A circular route through the wild section of the Coubre National Forest

To reach the start from Marennes, take the bridge over the Seudre towards La Tremblade. Go through the roundabout and continue straight on. After a wide bend, turn right onto a road that is crossed by a cattle grid. Park on the wide verge on the left before the ‘no through road’ sign.

(S/E) Take the tarmac road westwards for about 200 m, then turn left onto a path blocked by a barrier. Continue, ignoring the two paths branching off to the left, for about 1 km.

(1) When you reach a crossroads, turn right onto Chemin du Puits until you reach a wide, stony track known as Tranchée des Brisquettes.

(2) Cross the Tranchée des Brisquettes and continue straight on. Take the second path on the left.

(3) Then turn left again after a short, steep climb. Cross the Tranchée des Brisquettes once more – it has turned at an angle since the first crossing – and continue straight on.
Look for the wire fence of a private hunting reserve on the left in the forest. Follow it for about 3 km. Continue, leaving this fence on your left. On the IGN map, this fence corresponds to the green line, which marks the boundary of state-owned land.

(4) Pass an ONF stone marker indicating the boundary of the state-owned forest (to the right of the path, 30 cm high, not very visible).

(5) After this marker, turn left at a fork, keeping close to the fence; leave a track (wide stony path) on your right and continue straight ahead.

(6) You will reach the DFCI track at Les Etains (signpost). Continue straight on along this wide, stony track heading south, which turns at a right angle towards the west; follow it until you reach the Tranchée des Brisquettes again.

(7) Cross the trench and, almost immediately to the right, look for the red and white markings of^{the GR®4}and follow them northwards.

(8) Continuing to follow the^GR®, you will reach the Chemin des Clones (signpost), which leads to a firebreak. Turn right and follow it for 30 m.

(9) Turn left, still on the^GR® (barely visible), which rejoins the Chemin des Quatre Fontaines (signposted). The path runs parallel to the road then climbs towards the Tour du Gardour.

(10) View of the ocean. Go round the tower, then rejoin the^GR® which heads north. At the first fork, do not go down to the right and continue on the^GR®. After a steep, short climb, you reach another viewpoint with a view of the ocean, the southern tip of Île d’Oléron and the Pertuis de Maumuisson (the channel between the mainland and the island).

(11) Turn right towards the south-east. You’ll reach a very steep descent through the sand.

(12) Turn left, still on the^GR®4. You’ll reach the Tranchée des Voleurs (signpost).

(13) Leave the^GR® by turning right towards the east to rejoin, after about 1 km, the tarmac road and the car park (S/E).

The route has been mapped on site and is therefore very reliable.
It can get very hot in the forest, sheltered from the wind. No water points. Make sure to bring drinks.
There are no picnic areas along the route.
The route avoids paths with soft sand as much as possible, but horse traffic may have damaged certain sections of the paths, including on the^GR®4despite the numerous bridleways.

You walk alongside a private hunting reserve fence (discreet in the landscape) for about 3 km. This is only a very small part of the hunting reserve fences in the Coubre Forest. Walkers do not have access to these reserves.