The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Sulpice-De-Royan

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.

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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).

This garden was created in 2006 by volunteers from the association “Aux Portes de l’Océan” on land kindly made available by the bishopric of La Rochelle right next to the church. The work of garden lovers and the financial help of sponsors make it possible to offer a free visit throughout the year. It is for everyone a privileged, sheltered place, where one tries according to one’s own aspirations to reestablish the first communion between oneself and nature. In the Middle Ages, the garden has a utilitarian role. It is the place where plants are cultivated that ensure the maintenance of life by providing the basis of remedies and food. It is possible to get an idea of medieval gardens thanks to manuscripts containing ancient treaties, to testimonies of images illustrating texts, to writings. Our garden was created near the church (with a Romanesque bell tower at the foot of which an elegant tripartite façade and a Gothic nave have been rebuilt), thanks to a group of passionate amateurs who were inspired by the achievements and writings of historians, ethnobotanists, horticulturists and landscapers. It is composed of eight raised beds delimited by “plessis” (woven larch slats that replaced the chestnut stems), filled with earth and which form courtyards. These courtyards accommodate: The vegetable garden: the hortus or horlulus (1 square for seeds and roots, 1 square for “potted plants”), The garden of simples (medicinal): the herbularius (2 squares), The aromatics (1 square), The signature and toxic plants (1 square), The textile and dye plants (1 square), The cosmetic plants and the garden of Mary (1 square). These eight squares surround the ninth, thus evoking the shape of a cross whose center is occupied by an octagonal fountain. A place is reserved for pilgrim gourds. We have planted a rose garden, set up a rest area in the shade of the acacias and created a space reserved for cereals. The orchard, vividarius, which adjoins it is planted with trees that are also useful: nourishing or producing materials essential to everyday life

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 SAINT-PIERRE church dominates the village from its fortified bell tower. Original in many ways, the Romanesque building houses a holy water font made of a real shell. From the side, you reach the small garden of the chevet, well hidden. Stone sarcophagi (Merovingian or Carolingian depending on the source) bear witness to the archaeological excavations that the church has undergone. There are many stories in Mornac but that of the fire of August 2, 1943 marked the identity of the village. Indeed, the bell tower has not always had this appearance. It had the more traditional shape of a spire until lightning struck it. Many young students come to Mornac-sur-Seudre to participate in the clearing and the excavations that follow. Seduced by the local atmosphere, many of them stayed and opened the first craft workshops in the village, some of which are still present, such as pottery and leather.

The Promenade des Deux Phares offers a picturesque mountain bike route along the Atlantic coast, with panoramic views of the sea and beaches. Between the two lighthouses, you will cross sandy paths, coastal paths and pine forests typical of Charente-Maritime.