Walk around the Pointe de Chassiron on the Île d’Oléron

Head to the Chassiron Lighthouse, at the very north of the Île d’Oléron. There is a large car park, part of which is accessible to motorhomes, where overnight parking is also permitted.

(S/E) Head towards the lighthouse, take the street to the right of the lighthouse entrance, which runs past the shops. Go round the lighthouse and the semaphore station on the right.

(1) Turn right onto the coastal path and follow the coast round the entire headland, then continue southwards along the cliffs and beaches, staying on the coastal path, which is fully accessible to bicycles. Soon the road will come closer to the coast and run alongside the path; stay on the path.

(2) Just as the path turns left to join the road, leave the path and cycle directly along the beach, off-road.

(3) Take the path on your left which rejoins the road. Once you’re on the road, turn right and follow it for about 300 m.

(4) Turn right onto Rue Jean Bart and, after the first few houses, turn right onto Rue Aliénor d’Aquitaine, continuing until you reach the Ranch des Huttes.

(5) In front of the ranch, turn right and follow Rue des Huttes for about 300 m.

(6) Opposite the campsite, turn right onto the dirt track signposted as a dead end, which leads to the beach (Chemin du Casseron).
Once you reach the beach, turn left and follow the track along the beach, which soon joins Rue des Dunes. Follow this street to the end, then take the dirt track that leads back to the beach near the Diabolo Fun surf school.

(7) Turn back and take the path on the right which leads back to the road (Rue des Seulières).

(8) At the exit of a car park, turn right onto Rue des Seulières, pass a cluster of campsites, then continue for about 500 metres before you come to a car park on the right.

(9) At the car park and the Line Up surf school, head towards Plage des Seulières by crossing the dunes.
Head back the way you came and rejoin the road, following it to the right for about 100 m.

(10) On the right, towards the dunes, there is a large car park with facilities for bicycles. Opposite (on the left), take the small street which very quickly gives way to the beautiful white dirt track – the Chemin de la Hutte du Curé cycle path. Follow this for about 1.5 km, cross a road and continue straight ahead for about 150 m.

(11) The track then turns sharply right and soon crosses another road.

(12) Leave the cycle path and take this road on the left, then pass in front of the Moulin de la Brée. Carry on to the next junction.

(13) When you reach the D273E1, take the cycle path that runs alongside it on the left, towards La Brée, until you reach the roundabout.

(14) At the roundabout, carry on straight ahead onto the road on the right called “Route du Moulin”, then continue along its extension, Rue du Général de Gaulle, followed by Rue de la Plage, until you reach the beach.

Once you reach the beach, turn left and cycle along the edge of the beach, parallel to the Allée de la Digue, which is pleasantly shaded by pine and cypress trees.

(15) When you reach the junction with a large beach access point, take the cycle path straight ahead which runs alongside Boulevard d’Antioche, then Boulevard de l’Océan, for over 2 km.

(16) The cycle path ends and joins Boulevard de l’Océan just before a large white building with blue trim, which is a hotel residence (Le Neptune). Follow the boulevard for about 500 m until you reach the first junction.

(17) Turn right onto Rue Émile Glaudon, then, level with the Les Lauriers campsite, turn right onto Rue de la Plage, then right again at the junction onto Rue du Port, and finally onto the very start of Boulevard d’Antioche (this time the one in Saint-Denis – the previous one of the same name was in La Brée).

(18) At the pedestrian crossing, turn right onto the promenade along the quays, passing the shops, and walk all the way round the marina to the end of the jetty.

Head back the way you came, cross the harbour car park, and at the exit take Rue Pierre Métayer, following it until you return to Boulevard d’Antioche. Turn right onto it and follow it alongside a large campsite to the end, where, at a hairpin bend, it gives way to an unpaved track; turn left at a right angle onto this track, with your back to the beach.

At the next junction, turn left onto the track (Chemin de la Bréchette), then right onto Chemin de la Motte Bossée for about 150 m.

(19) After the last houses on the right, turn right at a right angle onto Rue du Bois (unpaved and signposted as a dead end), and follow it straight on until you reach the coast. There, follow the coastal path to the next junction.

(20) The path joins the Chemin du Sabia, which ends on the beach at a boat launch ramp. Cross it and take the path opposite, crossing a small footbridge over a stream. Follow this path as it runs along the coast, then turn left after passing the houses in the Morelière neighbourhood.

(21) After crossing a dirt car park equipped with recycling bins, turn right onto the road (D734) leading to Chassiron Lighthouse, which can be seen in the distance as you leave the village, and turn left into the lighthouse car park (S/E).

This circular route presents no difficulties, and cycling along it is always very straightforward.

It can just as easily be done entirely or partly on foot, at a brisk pace or even using Nordic walking poles, as the terrain generally lends itself well to pole planting (except, of course, when crossing towns).

This walk can be done at any time of year; we did it in 2015, towards the end of May, and it struck us as an ideal time of year in terms of both the weather and the vegetation.

The estimated time is given as a guide, but the many attractions along the route mean you can take your time and, why not, spend the whole day there.

As well as the beauty of the coastal landscapes and the opportunity for a swim, there are many points of interest, including:
- the Chassiron lighthouse, which you can visit or simply climb to enjoy the panoramic view.
- the fish traps, a reconstruction of which can be seen on the headland near the lighthouse.
- the Brée mill, for which a few visiting dates in 2021 have already been scheduled, but which is expected to be open to the public from 2023 onwards.
... and no doubt plenty more to discover.