La Vélodyssée, 1,300 km of adventure from Roscoff to Hendaye
From the flower-lined locks of the Nantes-Brest Canal to the cliffs of the Basque coast, passing through the Breton Vendée marshes, the Landes forest and the Atlantic islands, La Vélodyssée unfolds its route as close as possible to the ocean for remarkable views between land and sea.
Whether you're travelling as a couple, with family or with friends, La Vélodyssée guarantees an accessible adventure and an instant feeling of disconnection!
La Vélodyssée in figures
official opening of the route
and 9 departments crossed
of the route marked and secured
of the route on greenways or cycle paths
loops of 20 to 80 km connected to La Vélodyssée
connected cycle routes and the French section of the Atlantic Coast Route (EuroVelo 1)
The must-see sites of the Vélodyssée route
- Bloscon Point and its view of the Bay of Morlaix
- The Nantes-Brest Canal
- The Breton Marsh and the Poitevin Marsh
- Aiguillon Point, between sea and marsh
- La Coubre Lighthouse and its 300 steps
- Cordouan Lighthouse, King of Lighthouses
- Arcachon Bay and the Dune of Pilat
- The Landes Forest and its many lakes
- The Sainte-Madeleine Chapel in Bidart and its belvedere overlooking the ocean
- The Basque Coast and its panoramic view of the ocean and the Pyrenees
Cycling on La Vélodyssée is a guarantee of:
A route of great variety
Landscapes, towns, regional specialities: La Vélodyssée is so varied that it holds lovely surprises all along the route.
Varied natural landscapes
From legendary Brittany to the Loire estuary, from the Vendée marshes to the Aquitaine coastline, you will cycle through large protected areas: canals, moors, marshes, dunes, beaches, pine forests, hedgerows and ponds.
Must-see cities
Nantes, La Rochelle, Rochefort, Royan, Bayonne and Biarritz all have their own identity and deserve a longer stop. Follow the green line in Nantes, discover the history of La Rochelle, step back into the 1950s in Royan or admire the street art of Bayonne.
Tasty stops
From Breton potée to garbure, Nantes cake, grattons, shad, sand asparagus, pink onions or oysters, the journey is also a trip through the plate.
Put meeting people and sharing at the heart of your trip
You set off to discover the men and women who make the regions that La Vélodyssée passes through:
- meetings with an oyster farmer from Charente-Maritime, a winemaker from the Landes, a Basque chocolatier, a Breton lock-keeper...
- surf, canoe or yoga sessions... with a local professional
Whether you share this moment with family or friends, it's the ideal opportunity to reconnect and chat at the pace of your two wheels.
All along the route, you meet other Vélodyssée cyclists: families, couples, groups or solo travellers, young and not so young. There are those who ride "down" to the south and those who ride "up", those out for a day's ride, those travelling long distance, and those who continue La Vélodyssée along its European section, called the Atlantic Coast Route - EuroVelo 1.
Experience a different, more sustainable kind of holiday
No more rushing! Here you really take your time to discover a region, favouring gentle (non-polluting) means of transport and destinations close to home.
Whether you are travelling as a family, as a couple or with friends, you discover the Atlantic coast and all its riches at your own pace along a safe, signposted route from north to south and from south to north. The guidebooks, the GPS tracks and our website are designed to make things easier for you when organising your holiday and finding your way along the route.
Enjoy remarkable views
From Brittany, land of legends, to the Loire estuary, from the Vendée marshes to the Atlantic coast of Aquitaine, magical natural landscapes everywhere and guaranteed variety: canals, moors, marshes, dunes, beaches, pine forests, hedged farmland, ponds...
So many temptations! You will fall for the charms of must-see cities such as Nantes, La Rochelle, Rochefort, Royan, Bayonne, Biarritz...
You will love iconic tourist sites such as the Nantes-Brest Canal, the Marais Poitevin, Fort Boyard, the Bay of Arcachon, the Dune of Pilat, the Landes forest. Not to mention the must-do tasting stops for local produce.
L'itinéraire, ses boucles et suggestions de parcours
L'itinéraire, ses boucles et suggestions de parcours
La Vélodyssée, the Atlantic Cycling Route
Boucle Canal Forêt
Vous pourrez profiter des haltes qui jalonnent le parcours et partir à la découverte des itinéraires de randonnée balisés au départ du port de Blain, de l’étang du Gâvre ou de Saint Omer de Blain.
Terroir entre terre et mer
Bienvenue dans le pays de Retz… ce territoire au sud de la Loire-Atlantique offre des paysages uniques, entre océan, marais et bocage. Respirez l’air iodé, admirez le panorama et pédalez. Les paysages défilent : bourg des Moutiers, Marais de Lyarne, marais salants, plages, port du Collet avant d’arriver à Villeneuve et sur le chemin du retour, dégustation d’huîtres à la Bernerie, ça vous tente ? Donc au programme… découverte de la richesse du patrimoine et de la gentillesse des Hommes qui façonnent cette destination.
Panoramas Loop
Polders Bike Loop
La Roue Blanche (The white wheel)
Lake Carcans-Hourtin Cycle Tour Loop
Bay of Arcachon cycle tour
On this 79-kilometre cycle tour, you'll discover some of the most emblematic places in the Bay of Arcachon: the jetty at Andernos-les-Bains, the harbour at Audenge, the harbour at Biganos, the Pointe aux Chevaux, the Ornithological Reserve at Le Teich, and many more...
Boucle du Porge
The Landes, between pines, lakes and ocean
The southern Landes coast, between nature and emblematic sports
So let yourself be carried away on this cycle path, between natural and urban spaces.
