From La Couarde-sur-Mer to the Martray crossing

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This hike, starting from the small village of La Couarde-sur-Mer, will take you through the salt marshes of Loix-en-Ré and, after passing through Martray, the narrowest point on Île de Ré, back to the starting point along the coast.

Details

n°409494
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 13 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 13 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 16 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
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Photos

A salt marsh
Passing by the beach
Plage des Prises
Le Martray

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the football stadium, at the sailing school in La Couarde-sur-Mer.

(S/E) Take the cycle path running alongside the water treatment plant to the north-west of the football pitch.

(1) Turn left at the first cycle path junction.

(2) At the next junction, turn right. Continue straight ahead across the salt marshes until you reach the D102 (Loix road).

(3) Cross the road and continue almost opposite on the cycle path.

(4) At the first junction, turn right.

(5) At the next junction, take the hairpin bend to the left. Stay on the Chemin du Jardin du Boutillon and join the D735.

(6) Continue right towards the south-west until you reach the Martray sea wall, then head down to the beach.

(7) Head east-northeast. Pass Pas du Boutillon and continue to the access point for Peu Ragot beach in La Couarde-sur-Mer.

(8) Walk up the beach access road, leave Avenue d'Antioche on your right and continue to the next crossroads.

(9) Turn right onto Avenue de la Plage. At the church, continue along Grande Rue and head towards the town centre via the town hall. After the post office, take the second left onto Cours des Poilus and continue straight ahead.

(10) Cross the D735 and continue along the path opposite. Turn right after about 100 metres. At the next junction, go straight ahead. At the fork, turn left towards the sailing school to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 3 m - Football pitch car park
  2. 1 : km 1.17 - alt. 2 m - Cycle path crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.48 - alt. 3 m - Crossroads of cycle paths
  4. 3 : km 2.84 - alt. 3 m - Crossing the D102
  5. 4 : km 4.02 - alt. 3 m - Turn right at this crossroads.
  6. 5 : km 4.3 - alt. 3 m - At the dead end, turn left.
  7. 6 : km 5.3 - alt. 4 m - Junction with the D735
  8. 7 : km 5.66 - alt. 5 m - Beach
  9. 8 : km 10.21 - alt. 7 m - End of the route on the beach.
  10. 9 : km 10.48 - alt. 3 m - Avenue de la Plage
  11. 10 : km 11.78 - alt. 3 m - Crossing the D735
  12. S/E : km 12.42 - alt. 3 m - Football pitch car park

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

Be careful during high tides, as it is sometimes impossible to get down to the beach at Passe du Martray. In this case, take the small path that runs along the beach and then the path at the top of the Boutillon sea wall. This sea wall is currently under construction. At the end of the sea wall, stay on the edge of the D735 until you reach the Bois Henri IV campsite. Then enter the woods and head towards the sea.
It is also possible to stay in the Bois des Prises to reach La Couarde. There are many paths through this wood, which are impossible to describe here. However, as the wood is not very wide, there is no risk of getting lost and it is easy to reach La Couarde by walking eastwards.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 11373037

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is not very busy at the end of the year when the weather is slightly rainy, so peace and quiet is guaranteed. During the tourist season, the experience will be very different.
To reach Martray from the car park at the start, the route follows the cycle path and runs alongside marshes that cannot be crossed on foot, with signs at each path indicating that this is private property. It is important to bear in mind that the cycle path can be very busy depending on the time of year.
From the Martray dyke, the second part of the walk, you can walk along the woods and paths and return to the beach to alternate between the beach and the woods. This is the appeal of this beautiful little hike on the Île de Ré, which is always pleasant to explore on foot (out of season!).
Thanks to Visorando!

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Cmarsil
Cmarsil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Perfect for this season (January/February) with a little sunshine.
The route is shared with cyclists on the first part, then beaches.
Returning to the beach after the sea wall is a little less straightforward, but you'll get there.

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michel64
michel64

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hiking trail shared by cyclists. Avoid during summer months.

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ollivieretsophie
ollivieretsophie

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

This hike follows cycle paths too closely. Part of the route is still impassable (September 2021) due to roadworks, but you can get around this by taking another road, although you'll miss out on seeing much of the marshland. From Martray to La Couarde, the walk is only possible at very low tide, otherwise the beach is impassable and the proximity of the motorway makes this part near Martray very unpleasant.
It would be better to shorten the route to La Passe instead of Martray.

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sylvain55
sylvain55

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, but flood prevention works along the coast mean the route has been altered.

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francisL67
francisL67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, but we had to change our route due to flood prevention works between the start and point 2.

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ELISE G
ELISE G

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, passing by the seaside, marshes and villages.
Add to that beautiful sunshine and a picnic on the beach, and you have a moment of pure bliss!

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Yevaman
Yevaman

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very pleasant hike between the marshes and the coast. Best done out of season.

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BRASSAC MICHELE
BRASSAC MICHELE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful walk that alternates between salt marshes, pine forests and the seaside.
Best done outside the summer season as the path is often shared with cyclists and hikers are not in the majority!

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PissyRandonneurs
PissyRandonneurs

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

We set off from Peu Ragot beach to go swimming after the hike. From point 10 to the starting point behind the football pitch, the explanations are not precise enough, so the route on the map becomes essential. In addition, the route from point 10 to point 7 is on cycle paths, which we found difficult given the large number of cyclists on these paths. We opted to return to La Couarde-sur-Mer via the beaches to find some peace and quiet.

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GetI
GetI

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
A beautiful, easy walk that alternates between salt marshes, pine forests and the seaside.
It's a shame that this route often shares the same path as the cycle track.

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