The best city hikes and walks around La Gironde

🏖️ General Overview Chay Beach is a family-friendly, fine sandy beach located in Royan (Charente-Maritime), on the Côte d’Argent promenade between Pigeonnier Beach and Pointe du Chay. It stretches for approximately 200 meters and boasts a pleasant natural setting, with a cove bordered by rocks typical of the Charente coastline. 🏝️ Features • 🌊 Beach type: fine sand, sheltered cove. • 🏄‍♂️ Atmosphere: relatively calm and family-friendly, ideal for children and vacationers seeking relaxation away from the large urban beaches. • 🐾 Pets: prohibited from April 1st to September 30th. • 🫧 Water quality: excellent (Blue Flag label awarded for 2025). 🧭 Lifeguard and Safety • Swimming is supervised during the season (June to early September), with areas marked by red and yellow flags. • The area is classified as a Category 3 "Supervised Beach" and lifeguards are present during the indicated hours. 🪑 Amenities On-site, you can find: • 🏖️ Sun loungers, parasols, and mattresses for rent. • 🚿 Foot rinse and public restrooms. • 📶 Wi-Fi access, first aid station, and an area accessible to people with reduced mobility (assistance may be required depending on the slope). • 🍴 Beachfront restaurant ("Le Chay" bar-restaurant with sea views). 🚶‍♂️ Atmosphere and Activities • 🎈 Ideal for families and leisurely strolls. • 🌞 People come here for swimming, playing on the sand, flying kites, or simply relaxing by the ocean. • 🅿️ Parking is available nearby, and the beach is easily accessible on foot or by bike from Royan town center in just a few minutes. 🧭 Practical Tips • 📆 Best time to visit: summer for supervised swimming and full services, but also during the off-season for a more peaceful atmosphere. • ☀️ Arriving early in the morning makes parking easier during peak season. • 🐶 Dogs are not allowed during the summer season; check the signs on site during the off-season.

The Botton Gallery appears to us at the Rond-Point de la Poste, on the left facing the Post Office. It is a shopping mall with sinuous lines. It was delivered in 1956. It took over the function of the pre-war Botton Gallery, named after the engineer Botton who in 1847 had worked on the development of the seaside resort of the time.

Frédéric Garnier is a famous man from Royan, who gave his name to the boulevard that runs along the Grande Conche beach. Frédéric Garnier became mayor at the beginning of the Third Republic and remained so from 1871 to 1905. The development of Royan at that time was his work. It was Frédéric Garnier who decided to build a promenade along the beach. The Municipal Casino, built on the Grande Conche and inaugurated in 1895, was then the largest in France. The name of Frédéric Garnier was given to the boulevard that runs along the beach from Royan to Saint-Georges-de-Didonne. This part of Royan, east of the city center, was spared from the bombings of 1945. A pedestrian promenade and a cycle path were built between the roadway and the beach. This pleasant walk gives us a glimpse of what Royan was like during the Belle Epoque with the villas and castles built between 1890 and 1930 and which escaped the bombings. Along the walk, we are surprised by the presence of a cubist-inspired villa, built after the war, next to a Belle Epoque villa, a symbolic image of the mixture of seaside architectural styles in Royan. The villas and castles of varied styles and often original inspiration generally have in common the presence of a bell tower which overhangs the roofs. The name of Emile Zola given to the avenue which leads from the boulevard Frédéric Garnier towards the inner part of the Parc district reminds us of the stays of Emile Zola from September 1886. He lived in villas, now disappeared, located on the current boulevard Frédéric Garnier.

On August 22, 1962, Robert Boisseau was awarded the contract to build an organ in the new church. On a very high gallery, Robert Boisseau built an organ with four separate bodies without ornaments with varnished mahogany bases. The back positive has a façade of 27 tin pipes arranged in a V. The large body has a façade of 23 tin pipes arranged in a miter and above the chamades. The pedal is arranged in two separate bodies. 6 engraved windchests. Window console. On May 24, 1964, Guy Morançon inaugurated an unfinished organ (24 stops on 2 keyboards). On June 20, 1969, Jacques Dussouil gave a recital on an organ equipped with the third recital keyboard (8 stops). Other games were added between 1972 and 1984. In January 2014, this large organ was completely dismantled to be restored in a specialized workshop located in Béthines in the Vienne department. It took several weeks to dismantle the 3600 pipes, the 47 games, the 3 keyboards and the pedal board. After having completely restored it in their workshop, the Poitevin organ builders reassembled the instrument piece by piece in the church. The organ, like the church, is also listed as a Historic Monument.

Completed in 1958 in response to the mayor of the time who wanted the architect Guillaume Gillet to use his church to revive the city of Royan, which had been laid low by the bombings of 1945, Notre-Dame, the concrete cathedral as André Malraux had called it, has just had a makeover. The operation, broken down into five phases of work, was spread over a period of three and a half years, the restoration of the west façade, the canopy, the roofs of the north and south aisles, the terraces, the baptistery, the portico and the high altar. It extends the restoration of the building which, since its construction, justified that interventions be carried out to ensure its nobility and sustainability. In agreement with the services of the regional directorate of cultural affairs (DRAC), the canopy was notably completed by the addition of stained glass windows installed in the upper part in strict compliance with the three-dimensional design of the existing elements. The creation of the portal, replacing the temporary door, was also the subject of lengthy discussions between the architect, the regional conservation of historic monuments and Guillaume Gillet's beneficiaries. The project of a transparent glass airlock initially imagined was finally abandoned and made way for a magnificent monumental wooden door, closer to the sketches found in the archives of the original designer. A cross, made up of an assembly of "V"s similar to those that allowed Bernard Lafaille to structure the church, also appeared on the initial building permit. However, it had never been implemented. Not planned as part of the construction site, its manufacture and installation in the upper part of the canopy were finally made possible thanks to the assistance of the Association for the Defense of the Church of Royan (ADER). But, in addition to the historical interest of this operation, it is the decision to restore certain architectural elements that undoubtedly marks an important step in the conservation of concrete buildings inherited from the Modern and Reconstruction movements. During the project management studies, a partnership with the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH) made it possible to define the degree of alteration of the facings and structures, to determine the correct formulation of the leveling compounds and to specify the intervention protocols. The church was classified as a Historic Monument in 1988.

The Place Charles-de-Gaulle that we know today is the result of major renovation and restructuring work carried out in 2015. The Brigade-RAC square, on the left of the square when looking towards the market, has been redeveloped with new plantings and is directly connected to the square. The surface of the square has been renewed, new red concrete slabs, with a gray mesh, have been laid. Place Charles-de-Gaulle is often called "the red square" by the people of Royan. Place Charles-de-Gaulle hosts throughout the year, the events and demonstrations that mark the lives of the people of Royan and vacationers. At Place Charles de Gaulle, where Boulevard de la République and Rue Gambetta meet, Boulevard Briand leads to the Marché Central.

The port of Royan is located between the Foncillon district and the Grande Conche beach, in the heart of the city. Ideally located at the mouth of the Gironde, in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean and opposite Port-Médoc, it consists of a marina with a thousand rings and a fishing port, specializing in “noble” species (sole, meagre, sea bass, etc.). You will find the harbor master's office, the Fishing Port and the auction, as well as a covered shopping arcade, “Les voûtes du Port”, which extends the shopping arcades of the “Front de Mer”. Port, 1100 sheltered places – Reception pontoon – Secure pontoons. Access pass is 0.30 m above the zero of the nautical charts. Basins after dredging 2.30 m from the zero of the nautical charts. Services: water, electricity (220 V) on pontoon, toilets, WC, showers, handling in closed technical area, recovery of careening water, grey water and black water pumps, maintenance and ship repair workshops, ship chandlers on the port, wifi, 24/24 CB fuel, slipway. V.H.F. 9. The port is sheltered from all winds because it is protected by the landing stage of the ferries which ensure the crossing of the Gironde for the crossings to the Pointe de Grave/Le Verdon-sur-Mer.

Of the first star-shaped fort (1811), only a few things remain today. In 1859 its plan was redesigned with a solid ground facing the sea separated by a large ditch cutting the fort in two. The redoubt is cut off and allows the access bridge located to the north to be monitored. This redoubt has the particularity of having a specific plan. It only has a machicolation on three of its sides to the north (inland side) and on its two short sides (east and west). The tour of the solid ground is reinforced by a large masonry wall now. At the rear, the star-shaped device protects against attacks coming from the land. The site was affected by erosion and especially lost its relief after the Second World War. The battery line is still visible from the air and on the ground, only a few German and French bunkers are still outcropping. They are inaccessible. Transformed into a promenade, the site borders the coastal path that starts from the port of Royan and continues to the Grande Côte. Today, nearly 75% of the militarized surface of the late 19th century is occupied by residences and the Cordouan Thalazur hotel. The site still has some visible remains, mainly of French origin