A cycle ride in the Pays de Retz, between the Loire and the sea

Start from the Mindin car park, Allée de la Loire, which is situated at the northern tip of the Brévines conurbation.

(S/E) From the car park, take the footpath that skirts the tip of the Nez de Chien. Although it is not very wide, there are no signs indicating that it is off-limits to cyclists, nor is there any such restriction on the rest of the path that runs along the beaches to the outskirts of Saint-Brévin town centre. However, you should exercise caution when there are large numbers of pedestrians.

(1) As soon as you’ve passed the headland, you’ll see the impressive skeleton of a snake, which is more or less submerged by the sea depending on the tide. Carry on along the stone-paved path, taking the time to admire this rather astonishing sculpture.

(2) At Avenue de Vila, leave the stone-paved path and head along Avenue Dupetit-Thouard, which runs parallel to the coast; turn right onto this road. Beyond a star-shaped junction, continue along Avenue de Beauval until you reach Avenue de l’Église, which marks the centre of the resort.

(3) Leave the old village on your left and carry on straight ahead along the coast, which recedes further and further as you approach the Pointe du Pointeau. A lagoon, currently being filled in, lies at the bottom of the cove formed by the headland, through the middle of which the Courance meanders.

(4) Just as the coastal route is blocked by a long residential building, turn left to enter the town, then turn right as soon as possible. Walk the whole length of Rue Jean Gourbeil, and turn left at the end. At the junction with Avenue du Maréchal Foch, turn right and follow the cycle path which leads up to the port of Pointeau.

(5) At the harbour, you’ll come back to the sea, which you’ll follow, passing the casino, then heading up the long avenue leading to the Neuvillette neighbourhood.

(6) When you reach Les Rochelets, turn right at the three-way junction to stay as close as possible to the coast, then right again at the next three-way junction to reach L’Ermitage.

(7) This neighbourhood, which marks the southern boundary of the commune of Saint-Brévin, borders the Forêt de la Pierre Attelée, a coastal woodland situated on the impressive dunes that the sea has pushed up against the hills of Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef. Follow the forest track up to the vicinity of the menhir that gave the place its name.

(8) From La Pierre Attelée, the road changes character. The long sandy beaches give way to a more rugged landscape, offering beautiful views across the Bay of the Loire, which is bordered by Pointe Saint-Gildas to the south and the Côte d’Amour to the north.

(9) Cross the Route de Gohaud, which leads to the beach of the same name, then head gently down towards Tharon and the sea, which you’ll reach at Redois beach.

(10) From Le Redois, follow Boulevard de l’Océan, passing the small harbour at Comberge and leaving the chapel at Tharon slightly to the left amongst the villas. As you reach the centre of Tharon, the boulevard curves slightly before continuing straight on to Plage de la Source.

(11) This is where the coastal route ends, as from the roundabout overlooking the beach, you need to head up Avenue de la Convention, which takes you just a stone’s throw from the resort centre; then, from the large roundabout on Avenue de Bretagne, follow Avenue Pasteur, signposted towards Saint Michel-Chef-Chef. Throughout this journey through Tharon-Plage, you cannot fail to notice the pretty villas lining the streets you pass through.

(12) After the Plouplinière junction, you’ll come across older buildings, remnants of the former villages set back from the dunes, before beginning the climb towards the village of Saint-Michel, whose church serves as a landmark.

(13) Cross the village, passing the Biscuiterie (you can’t miss the smell!), the church, then the town hall, and turn right at the next roundabout to go under the four-lane road. Once you’ve passed it, turn right towards Chauvé.

(14) At L’Aubaudière, the route takes a very different turn from the coastal path, as you follow a network of small roads and trackways leading to Corsept.
First, head up the Route de Chauvé to the three-way junction at La Proutière, where you turn left, then immediately left again towards Le Champ Chevalier.

(15) At the hamlet, turn right towards the wind turbines, which you go round to the north. The small road, which is in poor condition, turns into a track, which becomes slightly better before joining the D78.
Turn right onto the road and you’ll soon reach the next turn-off on the left.

(16) Follow this road towards Château Gaillard, ignoring Le Mesnil-du-Sud on your left, and cross the ridge of the Pays de Retz. It’s no coincidence that modern wind turbines have been lined up here.
On the other side of the D78, the road winds its way towards the Boivre marshes, offering a beautiful view of the Lower Loire.
Shortly before La Riverais, you’ll come to a crossroad; turn right and head into the village.

(17) Leave the road to the left, pass through La Riverais, taking a moment to spot the large menhir marking the village’s exit, then continue to the bridge crossing the Boivre.

(18) Cross the river, then follow the right bank until you emerge from the marshes where it meanders. Climbing the opposite hill, you’ll soon reach the D5 at a place called La Jarriais. Turn right and continue for about a hundred metres, then turn right straight away to pass the hamlet.

(19) Turn left, follow the road through La Jarriais, then continue along the track that runs alongside it. Turn left at the next junction, then right when you come out onto a small road. Turn left again to go round the Forêt de la Guerche, and follow the road up to the hamlet known as L’Étang.

(20) Leave the road to the right and take the track until you reach another road. Turn left, pass La Touche, then a crossroads, and turn right when you reach the D96, just before Les Bois Ronds.
Follow this road until you reach a three-way junction, then leave it and carry on straight ahead when the main road curves to the left. You’ll reach La Bionnerie, then La Franquinerie, after a wide bend lined with terraced houses.

(21) Pass through the village, then, after a series of bends, you’ll come out onto the D97 at a place called La Noëlle.

(22) Cross the road and continue straight ahead, keeping slightly to the right, towards L’Aubinerie. At the first houses, turn sharply left to join the Aubinais and carry on until you’ve passed a farm building. A narrow, barely passable track runs to the right behind the last shed and continues along the edge of a meadow until it emerges at La Janais. This section is better suited to mountain bikes than road bikes, and depending on the state of the vegetation, you may need to dismount and walk the rest of the way to La Janais.

(23) After La Janais, pass through the hamlet of La Pecquerie and keep to the right to reach La Moustrie. Turn right just before a shed to take the track that goes round a marsh. Halfway to the next village, you cannot miss the imposing figure of the Pierre Bonde menhir, which stands on the edge of the wetland.

(24) Continue along this track until you rejoin the road that passes through the villages of Haute and Basse Gédélière, then La Marguinerie.

(25) Turn right when you come out onto the D96, then follow this road up to the church at Corsept.

(26) When you reach Rue de l’Estuaire, the church is just a stone’s throw away on the right. Unless you’re going to visit it, turn left and follow the main road to the cemetery. Turn right immediately after the cemetery, cross the bypass road around the village of Corsept, then continue straight on towards the harbour.

(27) To the left of this tiny shelter is where the Loire embankment begins, along with the cycle path that runs along its base. It leads to the foot of the Saint-Nazaire bridge, whose elegance cuts across the horizon.

(28) Whilst the embankment protects not only against high water but also from the north wind, it does, however, block the view. So, be sure not to miss the stop at the observation point, which offers a panoramic view of the Lower Loire and the industrial sites lining its northern bank.

(29) Carry on straight ahead until you come to the fishing huts, which now line the route all the way to the bridge. Further on, go round an industrial building before returning to the water’s edge and counting the fishing huts once more.

(30) From the Bodon channel, the cycle route runs between the Loire and the Maison Départementale de Mindin, a vast hospital and psychiatric complex. Here you can really see the risks of coastal flooding, as the embankment along which the cycle path runs looks so fragile!
As the first pylons of the bridge come into view, turn left to pass between the road and a village of huts, heading for the bridge beneath the four-lane carriageway.

(31) Pass under the road, then turn right straight away to head back towards the water’s edge. Follow the Allée de la Loire to reach the Mindin car park, where this ride began (S/E).

The stretch along the beach that you can follow at the start of the route is shared with pedestrians. At busy times, once you’ve seen the sea serpent skeleton, you can choose to take the first parallel street, where the Vélodyssée route has been marked out. It’s quieter there.

Between (22) and (23), the path is really not very suitable for cycling. If you wish to avoid this section, which is better suited to walkers, turn left at La Noëlle, follow the departmental road to the Haute Barillais crossroads, and turn right towards La Pecquerie, where you rejoin the route described above.

The route passes close to two of the many megaliths that dot this part of the Pays de Retz. Feel free to veer off the suggested route to explore them.