The Sarthe towpath and the Sablières from Écouflant

Park in the Rue de Sauron car park, near the river landing stage.

(S/E) Leave the car park by taking Rue de Saumon towards the south-east. The street turns left towards the retirement home. At the end, follow the cycle path on the left, running parallel to the Promenade de la Sarthe. After about a hundred metres, turn right, cross the road carefully and take the path opposite.

(1) At the end, cross the Route du Pont aux Filles (D50) and follow it to the left, taking the cycle path protected by a wooden barrier.

(2) At the roundabout (calvary), turn right and follow Rue de la Petite Motte to the Belle Motte district. At the next roundabout, turn right onto Route de la Grimorelle and follow it until you reach Rue de la Guichaumerie.

(3) Immediately afterwards, take the path on the left heading north-east. A little further on, the path joins a long, narrow road. There, take the path immediately to the left, which is blocked off. The path leads towards the Parc de Loisirs des Sablières. About a hundred metres further on, turn right onto a path that winds between the lake and a pond. Just before reaching a road, take the path on the left that runs alongside the road and is separated from it by a parking area.

(4) After 20 m, turn right, head towards the road, cross it carefully and continue straight ahead along a path heading east. This path initially runs alongside a lake on the left. At the next T-junction, take the left-hand path heading north-east. Turn right at the second junction. Continue along the path, turning right further on until you reach a path running south-east to north-west (a five-way junction).

(5) From here, the route follows the^GR® 35 –^GR® de Pays des Basses Vallées Angevines. Turn left onto the main path, which soon reaches a lake on your left, then passes between two lakes. At a T-junction at the end of the ponds, turn left and follow the path that goes round the pond on your left.

(6) When the path eventually reaches a main track at the western end of the pond, take the track on the right heading north-west. Further on, the path reaches a T-junction. Turn left and, about fifty metres further on when you reach a road, turn left to follow the road southwards through a wooded area. Follow the road carefully to the hamlet of Le Grippais.

(7) Take the blocked path on the right before a house and before a lake. Stay on the main path, which turns left after about fifty metres. The path heads west. Go straight on to the edge of the woods at the end of the lake in the Parc de Loisirs. Turn right onto a farm track at the edge of the woods heading north-west. Pass the barrier with a large car park on your left, then pass under a double high-voltage power line and continue to a crossroads.

(8) Cross the road carefully and follow the road opposite the previous path. At the next junction, turn right towards Les Aubes. Near the hamlet, stay on the left-hand road and, at a right-angle bend in the road about 150 m further on, turn right onto a path heading north-west. A little further on, the path passes under a high-voltage power line and eventually reaches a junction with the Chemin des Friches, at the corner of a pond.

(9) Turn right onto the Chemin des Friches (a variant of^{the GR®35}). The path crosses a seasonal stream and then reaches a junction with a path on the left. Turn left and then immediately right to follow a path between two tree-lined plots. Continue to a branch of the Sarthe where a stream from the Loir flows into it.

(10) There, turn left and follow the path which soon joins the towpath along the Sarthe.
Continue along the towpath. Further on, the^GR®35joins it on the left at the old Bateliers bridge. Follow the towpath southwards; this path is now the^GR®35. Pass under a double high-voltage power line and continue until you reach the Sentier des Bords de la Sarthe at the first houses in Écouflant. Turn right onto the Sentier des Bords de la Sarthe and walk alongside the Sarthe on your right and the village on your left.

(11) Just after Rue des Pêcheurs on the left, take the path on the right that leads close to the River Sarthe. The path passes the water sports centre and, continuing straight on, leads back to the car park (S/E).

The car park is located on Rue de Sauron, near the river stop. It is also possible to park at the point (4) south of Le Grippais (where the P2A – Parc Anjou Aventure is located)

This hike across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This walk is largely marked in purple: from the point (5) to the finish, the route follows the^GR® 35 –^GR® de Pays des Basses Vallées Angevines or its variant. This route is loosely based on the walk entitled “Le halage de la Sarthe et Sablières”, published as a randofiche by the French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée 2018). One section corresponds to part of the Boucle des Sablières, marked in blue. A small section is unmarked. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point) serve as aids for hikers exploring the route for the first time.

Écouflant
Situated in the heart of the Lower Anjou Valleys, the commune of Écouflant is unique in having two residential centres 5 km apart: the village centre, which has retained its riverside village character, situated at the confluence of the Vieille Maine, the Loir and the Sarthe, and the Éventard district, located in the direct extension of Angers. Its natural surroundings make it a commune ideal for leisure and relaxation, whilst benefiting from its proximity to Angers.

History of Écouflant
A former fishing village, Écouflant remained a predominantly rural town until the end of the 20th century. The creation of the Éventard district in the 1970s marked the start of a profound transformation of the town and gave rise to two residential centres: the village facing the river and an urban district in the immediate vicinity of Angers. Both connected by an industrial estate, they are now experiencing a new boom with the construction of new housing.

The Sarthe in Écouflant
Nestled between land and water in the heart of the Basses Vallées Angevines, Écouflant, facing the Île Saint-Aubin, is a former fishing village that owes its name to its location: at the confluence of the Vieille Maine, the Loir and the Sarthe. The Sarthe is the defining feature of Écouflant, offering water sports as well as sites where you can combine relaxation, nature and adventure.

Tourist attractions
- The 6-kilometre-long towpath along the Sarthe bears witness to the era of river transport, with the remains of old markers and footbridges.
- Swimming, relaxation and picnics await you at the Parc des Sablières. Landscapes of heathland and woodland stretch across nearly 60 hectares, dotted with ponds surrounded by broom.

Facilities available
- Toilets near the town hall.
- Picnic tables in Parc des Sablières and along the banks of the Sarthe.

The Lower Angevin Valleys
Located mainly to the north of Angers, the Basses Vallées Angevines cover an area of 9,200 hectares, consisting mainly of floodplain meadows offering exceptional biodiversity that must be preserved. Thirty-one communes in Maine-et-Loire, including Écouflant, are involved.
Protected flora and fauna.
The Basses Vallées Angevines constitute a unique site, particularly for the nesting of migratory birds. The rich flora and fauna that thrive there in step with the river’s floods require special attention. This is why the Basses Vallées Angevines were included in the European Natura 2000 network in 2004, to be protected and promoted.
Source: the municipality’s official website