Circular route around the Port and Richard Lighthouse

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This circular route starts at the lighthouse and runs along the estuary and its many fishing huts. It passes through small hamlets with stone houses. Return via the port, the estey, and the estuary dyke again.

Details

n°3596684
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.60 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 6 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 6 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 9 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Médoc
  • ⚐ District: Gironde (33)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 45.439179° / W 0.931969°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1433OT, 1433SB
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Photos

Richard Lighthouse

Description of the walk

Park in the Richard Lighthouse car park.

(S/E) Go up onto the dyke and follow it to the left. Leave the road that led you to the lighthouse on your left, then the next one (Passe Saint-Paul).

(1) Turn left onto the white gravel path and follow it to the road (D2).

(2) Take the D2 to the left for a few metres, then turn right onto a small tarmac road. Continue along this road until you reach the first houses.

(3) Turn left onto Chemin de Sémensan.

(4) At the entrance to Sémensan, turn left and follow the small road.

(5) Leave the road that leads back to the D2 on your left and continue via Le Perey towards the hamlet of Dignac.

(6) At the exit of the hamlet of Dignac, turn left, then right at thefirst road and continue straight on to the D2.

(7) Take the D2 on the right to Port de Richard. Turn left to follow the estey on the left (estey = channel) to the estuary.

(8) Turn left onto the dyke and head towards the Richard Lighthouse (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 3 m - Richard Lighthouse car park
  2. 1 : km 1.84 - alt. 4 m - Fork in the road on a white gravel path
  3. 2 : km 4.13 - alt. 4 m - Junction D2
  4. 3 : km 5.63 - alt. 3 m - Chemin de Sémensan
  5. 4 : km 6.63 - alt. 3 m - Entrance to Sémensan
  6. 5 : km 7.35 - alt. 2 m - Turn right towards Dignac.
  7. 6 : km 8.21 - alt. 4 m - Dignac
  8. 7 : km 9.51 - alt. 4 m - Junction D2
  9. 8 : km 10.85 - alt. 3 m - Seawall
  10. S/E : km 12.6 - alt. 3 m

Notes

At Richard Lighthouse, there are shaded picnic tables and toilets.
A refreshment bar is open during the summer.

Worth a visit

You can visit the lighthouse, its museum and its fishing hut, but check the opening hours.
It is open every day during the summer.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Tigram
Tigram

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, especially the sections along the water (on the dyke and along the Richard harbour channel). The section on the road heading inland is a little monotonous, but otherwise there's no other way to complete a circular route! And the hamlets are pleasant to walk through. We ended the hike with a visit to Richard's lighthouse and its museum – highly recommended! You'll be rewarded with a beautiful view from the top of the lighthouse!

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Bertrand9233
Bertrand9233

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk between the estuary and the surrounding meadows and villages.
Be careful in hot weather, however, as there is little shade along the route and part of the path runs along tarmac roads.

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Laurence33
Laurence33

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk!

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JARDEL
JARDEL

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant walk
The white path section when you leave the estuary
Is a bit long, about 2 km, and very monotonous

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Bazi
Bazi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike with varied landscapes, no particular difficulties, very easy to follow as it is well explained. The Richard lighthouse site on the estuary is worth seeing.

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Vivianne labat
Vivianne labat

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thanks to this delightful walking route, we discovered this part of the Médoc that we didn't know.
The lighthouse, Richard harbour and the hamlets we passed through are a must-see, as is the dyke with its fishing huts overlooking our magnificent estuary (there are picnic areas at the lighthouse and harbour).
The only slight downside was the very muddy path along the Richard harbour canal (used by mountain bikes and horses) and the trail overgrown with invasive plants.
We will return to explore the Port du Goulée area.
Thank you for this hike.

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Norbert Prieur
Norbert Prieur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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