Hiking enthusiasts, lace up your boots! Charente-Maritime, and more specifically Saintonge, offers marked hiking trails and GPS-tracked routes not far from our beautiful Fontdouce valley and its treetop adventure park.
The Valley of the Quran – A 2½-hour loop
Fancy getting back to nature and discovering local heritage? This hike will take you on a journey!
Located in the Coran Valley, the small medieval village of Saint-Sauvant, halfway between Saintes and Cognac, is the starting point for this hike. You will walk along footpaths carpeted with wild flowers typical of Charente-Maritime, through woodlands where you will encounter wildlife (including deer), and alongside vineyards producing Cognac and Pineau des Charentes. Throughout your journey, you will follow the Coran river, a word taken from the Charentais dialect meaning ‘the current’. It is worth noting that the town of Saint Sauvant is one of the 14 ‘Villages de Pierres et d’Eau’ (Stone and Water Villages) in Charente-Maritime, a historical heritage site located on the waterfront. You will also notice a slightly more rugged landscape and the presence of large quarries where limestone was once extracted in open pits.
As you continue, you will also come closer to the prehistoric site of ‘La Roche à Pierrot’, not far from the Paléosite, where the skeleton of ‘Pierrette’, a 35,000-year-old Neanderthal woman, was discovered in 1979. Looking for more of a challenge? Take the family on a Terra Aventura trail called ‘Il court, il court le Coran’ (He runs, he runs, the Coran), also located in the Coran Valley, to collect Poï’z!
Circuit of the 7 springs – A 4-hour loop
Starting from Les Bujoliers, a small village between Saint-Bris-des-Bois and Saint-Césaire, set off to explore the local cultural heritage along a yellow-marked trail. On your way, between two passages through the vineyards, you will encounter the beautiful Charente countryside. Throughout your hike, you will pass by water sources: ancient wash houses, La Cantine, Le Coran, La Fontdouce, La Verrerie, La Font Coudre, and more.
If you prefer to be guided during your hike, you can follow this route using the Decathlon Outdoor app.
Pottery trail – La Chapelle-des-Pots – A 2-hour loop
The starting point is at La Chapelle-des-Pots Town Hall in the town centre. From there, you head out into the countryside, following blue markings to explore the Charente countryside! You will cross forests and undergrowth, walk among flower-filled fields and Cognac vineyards, and enjoy a breath of fresh air. Continuing on, you will have the opportunity to walk alongside Le Bourru, a stream that flows close to the Beaumaine Cave, a cavity that stretches for nearly 140 metres.
Hike open to all! If you want to turn your walk into a game, you can try to find the hidden Poï’z by following the Terra Aventura geocaching trail ‘Petit potier, c’est mon métier’ (Little potter, that’s my job)!
13 fountains – A 5-hour loop
Are you a fan of cultural and architectural heritage? Try this hike starting from the town of Burie, not far from the Fontaine de la Fidélité fountain. Legend has it that a young couple swore eternal fidelity to each other here, which, upon their death, released a spring of water… Following the blue markings, you will pass by various fountains, wells and old wash houses, all while walking in the heart of nature along forest paths and through copses.
If you would like to explore this route in a different way, try our all-terrain electric scooters. They will take you on a journey of discovery to the 13 fountains and wash houses in the area, with an added touch of excitement.
10 Fountains Trail – A 3½-hour loop See the PDF Blue markings
Starting from the same point as the 13 fountains walk, follow the blue markings to Font Sabot, then return to the centre of Burie at your starting point. The circuit is the same as the 13 fountains hike, except for the three fountains of Fontaine de Montigny, Fontaine de Chez Garnier and Fontaine des Sept Fonts, which in the past would have corresponded to seven fountains located close to each other.
Brizambourg Woods Trail – A 2½-hour loop
Are you passionate about nature and forests? This hike, which takes you deep into the wooded countryside of Charente-Maritime, will recharge your batteries! You will have the opportunity to follow wide trails and cross numerous woods and undergrowth, groves and walk among the vineyards producing Pineau des Charentes or Cognac. This route forms two loops, making a figure of 8. It is possible to do either one, with the small loop measuring 2.8 km.
Feel free to download the Decathlon Outdoor app, which will guide you throughout your hike.
