The best traffic-free bike rides around Breuillet

Located on the commune of St-Palais-sur-Mer, at the tip of Terre-Nègre, it is intended to mark the southern passage of the Gironde estuary and to signal the presence of a dangerous sandbank, the la barre à l'Anglais.

The port of Ribérou is a major heritage site in Saujon, bearing witness to a prosperous maritime past linked to the salt and wine trade. Transformed in the 19th century by ambitious works, it has now been reinvented as a place for living, relaxation, and preserving local history. 🛶 Origins and the Middle Ages The port of Ribérou takes its name from the Latin word ripa ("riverbank") or the Occitan word ribèira ("river"). It is located at the head of the Seudre estuary. It existed as early as the 11th century and became an important river and sea port thanks to its strategic position at the head of the estuary, used particularly for the salt trade—then called "white gold"—a highly sought-after product for preserving food. 🚢 Medieval Period and International Trade With the opening of British markets during the reigns of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II Plantagenet, ships laden with wool, salt, wine, and other goods flocked to Ribérou. In the 16th century, the port exported local wines (such as cognac and pineau) throughout Europe. In 1577, during the Wars of Religion, the port was a strategic site: troops were stationed there, and battles took place. 🏗️ Decline, Reconstruction, and the 19th Century The estuary gradually silted up, making navigation difficult. By 1691, only smaller vessels could dock there. During the French Revolution, the sale of the tidal mill, which helped remove sediment, worsened the silting, leading to the port's decline. A modernization project began in 1822, but it wasn't until 1839 that an ambitious program was launched under the impetus of Jules Dufaure—a native of Saujon and Minister of Public Works—with the construction of sturdy quays, slipways, a lock bridge (marking the boundary between fresh and salt water), and reception facilities. In 1842, the work was completed, and the main quay was named Quai Dufaure in honor of this political support. 📉 Gradual Decline and Modernization The arrival of the railway in 1876 and the persistent problems of silting led to a decline in the port's traditional commercial activity, already facing competition from other transport networks. In the 20th century, the port gradually lost its economic importance but remained active for traditional fishing and became a place for pleasure boating, leisure, and local culture. Urban and tourism development projects (particularly in 2011–2012) modernized the port while preserving its historical charm. 🌊 Today The port of Ribérou is now a small fishing and pleasure port, much appreciated for its walks along the Seudre River, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, etc.), and seasonal events.

very cute

Easily accessible place, only the last meters are prohibited for cyclists.

Small, typical oyster port

The port of Ribérou is a fishing and pleasure port located at the end of the Seudre estuary, in Saujon. It is one of the two ports in the city, along with that of Breuil, a little downstream. Active since the 11th century, it took on its current appearance from 1842, under the impetus of the Minister of Public Works at the time, Jules Dufaure, a "local boy", who thus attempted to revive maritime trade and fishing activities, which were then in decline. Ideally located, on the edge of the city center, the La Lande leisure center and the preserved areas of the Seudre marshes (towpaths transformed into walking trails), it has become one of the major tourist attractions in Saujon, where theme evenings and the July 14 fireworks are organized. In 2011, the municipality began a renovation program for the port site, entrusted to the architect-urban planner Sophie Blanchet. It consists of transforming the old car parks into a pedestrian esplanade, a real meeting place with modern street furniture and, in the long term, green spaces. From the quays, lined with bourgeois buildings, small picturesque streets lined with hollyhocks allow you to crisscross the district and reach the city centre. The Ribérou lock bridge, known as the "bridge of opposing waters", was renovated in 2010. It marks the separation between the waters of the estuary (port side: brackish water) and the waters of the river (retention basin side: fresh water). Ribérou is a starting point for certain water sports (canoeing and kayaking). It is approximately 250 metres long and 40 metres wide. From Ribérou, it is possible to reach successively the ports of Breuil (Saujon), L'Éguille, Mornac, Chaillevette, Chatressac (Chaillevette), Grandes Roches and Orivol (Étaules), La Grève in Duret and Coux (Arvert), La Grève (La Tremblade) and La Cayenne (Marennes).

Chaillevette, from the Saintongeais "Chaille" which means "pebble" is a small town in Charente Maritime with 1620 inhabitants, on the Arvert Peninsula. Nestled on the left bank of the Seudre, in a setting of salt marshes, punctuated by "claires" where oysters are refined. The refinement gives them this blue-green color and this typical iodized flavor. Oyster farming by oyster farmers is an essential resource for maintaining two pretty ports: The port of Chatressac, (which almost entered history in the 17th century, having been considered for a time to accommodate the Grand arsenal maritime du Ponant wanted by Louis XIV, which was finally built further north and gave birth to the city of Rochefort), and the port of Chaillevettte. Typical with their oyster huts in various and shimmering colors, bordering the channel and welcoming barges, these two ports have managed to preserve their picturesque character. However, you can enjoy local products in the "tasting huts" and especially the oysters that make our town famous as the "cradle of the oyster". Each of these ports is animated each year by the July 14 festival in Chatressac and the August 15 festival in Chaillevette. In the Chaillevetonne countryside, the cultivation of cereals such as wheat or corn finds its place, without forgetting the vines, which will be used to produce, among other things, the Charente country wine, pineau and cognac.

The 12th century church (the oldest), was raised in the 18th century when the bell tower was transformed into a beacon for navigation. It is known as "Le Vieux Clocher". Saint-Pallais is a saint of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. He was in the 6th century, the ninth bishop of Saintes. The history of the Romanesque church and the Old Bell Tower is perfectly summed up on the small information panel placed a few meters from the entrance: "The Romanesque church built under the name of Saint-Palais dates from the second half of the 12th century. At present, all that remains of this remarkable building are the choir, the apse, part of the bell tower and a section of the drip wall of the nave (in a construction, the drip wall is the wall carrying a gutter or a channel ending the roof slope and receiving the water as opposed to the gable wall). "The Old Bell Tower" dominates the tombs of the old cemetery, one of the exits of which opens onto the square on the south side of the new church. This 12th century church is distinguished by its architectural sobriety, a refined style and forms of a very Cistercian elegance. Unfortunately, time and wars have largely amputated the building. The octagonal bell tower is in its lower part authentically Romanesque: a semicircular bay adorned each of the faces, but only two of them have been preserved to the south and east. In order for the bell tower to serve as a landmark, a first raising of more than 2 meters was carried out in the first half of the 17th century. A second, a few years later, gave it its current height. Around 1770, a timber spire was added. The apse, vaulted in a cul-de-four is decorated with five basket-handle arcades resting on engaged columns. 3 bays with deep embrasure and framed by two small columns with bare capitals, provide lighting. A chamfered cord goes around the choir and the apse and delimits the vaults of the load-bearing walls. The climb to the top of the bell tower is recommended to enjoy a superb panorama of the Gironde estuary, the ocean, the Cordouan lighthouse, the residential areas of Saint-Palais, the national forest and the surrounding countryside.