South of Royan, Saint-Georges-de-Didonne is a family-friendly seaside resort. On the right bank, at the mouth of the Gironde, the town lives to the rhythm of the estuary. At the gateway to the Atlantic, the maritime pine and holm oak forest surrounds Saint-Georges. Let's explore this town where village spirit and seaside resort form a beautiful harmony.
A favorable coastline
to activities
We enter the maze of narrow streets of the city center where seaside villas and typical Charente houses rub shoulders. After a detour to the market halls, we finally meet for a drink on the church squareIn the summer season, Saint-Georges-de-Didonne comes alive: concerts, shows for children and even night markets.
Close to the city center, the big beach of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne extends for almost 3 km. A must-see place for family holidays In Charente-Maritime, you can enjoy the fine sand and experience the pleasures of swimming. Beyond just relaxing, the Grande Plage is also a real open-air playground.
Activities at sea and on land
Let's try water sports, they are what make Saint-Georges-de-Didonne famous, an important place for practicing water sports. yachting In France. Since 1961, the Nautical base of Saint-Georges Voiles slides its boats at low tide on the Grande Plage. On the beach of Vallières, Char Latitude also offers the discovery of sand yachting and stand-up paddle. Lovers of thrills, why not try out more contemporary sports such as hoverboarding, jet-skiing or even speed-sailing.
If you don't have sea legs? Don't panic! The seaside resort offers a multitude of activities: a bike ride on the cycle path, part of the 2 Seas Canal®, which runs along the main beach, or a trip in a quad bike with friends or family along the Saint-Georges seafront. And for those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground? Let's opt for a walk towards the port on the Charles Martel promenade. From there, you can enjoy an unmissable view of the Vallières lighthouse and Port of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne.
Vallières lighthouse
and the port of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne
From the top of its 25 meters, Vallières lighthouse is the essential building of the station. In the XNUMXth century, the lighthouse also served as a landmark for Gironde pilots to enter the estuary. Since 2004, it belongs to the municipality of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, and since 2012 is classified as an historic monument. The building can be visited, moreover, every day between June and September.
At the foot of the Vallières lighthouse, the small marina of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne overlooks the mouth of the Gironde estuary. A former fishing and trading port, it was completely refurbished in the XNUMXth century with the arrival of the pilots. Indeed, the poor state of the port of Royan and the silting up of the old port of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer posed difficulties for them. The port of Saint-Georges thus served as pilot station for boaters, these guides who helped the sailors to circulate in the estuary.
A haven of nature and history: Suzac
True green lung of the Saint-Georgeaise coast, the Suzac forest massif offers a network of trails in the heart of the pine forest. Spread over more than 350 hectares, the forest is one of the preserved areas of the Royan region. Property of the Conservatoire du Littoral, let's discover this natural site while respecting the spirit of the place.
In the forest of Suzac, Estuary Park welcomes us for a fun and educational immersion into the fauna and flora of the Gironde estuary. A site of the Echappées Nature network of Charente Maritime, the park is made up of several visiting areas and discovery trails. Watchtower is the showcase of the Estuary Park. We climb to an altitude of 55 m to enjoy an exceptional 360° panorama of the estuary and the expanse of the Suzac forest massif. At the end of the visit, we also enjoy the panoramic terrace of the transat café which offers one of the most beautiful views of the Gironde estuary.
Suzac Point
Want to see more about this estuarine ecosystem? Direction the tip of Suzac!
On the way, a small beach is revealed, that of Concheau from Suzac. Far from the urban bustle, this wild and preserved space is perfect for lovers of nature and authenticity. Between beaches and forest, the rocky outcrop that is the Pointe de Suzac is a veritable belvedere over the Gironde estuaryWe enjoy the view of, on the one hand, the large beach of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne and on the other hand the beach of Suzac, beach of the neighboring town of Meschers-sur-Gironde, which can be reached by taking the coastal path.
La Point of Suzac is a great place to awaken your senses. Smell, listen and contemplate the jewels of the estuarine fauna and flora, where the blackcap, the celestial blue, the blue tit, the common swift and the dune pink, the Pyrenean viper's bugloss, the wild thyme, the dune everlasting, the sea fennel...
We also find on the Pointe de Suzac the presence of military remains in several places and from several eras mixing Napoleonic fort of the XNUMXth century and german blockhouses of the Second World War nestled on the side of the cliff.
As Odilon Redon said: “Saint-Georges, a delightful little village with its intimate beach, is always peaceful and family friendly”.
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