From Port Joinville to Marais Salé, via Saint-Sauveur

(S/E) With your back to the harbour, walk up Rue Neptune until you reach the casino. Take the narrow lane on the right just before the building and join Rue du Petit Moulin, after crossing Rue de la Croix du Port. Walk up this pretty, winding street lined with low-rise houses until you reach a crossroads dominated by a tall, crenellated house.

(1) Turn left in front of the large house and walk down Rue du Camp until you reach the mill of the same name. Turn right to walk past the foot of the mill and arrive at the large green space in the centre of the housing estate. Turn left onto the grassy path which joins Rue des Émigrés. Turn right, then left a few dozen metres further on, onto a narrow path that winds its way between the houses.

Pass Rue de la Filière and continue along Chemin du Meunier. This path winds its way through a small valley before climbing the hill where the historic centre of Ker Chalon is situated. Chemin du Meunier then leads out onto Rue Mélusine.

(2) Follow the streets that run off from this one in succession until you reach a dead end. At the end of this, turn right onto a small path that winds its way up past a number of properties and turn left once you’ve passed the last one. The path skirts round a wasteland before running alongside a tall hedge of pine trees on the right. At the end of this stands the Moulin du Calvaire. Turn left to reach the Chapelle du Père de Monfort, about a hundred metres further on.

(3) The chapel was built on a hilltop offering a fine view of the island’s eastern coast, just a stone’s throw from the Calvary. Retrace your steps back to the mill and turn left to reach the first houses of Ker Viroux via the Chemin du Chiron Coutret. Continue straight on once you’ve joined the Chemin de la Grande Remangère.

Cross the junction and carry on along Rue de la Fosse du Cens. Turn left into Rue de Ker Viroux, then continue along Rue de Ker Guérin. Turn into the first alleyway on the right to reach Rue du Gouverneur. You’ll reach the church at the end of this street.

(4) Be sure to visit the church and, on leaving, turn right onto Rue du Général Leclerc, just to the north of the building. Walk up this street to reach the centre of the village and, shortly after the bar-tobacconist’s, turn right into the L-shaped Rue de Mortemart. At the junction, turn right, then left a little further on to enter Chemin de Roussel. Turn right at the next crossroads until you reach Rue du Cimetière.

(5) Cross the junction and continue straight ahead for about 100 metres. Turn left onto Chemin du Diable and follow it until you reach Ker Chiron. Turn left as you leave this path, then right 100 metres further on to continue towards the Marais Salé via the Chemins des Tchat-Tchat and des Pentecôtes. Turn left onto Chemin de la Bergeresse to reach the centre of the hamlet.

(6) At the road, turn left, then left again onto the path that leads into a wooded area. It joins the coastal road just before Pointe du Porteau.
If the tide allows, follow the coastline to Pointe Gauthier and its small harbour hidden behind the rocks. Walk along the beach, climbing over or going round the rocky outcrops, until you reach the sailing school (Résidence de l’Amirauté), then return to the coastal road via the beach access path.
If the tide is high, follow the^GR®® signposts through the Bois des Sapins, then along the roadside as far as La Pipe.

(7) Cross the coastal road and head away from the sea along the Chemin des Ajoncs. Turn right onto the Route des Sables, then continue along the Chemin du Chiron Bonnet. When you reach the edge of the Marais de la Guerche, turn right onto the path of the same name to walk alongside the municipal campsite. Reach the coastal road and cross it to reach the path opposite leading to Ker Châlon Beach. Turn left when you reach the sand and walk along La Tourette Beach.

(8) If the tide permits, head towards the harbour and the starting point via Rue de la Plage.
If the water level is too high, leave the beach at its main access point and follow the coastal road until you reach Rue Neptune and the starting point (S/E).

Out of season, make sure you stock up on provisions in Port Joinville, as it is not possible to do so en route if the Vival supermarket in Saint-Sauveur is closed.

Before setting off, check the tide times and tidal coefficients. On the return journey along the coast, there are two points where it is not possible to cross when the tide is very high, meaning you will have to walk along the coastal road twice to complete the circular route.

In Saint-Sauveur, there are two unmissable sights:
- the church, which was magnificently restored in 2014–2015 and boasts exceptional acoustics. Music lovers take note.
- the café-tobacconist-newsagent on the corner of Rue du Général Leclerc and Rue de la Secrétain. An old-fashioned bistro with its long, convivial tables.