The best road cycling routes around Le Chay

Built from 1955 and consecrated in 1958, the Notre-Dame de Royan church symbolizes the city standing tall and proud again. The reinforced concrete monument thus fits into the general trend of renewal in sacred art after the sad events the world experienced in the 1940s. It is considered today as a feat and a masterpiece of modern architecture. "Upon entering this concrete cathedral, be silent. Here, everything is momentum, rigor, roughness, austere beauty. The twilight sings the elusive, the divine, variable and constant like the sea." ANDRÉ MALRAUX Minister of Cultural Affairs (1958-1969)

The carrelets of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer are among the most emblematic elements of the Charente coastline. Their history blends traditional fishing, tourist development, and local heritage. 🐟 Origin of the carrelets Originally, the word "carrelet" referred to a square fishing net used since the 17th century. A precise description can be found as early as 1769, in the writings of the scholar Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau, who mentioned this type of fishing on the Saintonge coast. 👉 At that time, these were not yet the current huts, but simply a net operated from rudimentary structures. ⚓ Artisanal fishing structures The first local carrelets were simple wooden platforms, built by the fishermen themselves to stand above the water. They were mainly used to catch shrimp, fish, and crabs near the shore, without going out to sea. 👉 It was a family and coastal fishery, less dangerous than sea fishing. 🏖️ 19th – early 20th century: transition to a leisure activity At the turn of the 20th century, with the rise of seaside resorts like Saint-Palais, the carrelets evolved. Holidaymakers and notable figures adopted this practice: construction of fixed jetties, appearance of huts on stilts. The carrelets then became places for relaxation as much as for fishing. 👉 They already contributed to the postcard image of the coast. 🪵 After 1945: democratization and multiplication After the Second World War, the number of carrelets increased sharply. They became a symbol of popular leisure and conviviality. The transition was gradually made from a means of subsistence to a recreational activity. 🌊 Storms and reconstruction The carrelets are fragile in the face of storms: 1999: massive destruction (up to 90% in some areas) 2010 (Xynthia storm): new damage Many have been rebuilt identically, respecting tradition. 🏛️ Today: protected heritage In Charente-Maritime, there are about 400 carrelets. They are: integrated into the public maritime domain allocated by administrative authorization (often renewed every 5 years) Since 2018, they have been recognized as cultural heritage of the department. 👉 In Saint-Palais, they can be observed in particular: at Pont du Diable at the conche du Concié at the Puits de l’Auture

📍 Introducing the Gilet Cove The Gilet Cove is a small, natural beach on the oceanfront, located on Boulevard de la Conche de Gilet / Boulevard de la Falaise, in the town of Vaux-sur-Mer, just before Royan. 🌿 It's a sheltered, rocky cove, appreciated for its tranquility and more intimate setting compared to the larger urban beaches nearby. 🏖️ At high tide, the sea can completely cover this small beach, making the space very limited; at low tide, you can enjoy a patch of sand and rocks for relaxing or swimming. 🧭 Features & Tips 📍 Type of place: small, unsupervised beach, nestled among the rocks with sand and cliffs. 🏖️ Tides: access is best at low tide — at high tide the beach can disappear underwater. 🐶 Animals: prohibited from April 1st to September 30th (subject to municipal regulations). 👣 Access: via stairs from the boulevard above, surrounded by villas with sea views. 🚫 Lifeguard services: no lifeguard station or marked services. 📍 Location La Conche de Gilet is often considered the last small beach in Vaux-sur-Mer before reaching Royan/Pontaillac when following the coastline from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer.

Here you'll find a romantic little lighthouse, and behind it lies a garden with a bench overlooking the sea, a lovely place to stop for a break. Afterwards, you can continue along the cliff to the right until you reach Euro Velo 1 again.

The church suffered little damage during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. From the end of the 18th century, maintenance work was undertaken mainly inside the church. In 1822, the reconstruction of the bell tower framework began, followed in 1852 by the restoration of the west facade. A further restoration took place around 1860, and the sacristy was enlarged by the construction of a semicircular annex extending the Romanesque apse. Beginning in 1880, a roof repair campaign began, and a new belfry was installed in the bell tower. From 1890 to 1900, the cemetery surrounding the church was moved to the "Fief des Rentes," and the former burial site was transformed into a public square. Starting in 1926, the choir roof was replaced and the bell tower was made watertight. In 1971, the work program included the renovation of the exterior walls, the demolition of the false apse and the sacristy that concealed the apse of the south transept. In 1990, the main door was replaced with oak leaves, the stones were repointed, and the collapsed arch keystone was reinstalled. In the 2000s, the municipality repaired the mechanism of the two belfry bells, and the building was illuminated and maintenance work was carried out.

The Church of Our Lady of Corme-Écluse, the seat of a former Benedictine priory of the Abbey of the Ladies of Saintes, was donated around 1104 by Ramnulfus Focaudi (Bishop of Saintes between 1083 and 1106) to the Royal Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély "so that he might always enjoy it and possess it in perpetuity." This abbey was thus responsible for the reconstruction of the sanctuary in the mid-12th century in the Romanesque style. A plaque affixed to the south wall of the nave contains a few historical snippets, still legible: 1200, the Benedictines completed the construction and adorned the church with an oak statue of the Blessed Virgin; 1327, the Abbot of Saint-Jean-d'Angely and an envoy of Pope John XXII prayed before the venerated image; In 1628, a pilgrimage was established to venerate the statue; In 1733, the statue was mutilated. The desecrator was punished. The church's plan is a slightly asymmetrical Latin cross (the north arm of the transept is longer than the south arm). The nave consists of two bays covered by pointed barrel vaults. It is lit by three symbolic windows rebuilt in the 13th century. A transverse arch separates the nave from the transept, whose crossing, under the bell tower, is covered by a cupola on squinches. The south arm of the transept opens onto an apse with a semi-dome vault. However, the north arm, rebuilt in the 17th century in the Romanesque style, is slightly longer than the south arm, and is designed on a rectangular plan without an apse. This arm has a portal with columns and toric rollers. After passing the triumphal arch, the choir begins with a straight bay covered with a semi-circular barrel vault and ends with a semi-circular vaulted arch.

Upon arriving in Corme-Écluse, it's only natural to stop at the church square, the heart of the Cormillon village. On this square, facing the town hall, stands the Church of Notre-Dame. Walk around it to admire the architectural details characteristic of the 12th-century Saintonge Romanesque style. The church was the seat of a former Benedictine priory of the Abbey of the Ladies of Saintes. The sculpted decoration of the Abbey of the Ladies certainly inspired that of the church of Corme-Écluse. This was often the case; mother abbeys were taken as examples by the priories that depended on them in terms of architecture and sculpture. In some cases, it is even assumed that the sponsors, artists, or craftsmen were the same people or at least from the same circle, sometimes descendants. Since the 13th century, the monument has been the destination of numerous pilgrimages that continue to this day. The pilgrimage takes place on the third Sunday of July in the convent gardens, followed by a procession to the Church of Our Lady.

The port of Royan is located between the Foncillon district and the Grande Conche beach, in the heart of the city. Ideally located at the mouth of the Gironde, in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean and opposite Port-Médoc, it consists of a marina with a thousand rings and a fishing port, specializing in “noble” species (sole, meagre, sea bass, etc.). You will find the harbor master's office, the Fishing Port and the auction, as well as a covered shopping arcade, “Les voûtes du Port”, which extends the shopping arcades of the “Front de Mer”. Port, 1100 sheltered places – Reception pontoon – Secure pontoons. Access pass is 0.30 m above the zero of the nautical charts. Basins after dredging 2.30 m from the zero of the nautical charts. Services: water, electricity (220 V) on pontoon, toilets, WC, showers, handling in closed technical area, recovery of careening water, grey water and black water pumps, maintenance and ship repair workshops, ship chandlers on the port, wifi, 24/24 CB fuel, slipway. V.H.F. 9. The port is sheltered from all winds because it is protected by the landing stage of the ferries which ensure the crossing of the Gironde for the crossings to the Pointe de Grave/Le Verdon-sur-Mer.