The marsh between La Garette and Le Vanneau

Starting from the Garette Leisure Park, you will walk through the heart of the Marais Poitevin, mostly on dirt tracks, to Le Vanneau. After the port of this village, you will cross magnificent vegetable gardens and return to your starting point along creeks, canals and ditches crossed by beautiful, sturdy footbridges. There's no reason why you can't do this route by bike.

Details

23769063
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.39 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 7 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 6 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 15 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Coming from the roundabout on the D1 at the exit of La Garette towards Sansais, park in the car park opposite the Maison du Cheval.

(S/E) Head downhill, cross the Route des Cabanes and continue to the left, passing the fenced-off swimming pool on your right. Continue to the village hall.

(1) Opposite the village hall, take the path on the left marked with information boards that runs alongside the ditches.

(2) Turn right onto a white path. After the bridge that crosses the Conche des Cabanes de Sansais, you will come to a T-junction.

(3) Turn left onto a small tarmac road, leaving the educational trail on your right. Walk for about 300 metres.

(4) Turn onto the first path on the left. After a long straight stretch and a right-hand bend, you will reach a crossroads.

(5) Continue straight ahead on a pretty path which, a little further on, crosses a large footbridge over two canals. You will reach a T-junction.

(6) Turn right and further on, cross a footbridge over the Grande Rigole de la Garette.

(7) Turn left immediately after the footbridge. At the end of a long straight stretch, after a left-hand bend, the path becomes tarmac and crosses a bridge over the Grande Rigole. After a right-hand bend, cross the leat du Vanneau via another small bridge and continue between the buildings of the Motte Michel wood panel factory. Continue past the factory, turning left to reach Le Vanneau.

(8) Turn left before the Impasse de l'Aumée cemetery. After 100 metres, continue straight ahead through the passage between the large stones and, after a right turn, you will reach Rue du Port. Take this road to the left and you will arrive at the port.

(9) Turn left and walk along the right side of the harbour basin to cross a footbridge that leads to vegetable gardens. Continue along the gardens to the end of the grassy path, keeping to the right.

(10) Cross another footbridge and continue straight ahead until you reach another path, then turn right.

(11) Turn left onto Chemin de Marais, which runs alongside Corde de la Belette, for about 200 metres, then continue left until you reach the outward route.

(6) Turn right to retrace your steps in the opposite direction.

(5) After the footbridge, leave the outward route and turn left onto the tarmac path. At the end, continue to the right. Join the outward route.

(4) Follow the outward route in reverse.

(3) Leave the outward route again and continue straight ahead on the educational trail. Continue along a path lined with plane trees until you reach the campsite fence. Turn right and take the narrow footbridge over the Conche des Cabanes. Turn left and pass the mini golf course, toilets and swimming pool entrance to reach the car park (S/E).

the educational trail continues to the right after the footbridge, forming a circle around the village hall and rejoining the route.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 8 m - Car park opposite the equestrian centre
  2. 1 : km 0.26 - alt. 3 m - Educational trail
  3. 2 : km 0.61 - alt. 3 m - Fork in the road on a dirt track, towards the - Conche des cabanes de Sansais
  4. 3 : km 1.01 - alt. 3 m - Crossing of the eastern circular
  5. 4 : km 1.42 - alt. 3 m - Northern junction of the intermediate circular
  6. 5 : km 2.22 - alt. 3 m - Southern junction of the intermediate circular
  7. 6 : km 2.5 - alt. 3 m - Crossing of the western circular
  8. 7 : km 3.18 - alt. 3 m - Fork in the road after the footbridge
  9. 8 : km 5.12 - alt. 15 m - Fork in the road before the cemetery.
  10. 9 : km 5.47 - alt. 5 m - Port du Vanneau
  11. 10 : km 6 - alt. 4 m - Footbridge
  12. 11 : km 7.15 - alt. 3 m - Fork in the road
  13. S/E : km 10.39 - alt. 9 m - Car park opposite the equestrian centre

Notes

Toilets and water supply at the Parc de Loisirs de la Garette.
This route does not present any particular difficulties. The paths are flat and well maintained. However, beware of flooding during periods of prolonged rain.
This route overlaps with sections of a marked trail. Please ignore the markings.
Use the Visorando app to follow the route.

Worth a visit

Picnic area, swimming pool and mini golf at the Parc de Loisirs during the summer.
Educational trail points ::1::, ::2:: and ::3::
The Rue des Gravées in La Garette and the Rue de la Belette in Le Vanneau are picturesque and well worth a visit.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
BRASSAC MICHELE
BRASSAC MICHELE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and pleasant walk, surrounded by greenery, beautiful irises, tranquillity, and even a stork!

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AngeleDem
AngeleDem

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great route!

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Henri07
Henri07

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant, hiking, a place conducive to contemplation thanks to its calm and greenery, its canals.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day there.

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maricez
maricez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant, very green, very quiet, sun and shade, the little harbour is great for a picnic.

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aureliea57
aureliea57

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A superb and very easy hike, mostly along country lanes with very little road traffic. I stayed at the Îlot du Chail campsite, which was right next to the starting point, with the village hall just next door. I had no trouble following the route. I didn't meet any other hikers and only a few cyclists, so it was very peaceful 👍🏻. The section through the gardens towards the end of the route is very beautiful. Route completed on 29/08/23.

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Aelia
Aelia

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful walk, a wonderful discovery of the marshlands, a very easy hike, shaded in places, quite varied landscapes, and the charm of the little canals that you cross in several places. A few people around, but still very quiet. The only downside is the bikes, which don't always ring their bells to warn you they're coming, and the shared path is sometimes a bit narrow to let them pass. I had trouble finding the start of the walk, as I couldn't identify or locate the village hall given as the starting point (I wasted half an hour going in the wrong direction, but this did take me through the charming village of La Garette). I think it was me who didn't know how to find my way at the start; the directions are clear once you understand them... Thank you for the route!

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judami1
judami1

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The pollarded ash trees, the green of the wet marshes, the cows grazing peacefully, the dragonflies, the birdsong and the magnificent flora all contribute to making this hike a very pleasant walk.
The walk through the vegetable gardens on arrival at Vanneau-Irleau is superb.
The only part we didn't like was the concrete section leaving Vanneau-Ileau.
The route is not very busy, except for the start and finish areas.
No difficulty.

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vdtwinco
vdtwinco

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this lovely trip. We took the opportunity to visit the floating market held annually in Vanneau. It was magnificent.

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Soph
Soph

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very pleasant walk with paths, passages above the coves, a small harbour...
The explanations are perfect, they mean you never have any doubts, thank you.

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Osoa
Osoa

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I had trouble finding the start of the hike... there are lots of little paths everywhere in that area... and several buildings, the car park is very large... but after that, the descriptions are clear and the walk is superb! Thank you very much, Osoa.

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TINO1779
TINO1779

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike that strays a little from the well-known routes, combining several different hikes.
Passes through the Vanneau communal gardens (which I didn't know about).
The paths are very quiet in September.

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Ashwoja
Ashwoja
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Was a bit unclear at Le Vanneau to have the port on the right rather than the left, but otherwise a very pleasant walk and easy to follow

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