The land of the yellow bicycle – a weekend in La Rochelle

Feel like taking to the open seas? This Collection is for you. I invite you to a weekend in La Rochelle, a coastal city in southwestern France. This 85-kilometre (53 mi) adventure, divided over two Tours, is aimed at lovers of seafood, water, watersports and anyone who enjoys an invigorating sea breeze. Welcome to the land of yellow bikes!

In La Rochelle, cycling is everywhere and for everyone. A big part of this is because the coastal city, in southwestern France, has made its famous yellow bikes available for people to use. And that's why I'm sharing this cycling hotspot. This Collection between land and sea is an attempt to combine emblematic places in and around La Rochelle. Each Tour has a coastal section and an inland section.

On the seaward side, you'll follow the broad outline of the Vélodyssée, a 1,300-kilometre (808 mi) cycle route along the Atlantic coast. This route benefits from numerous bicycle-friendly facilities and offers breathtakingly beautiful views in all seasons. Enjoy these views while sipping oysters in an oyster hut, or savouring an artisanal ice cream overlooking the sea. The region's coastline is made up of limestone cliffs and large coves that are ideal for swimming, such as Chef de Baie or Châtelaillon-plage.

On the land side, expect to be enchanted by the surrounding villages. The houses, with their light-coloured facades and orange tiles, are embellished by the hollyhock blooms that abound in the region in summer. The villages of La Jarne, Dompierre-sur-mer and Nieul-sur-mer are good examples, which you can discover by taking the back roads. You can also travel for several kilometres along the Marans canal. It links La Rochelle to the town of Marans, further to the north-east. Its primary function is to drain water from the surrounding communes into the sea, but it has been transformed into a wonderful walking area.

Once you've arrived at your stopover in Dompierre-sur-Mer, you can use the local gîtes and campsite to spend the night in peace. There are also plenty of opportunities to treat yourself and enjoy the pace of life in La Rochelle.

A mountain bike or a gravel bike are the best options for this route, as long as you have fairly chunky tyres. You’ll need a windbreaker and sunglasses. The terrain is flat and most of the Collection is on cycle paths or tracks.
La Rochelle station is served by many regional and national trains. An intermodal hub, it provides connections with many bus routes in the conurbation and the departmental network. Once there, you can hire a bike from the shop on the station forecourt, or from the tourist office at Le Gabut.

Finally, I recommend that you do this Collection with family or friends, whether you're a beginner or an experienced adventurer.