Plage de Soulac-sur-Mer
La Vélodyssée ® A.Lamoureux

Cycling along the Gironde coast

Explore all the natural riches of the Gironde in a single cycling trip!

mer velodyssee

Your route starts in Soulac-sur-Mer, then passes through the seaside resorts of Montalivet-les-Bains, Hourtin, Carcans, Lacanau and Le Porge, before reaching the Cap Ferret peninsula, gateway to the Bay of Arcachon. Between maritime pine forests, fishing villages and oyster-farming ports, the route ends in Arcachon, but can be extended with a stopover at the Dune du Pilat, the highest dune in Europe.

😍 This route is completely safe, signposted from end to end and accessible to all. It uses 70% greenways and can be returned to the starting point by train.

📍 160 km
⏱️ 4 stages
🏁 Soulac-sur-Mer ➡️ Arcachon
🚲 I cycle often


Practical info
© David Remazeilles (Gironde Tourisme)

Jour 1 : Bordeaux > Soulac > Montalivet (22 km)

From Bordeaux, you can reach the small seaside town of Soulac-sur-Mer by TER in less than 2 hours. This is the northern end of the Médoc wine region. It's under the spell of Soulac-sur-Mer, with its lively streets and seaside villas, that you take the La Vélodyssée route to Montalivet.

Practical info: Soulac's covered market is open every day, all year round, from 8am to 1pm.

🛏️ In Montalivet, a number of accommodation establishments with the Accueil Vélo label welcome you in the midst of unspoilt countryside.

voyage en solo sur la velodyssee
Aurelie Stapf – porteurdesonge.com

Day 2: Montalivet > Lacanau Océan (52 km)

Here you are on the Côte d'Argent, the kingdom of cycle paths. La Vélodyssée has chosen the middle route to reach Hourtin through the forest. In the surrounding area, there are plenty of options for refreshing yourself in the ocean or in one of the vast lakes, including the one at Hourtin, which is the largest in France!

The nature reserves encountered along the way are proof that these wide-open spaces are populated, rich and much more diverse than you might think at first glance.

🛏️ Overnight accommodation: hotels, campsites, holiday villages - choose from accommodation with the Accueil Vélo label.

David Remazeilles (Gironde Tourisme)

Day 3: Lacanau > Arès / Andernos (40 - 45 km)

100% green route on this pleasant stage between dunes and forest! Don't hesitate to leave the cycle path to take advantage of the few links to the sea and enjoy the magnificent views of the ocean.

Next, La Vélodyssée continues on its way, discovering new horizons as it heads towards the Bay of Arcachon. You'll see that the atmosphere is radically different, with the return of the world of oysters. For a shorter stay, you can treat yourself to a royal alternative with the tracks leading to Cap Ferret (16.5 km) and then cross the Bassin by boat to arrive directly in Arcachon.

🛏️ The Fontaine Vieille campsite, which has the Accueil Vélo label, can accommodate you overnight.

Andernos ©A. Stapf
Aurelie Stapf – porteurdesonge.com

Day 4: Arès / Andernos > Arcachon > Bordeaux (42 km)

The Vélodyssée follows an old railway line. You'll recognise the stations, then leave ‘the rails’ to enjoy a cycle ride over the Arcachon basin and the surrounding towns. Shortly after Lanton, you enter the Landes de Gascogne Regional Nature Park, with the towns of Audenge, Biganos and Le Teich. Here, a visit to the Parc Ornithologique du Teich is a must, and in Gujan Mestras the 6 oyster-farming harbours are also worth a diversion.

Arcachon already marks the end of this route! If you want to enjoy one last evening, treat yourself to a meal in one of the town's restaurants  and stay in one of the accommodation establishments with the Accueil Vélo label.

ℹ️ ALL PRACTICAL INFORMATION


➡️ Type of route: linear with return by train


🚆 Access to the route and return to the departure point

By train:

  • Access Bordeaux from the main and regional lines: Paris / Toulouse / Hendaye / Tarbes / Arcachon / Lille-Flandres / Strasbourg / Nantes / Nîmes / Marseille-Saint-Charles / Brussels-Midi 

For the return to the departure point: line 41. 2U (Bordeaux <> Arcachon) on the TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine network will take you to Bordeaux from Arcachon station (less than an hour's journey)


⚠️ Due to major peaks in traffic during the summer, a number of services for cyclists will be introduced thanks to a partnership between La Vélodyssée / SNCF / Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine (information to come very soon).
 

🚲 Bike hire 

💡 To avoid having to return by train with your bikes, one-way hire is the ideal solution: see the "one-way" bike hire companies on La Vélodyssée
 

📓 Getting your bearings on the route

Many paper guides will help you follow this route, find the references.
 

Tailor-made itineraries

Accommodation Useful information Leasure Restauration

Accommodation Useful information Leasure Restauration

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Je débute / En famille
Je me dépasse
J'ai l'habitude

Tailor-made itineraries

Royan / Montalivet-les-Bains

25 Royan / Montalivet-les-Bains

30 km
2 h 00 min
I begin / Family
Upon entering the Gironde, a new world reveals itself to travellers on La Vélodyssée. La pointe de Grave also marks the end of the Médoc, a landscape of great variety, depending on whether you cross the west coast or the estuary and the vineyards. Pleasant cycle lanes wind their way from Verdon to the charming Soulac-sur-Mer with its lively streets and pretty seaside villas, we take the trail towards Montalivet. To the north of this stage, the sea entices you in for a cooling dip; to the south there is a more forested area which is most pleasant in fine weather.
Montalivet-les-Bains / Hourtin-Plage

26 Montalivet-les-Bains / Hourtin-Plage

20 km
1 h 20 min
I begin / Family
From Montalivet to Naujac (apart from a large chicane and a gentle bend) you can ride on autopilot on this part of La Vélodyssée as you breathe in the scent of the pine trees – there is very little chance of getting lost here: head directly south through the Flamand national forest. The Côte d’Argent truly is the kingdom of cycle lanes. La Vélodyssée follows the central path to meet Hourtin via the forest. The surrounding area offers numerous choices of where you can stop for a refreshing splash in one of the vast lakes, one of which is Hourtin - the largest in France!
Hourtin-Plage / Lacanau-Océan

27 Hourtin-Plage / Lacanau-Océan

34 km
2 h 07 min
I cycle a lot
Still in the forest and still on cycle paths. The natural reserves encountered throughout the route demonstrate that these large spaces are populated, rich in wildlife and a lot more diverse that we may first think…
Lacanau-Océan / Lège-Cap-Ferret

28 Lacanau-Océan / Lège-Cap-Ferret

37 km
2 h 27 min
I begin / Family
A pleasant stage of La Vélodyssée on designated lanes between dunes and the forest. Take time out to stray off the cycle lane and appreciate one of the handful of connections to the sea and enjoy the fantastic ocean views. Take care on the Atlantic beaches! You’re constantly discovering new horizons in the direction of Bassin d’Arcachon Bay. A hugely different atmosphere with a return to the land of oysters. Here we can take a splendid alternative route down the tracks leading to Cap Ferret
Lège-Cap-Ferret / Arcachon

29 Lège-Cap-Ferret / Arcachon

42 km
2 h 48 min
I cycle often
Those nostalgic for the trains of yesteryear, welcome! Except for a shared section with traffic between Lège and Arès, La Vélodyssée now follows the former steam-train tracks. We pass stations and you’ll need to “go off the rails” to truly enjoy Arcachon Bay and surrounding villages.The forests of Gironde disappear, to be replaced by urban landscapes during this stage around the Bassin d’Arcachon. A little way after Lanton, we find ourselves in the Regional Natural Park of the Landes de Gascogne, which is fragrant with the iodised and authentic air of Aquitaine.