshes, cycle paths and white villages.

Saint-Martin-de-Ré is surrounded by Vauban fortifications, and the island is best explored by bike. Back on the mainland, Rochefort was a naval town, where the Corderie Royale and the shipyard of the replica frigate Hermione tell its story.

Inland, Cognac on the Charente is home to the great cognac houses, many of which offer tours. The route continues south to Bordeaux, with its elegant riverside, the Place de la Bourse and the Water Mirror, and the Cité du Vin.

The trip ends at the Dune du Pilat, Europe’s tallest sand dune, over 100 m high, between pine forest and the Atlantic; car parks are charged and busy in summer. In Bordeaux, use park-and-ride car parks with tram links rather than driving into the centre.