RoutesHiking trails & RoutesFranceNew AquitaineRochefortRoyan
Chay Beach – Port of Royan loop from Royan
RoutesHiking trails & RoutesFranceNew AquitaineRochefortRoyan
Chay Beach – Port of Royan loop from Royan
Easy
5.0
(4)
79
hikers
Chay Beach – Port of Royan loop from Royan
01:44
6.63km
50m
Hiking
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: June 18, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Parking
Get Directions
1
893 m
Casino Barriere
Highlight • Other
📍 Origins and Beginnings
The tradition of games and entertainment in Pontaillac dates back to the late 19th century, with gambling clubs such as the Kursaal (around 1880) and the Otrada (1892). These establishments preceded the current casino and catered to a seaside and aristocratic clientele; they combined games, cafes, and entertainment on the beach.
In 1902, La Restauration was built in Pontaillac, on the site of various games and entertainment venues. It served as a cafe-restaurant but also attracted gambling enthusiasts, such as horse racing.
🎲 Construction of the Sporting/Casino (1930s)
In the 1930s, La Restauration was replaced by a new building called the Sporting, designed by the architect Auguste Bluysen, a specialist in modern casinos of the time. Built of concrete on stilts directly on Pontaillac beach, the building features a rationalist and Art Deco architecture typical of the interwar period, sometimes surprising with its style reminiscent of the 1950s.
🪖 World War II
During World War II, the Sporting remained open, primarily serving German soldiers.
During the massive bombings of 1945, which destroyed much of Royan, the Pontaillac casino was one of the few to survive, as it was virtually untouched by the raids.
🎭 Post-War and Golden Age
After the war, the casino became a central hub of Royan's social life. It reopened in 1948, and the 1950s and 60s constituted a cultural golden age, with a rich program of shows, concerts, dances, and galas. Under the leadership of its "musician-director" Roger Genty, major French and international stars performed on its stage: Josephine Baker, Jacques Brel, Sacha Distel, Georges Brassens, Fernand Raynaud, Henri Salvador, and others.
🎰 Contemporary Era
In 1986, the casino was acquired by the Lucien Barrière group, which expanded its operations by modernizing the gaming areas, adding slot machines, a bar, restaurants, and other services, while maintaining its role as a year-round entertainment hub.
Today, the Casino Barrière in Royan-Pontaillac is the only casino still operating in the Royan area, bearing witness to more than a century of seaside history, gaming, and entertainment.
The tradition of games and entertainment in Pontaillac dates back to the late 19th century, with gambling clubs such as the Kursaal (around 1880) and the Otrada (1892). These establishments preceded the current casino and catered to a seaside and aristocratic clientele; they combined games, cafes, and entertainment on the beach.
In 1902, La Restauration was built in Pontaillac, on the site of various games and entertainment venues. It served as a cafe-restaurant but also attracted gambling enthusiasts, such as horse racing.
🎲 Construction of the Sporting/Casino (1930s)
In the 1930s, La Restauration was replaced by a new building called the Sporting, designed by the architect Auguste Bluysen, a specialist in modern casinos of the time. Built of concrete on stilts directly on Pontaillac beach, the building features a rationalist and Art Deco architecture typical of the interwar period, sometimes surprising with its style reminiscent of the 1950s.
🪖 World War II
During World War II, the Sporting remained open, primarily serving German soldiers.
During the massive bombings of 1945, which destroyed much of Royan, the Pontaillac casino was one of the few to survive, as it was virtually untouched by the raids.
🎭 Post-War and Golden Age
After the war, the casino became a central hub of Royan's social life. It reopened in 1948, and the 1950s and 60s constituted a cultural golden age, with a rich program of shows, concerts, dances, and galas. Under the leadership of its "musician-director" Roger Genty, major French and international stars performed on its stage: Josephine Baker, Jacques Brel, Sacha Distel, Georges Brassens, Fernand Raynaud, Henri Salvador, and others.
🎰 Contemporary Era
In 1986, the casino was acquired by the Lucien Barrière group, which expanded its operations by modernizing the gaming areas, adding slot machines, a bar, restaurants, and other services, while maintaining its role as a year-round entertainment hub.
Today, the Casino Barrière in Royan-Pontaillac is the only casino still operating in the Royan area, bearing witness to more than a century of seaside history, gaming, and entertainment.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
2
1.75 km
Doctor Guillon's Bathtubs
Highlight • Structure
In 1872, Doctor Guillon had egg-shaped bathtubs dug into the rocks of Bec des Brandes in Pontaillac, where the sea entered through an orifice and which were used to treat scrofula (common chronic infections of the skin and mucous membranes). They are still visible on the rocks near the Villa Les Roches.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
2.41 km
Plage du Pigeonnier
Beach
4
3.14 km
Chay Beach
Highlight • Beach
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.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
5
4.55 km
Port of Royan
Highlight • Structure
The Port of Royan is a marina located in the heart of the town of Royan, on the Atlantic coast. It's a great place to enjoy the sea breeze and the view of the boats and the estuary.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
6
5.39 km
Royan's Red Square
Highlight • Other
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 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.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
7
5.72 km
Royan Church
Highlight • Other
very impressive. the church is characterized by its concrete structure, a real feat of the engineers and architects in charge of the reconstruction of Royan after the bombings of 1945
Translated by Google •
Tip by
8
5.78 km
Notre-Dame Church, Royan
Highlight • Religious Site
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.
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.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
B
6.63 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
3.52 km
1.33 km
1.17 km
564 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
3.26 km
2.67 km
359 m
241 m
< 100 m
< 100 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Wednesday 1 July
27°C
16°C
0 %
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Max wind speed: 25.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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