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Park in the car park in the centre of the village opposite the Saint-Trojan market.
(S/E) Cross Boulevard de la Plage and walk past the modern market hall. Head towards the church and turn left onto Rue de la République. Walk past the church (noteworthy ex-voto in the form of a model boat) and turn into the first street on the right, Rue de Maumusson.
Cross Rue Omer Charlet and climb the five steps opposite. Continue straight on to the terminus of the Saint-Trojan tourist train.
Turn right onto the path that leads into the forest, passing the station buffet.
Further on, turn left onto the sandy track and follow it for about a hundred metres.
At the first fork in the road, take the narrower path on the right and then right again. Follow the path until you reach a stony track; this is the Soulasserie track. Take it to the right for a few metres to quickly reach another junction.
(1) Turn left onto a narrow path that leads into the forest.
Then head left onto a path that leads straight up a dune in the forest. The climb is steep but very short.
Follow this faint path which winds through the broom and holly growing beneath the pines.
When you reach a wider path, cross it and continue straight ahead onto a wider path with a sandy surface. You’ll reach a wide stony track; this is a DCIF track: Defence Against Forest Fires.
(2) Turn left onto this stony track.
At the barriers, continue straight ahead, ignoring the path on the right leading to the forest house (dead-end path, no pedestrians allowed). Shortly afterwards, you’ll come to a sandy path.
(3) Turn right onto this wide path; you will see a sign hanging quite high up on a tree indicating that it is off-limits to horse riders. This is the Passe des Bris. Continue straight ahead on this path, ignoring the turn-offs to the left and right.
Further on, cross the track called Boulevard Bonneau (no danger from cars), which cuts across the path at right angles.
Continue straight ahead for a few metres to reach the back of the dune, where the ground becomes softer sand.
(4) Cross the dune without straying from the main path so as not to damage the dune, which protects the forest from the onslaught of the ocean.
Head down to the beach and turn left towards the south. Continue along this beach until you reach the wooden fences in the distance, which surround the terminus station of the little train.
(5) Climb up the dune, go round the tracks to the left and take the path on the left, very close to the back of the dune, which leads down into the forest. The path is marked with blue dots on the trees.
Ignore the blue and red markings that head off to the left and continue straight on.
You’ll come to a path running perpendicular to the one you’re on. Turn right.
Continue straight on, following the orange markings. Ignore a wide path that branches off to the left under the cypress trees.
The path narrows and, as the sea comes into view, joins the coast opposite Gatseau Bay. Take a moment to enjoy the scenery here.
(6) Turn left, following the route of the narrow-gauge railway whilst keeping your distance from the tracks. Pass a standing stone which marks the memorial to the landing on the Île d’Oléron in April 1945.
Pass the memorial; do not follow the coast but continue under the pine trees towards the wooden building, which is a stop on the narrow-gauge railway line. Continue straight on to reach the car park at Gatseau beach.
Head towards the car park entrance. Walk past the entrance to the Ibis hotel and turn right onto the path that runs alongside the hotel’s fence.
At the end of the path, you will reach Plage du Soleil.
(7) Turn left and follow the path. Continue straight on along the Pacaud sea wall, which is a tarmac path.
(8) Before the end of the dyke, turn left onto the dirt track signposted ‘Marais des Bris’, then immediately right down to cross the wooden bridge. Turn left immediately after the bridge to cross a second bridge.
Take a third bridge on the left, then follow the path to cross the marsh canals via a fourth, fifth and sixth bridge.
Walk past the Maison du Marais, with a playground on your left, and take the white path opposite. Cross Boulevard de Gatseau. Continue along the track opposite, which runs alongside a ditch on the right.
(9) Cross this ditch via the first small wooden footbridge and walk between the gardens and houses to reach Rue Surcouf. Turn right to reach Allée des Martinets.
When you reach an open area where the road widens and is lined with trees, take the path on the left which starts to the right of a white boundary wall belonging to the villa called Vent Sud. Enter the woods, ignoring a path on the right.
You’ll come to a tarmac cycle path; follow it to the left for a few metres.
Take the first sandy path on the right. After the fitness trail, continue straight on along a narrower path and head down to Boulevard Aristide Briand. Turn right, then left into Rue Cacaly.
At the end of the street, turn left then right onto Avenue Henri Massé to reach the promenade running alongside the small beach.
(10) Turn left towards the village. Pass by the seaside villas of Saint-Trojan and enjoy the view of the Oléron viaduct here.
At the end of the promenade, continue right along the gravel path on the sea wall.
When you have the church on your left, go down the wooden steps to return to the starting point (S/E) by crossing the marsh via the path.
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