La Conche aux Lièvres, Domino and Chaucre via the woods and the beach

In summer and during hot weather, you’ll be glad of a bit of shade. Set off along the trails and footpaths to explore the Oléron National Forest, enjoy views of the Atlantic and finish the walk at some beautiful beaches.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 35 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 33 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 27 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Starting point: the Chaucre Beach car park on Rue de la Pointe de Chaucre.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, head towards the beach along the path marked by fences. Once you reach the beach, leave it almost immediately and turn right onto another path, also bordered by fences. You’ll come out onto a tarmac road (Chemin du Petit Rocher), and 100 m further on, look out for a sandy path branching off to the left.

(1) Follow it, skirting private properties, until you reach a path. Continue to the right, then quickly left onto Chemin des Grands Sables. At the end of this, turn right and then right again at the next junction. After 200 m, take a path on the left (Impasse de la Forêt).

(2) Follow it and, before reaching a private property, turn right and enter the woods. Pass a path on the left and continue uphill. Pass close to an old blockhouse, go back down to Rue du Canot de Sauvetage and follow it to the left for a few metres before turning right onto a wide path. Please note, this path does not appear on maps but it is indeed a public path.

After a few hundred metres, the path climbs up a sand dune. About halfway up the slope, turn left and then right up a short steep slope and reach the top of the dune on the left. Begin the descent, follow the path, turn right to reach a road (Allée de l’Angle).
Cross it and continue straight on along a sandy track (Chemin du Renard). Follow it to a crossroads.

(3) Turn right twice and climb up a track to reach a road. Follow it carefully to the left and stay on its left-hand side (when this walk was undertaken, the road had very little traffic) until you reach a junction in a sharp right-hand bend (signpost). Head completely left along a sandy track to return to the previous junction.

(3) Head right along a path which, further on, turns left at a right angle and joins a T-junction. Turn right onto the tarmac path, walk alongside the vineyards and head towards the village of Domino. Join Rue Gambetta and follow it to the right until you reach a road junction.

(4) Turn right and you will soon reach the pretty Place du Four on the left, which continues as Rue du Four in Domino. Look out for a small, flower-lined alleyway on the right at the gable end of No. 5. At the end of this, rejoin Rue du Four in Domino, follow it to the right and reach a crossroads. Continue straight ahead and cross carefully to follow Rue du Docteur Vinache. Head towards the edge of the woods and, just past a building, take the path branching off to the right (this path does not appear on IGN maps either, but is indeed a public path). At the next junction, follow the path heading to the right, which runs behind the houses and leads to a T-junction.

(5) Turn left. * At the next junction, take the path on the right and you’ll come to an old, abandoned building. Turn right, and through an open gate, join Rue de l’Océan. Cross carefully, turn left for a few metres and look out for the path that climbs to the right.

(6) Climb to the top of the dune, ignore the paths branching off to the left and right, follow the Blue Circle markings and exit the woods to reach a track. Follow it to the right, reach a road and follow it to the right for a few metres.

(7) Leave it quickly and take a sandy path on the left (Chemin des Sablons). Reach the beach and follow the coastal path to the right, following the Blue Circle markings. You can also follow the beach. Reach a wire fence.

(8) Go past it on the left, return to the beach, then continue to the concrete slipway and leave the beach. Return to Rue de la Pointe de Chaucre and head to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 7 m - Pointe de Chaucre car park
  2. 1 : km 0.39 - alt. 7 m - Sandy path
  3. 2 : km 1.6 - alt. 10 m - Impasse de la Forêt
  4. 3 : km 2.59 - alt. 6 m - Junction of the short circular loop
  5. 4 : km 4.32 - alt. 5 m - Domino. Rue Gambetta junction
  6. 5 : km 4.82 - alt. 15 m - T-junction
  7. 6 : km 5.03 - alt. 16 m - Path on the right-hand side of the road
  8. 7 : km 5.72 - alt. 7 m - Path to the Beach
  9. 8 : km 6.58 - alt. 5 m - Wire fence
  10. S/E : km 7.19 - alt. 7 m - Pointe de Chaucre car park

Notes

  • (5) It is not impossible that one day the abandoned building will be replaced by a private property and access will be prohibited or the gate padlocked. In this case, turn right here, head towards a car park and Rue de l’Océan in Domino, follow it to the left and resume the walk at (6).

Strava indicates an elevation gain of 73 m.

This route passes through multiple protected areas, which may be subject to special regulations:

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.5 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
Cs6946
Cs6946

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A certain section has been cleaned up nicely.
A pleasant ride with nothing particularly interesting along the way.

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Vivrenature19
Vivrenature19

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route. Only point 2 is quite tricky (crossing the woods), with lots of tracks, so I used the map on my phone to guide me.
Beautiful views in the sunshine.
Thank you for this route.

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Mouraude677
Mouraude677

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A walk enjoyed in pleasant weather
Suitable for families

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JIM-44
JIM-44

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We’ve opted for a different itinerary for the walk. Whilst this route is ideal in summer (with a dip in the sea at the end), for us – on a Sunday morning with mixed weather and even some rain towards the end – we set off from Domino, where there’s a lovely little market on Sunday mornings. So we started from the market car park and returned to the market to buy our lunch. Oysters, of course, amongst other things!

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victorien didier
victorien didier

There is an issue with the route description at the start of the walk (it is not clear enough) between points 1 and 2.

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pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Hello, thank you for your comments. Have you used the app or the description?
Could you explain the difficulties you encountered at the start? If so, I could adapt the description.

Pierre Gobin

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victorien didier
victorien didier

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

misleading information at the start

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Godet Philippe
Godet Philippe

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Lots of wildlife, especially birds!

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Deborando
Deborando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

During my holiday, my first coastal walk. It’s not easy walking on sand. I got a bit lost in the woods at point 6, I think – I couldn’t find the path. I took another one and, with the map, managed to find my way back on to the route afterwards. I hadn’t chosen the right day – it was very hot.

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pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Hello, thank you for your feedback. Could you please explain what difficulties you’ve encountered?
Is it the description, or the track on the app? Thank you in advance

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jacques.A
jacques.A
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

no reliable navigation aids

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