Chay Beach – Carrelets de Royan loop from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer

Bike touring routes & trails

Chay Beach – Carrelets de Royan loop from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer

Moderate

4.6

(54)

512

riders

Chay Beach – Carrelets de Royan loop from Saint-Palais-sur-Mer

01:03

17.1km

150m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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4.44 km

Boulevard de la Falaise

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Bike trip between Pontaillac - la Palmyre - Mornac.
varied itinerary sea view forest countryside 😉👌
no difficulties. to do again.. .

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7.69 km

Chay Beach is a sandy beach that offers a breathtaking view of the Cordouan lighthouse. It is surrounded by rocky cliffs and, as such, is sheltered from the wind and is a pleasant place to do your hike.

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7.87 km

Monument to the heroes of operation "Frankton"

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Operation Frankton was a British raid during World War II against German ships stationed in Bordeaux. Its objective was to destroy the "blockade runners", merchant ships that maintained links between occupied Europe and the Far East.

On the night of December 7, 1942, the British submarine HMS Tuna arrived off the estuary of the Gironde. The commandos launched their small folding kayaks, nicknamed "Cockles". They then had to paddle up the estuary at night to Bordeaux.

Of the ten men engaged, only two – Major Herbert "Blondie" Hasler and Marine William Sparks – would survive the operation and eventually make it back to Great Britain. Six were captured and then executed by the Germans, and two died at sea.

Why is Royan associated with Frankton?

It is particularly interesting for Royan: the Royan coast is on the operation's maritime route, near the mouth of the Gironde and the Cordouan sector.

The memory of the operation is today commemorated in Royan by a stele dedicated to the "heroes of Operation Frankton", located on the esplanade of the 5th Marching Battalion of the West Indians and Guyanese, in the sector of Fort du Chay.

The City of Royan also organized a major commemoration in 2012-2013 for the 70th anniversary: laying the first stone of the memorial, inauguration, exhibition, conferences, and even a kayak raid on the estuary symbolically retracing the operation.

The route around Royan

A particularly interesting point if you are in the area is to retrace the commandos' geographical route:

HMS Tuna → off Cordouan / entrance to the Gironde → upstream along the estuary → Bordeaux → escape to Spain → return to Great Britain.

The Royan – Saint-Georges-de-Didonne – Pointe de Grave – Cordouan sector therefore allows us to understand the first part of this incredible operation. A true "Frankton path of remembrance" now exists and also includes commemorative sites in Gironde and Charente-Maritime.

An important historical clarification

Different figures are sometimes found regarding the number of kayaks and participants, as sources do not all describe the preparation and launch phase in the same way. Royal Navy sources record 10 Royal Marines actually engaged in the five operational kayaks, while some tourist sources present six kayaks at the start, one of which could not be used.

The film The Cockleshell Heroes, released in 1955, then made the story famous in the United Kingdom, under the name "Cockleshell Heroes" ("heroes of the cockleshells"). The film, however, takes liberties with historical reality.

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7.88 km

Fort du Chay

Highlight • Historical Site

Built in the 18th century, Fort du Chay was integrated into the German defense system in 1940. Thoroughly rebuilt by the German occupying troops, who replaced the old facilities with blockhouses, it formed a lock at the mouth of the river mouth with the fortifications of the Pointe de Grave.
This impressive defense system was almost completely destroyed in the bombing raids of 1945. Only a few log houses remain.

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8.06 km

Carrelets de Royan

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The classic to do at least once. Just avoid busy days during the peak tourist season.

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8.22 km

View of the Fischer Katen

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for a typical view here on the coast.. the cycle path along the shore is also worth it

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10.9 km

Carrelets on Pigeonnier Beach

Highlight • Monument

This beach is a "tobacco-free" beach where smoking is prohibited.
After asking questions to the Ligue contre le Cancer, they point out that "vaping can be a risk reduction tool and a tool to help people quit smoking when used for a limited period of time."

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11.6 km

Pontaillac Villa

Highlight • Monument

Splendid houses from all eras with sea view, an equally magnificent residence, enough to make the walker dream who does not know the region and who discovers it by walking along the beach of Pontaillac as well as by continuing his walk all along the coast to Royan.

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17.1 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types