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Meschers-sur-Gironde

Sentier Détours N°1 – Meschers-sur-Gironde

Our towns and villages conceal many treasures... which are often ignored or avoided, hidden alongside the routes we take, far from the "direct" routes.

Meschers-sur-gironde

Loop

Hard coating (tar, cement, floor)

Marking "Detour Trails"

Autumn, Summer, Winter, Spring

Located at the mouth of the largest estuary in Europe, the town of Meschers-sur-Gironde, south of Royan, will surprise you with the diversity of its landscapes and atmospheres.

Between beaches, cliffs, caves and forest, the former fishing village has become a seaside resort while retaining its charm.

Its beaches, five in number, await bathers whom the locals still sometimes nickname with humor and affection the "baignassous".
Its limestone cliffs overlook the estuary, guardians of a memory of a hundred million years. Dug by nature and then fitted out by men, they still shelter a few troglodytes today. If these dwellings are for the most part private, you can discover some of them by visiting the caves of Regulus or Matata.

A natural setting Meschers-sur-Gironde is divided between forests (pine forests), "champagnes" (melons, vines and cereals), and marshes with an incredible ecosystem.
The temperate oceanic climate of the Aquitaine type offers our municipality average sunshine comparable to part of the Mediterranean coast.
The small fishing port was transformed between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries into a marina where all modern facilities are available to yachtsmen.

From the town, we invite you to take a walk through a few alleys, towards the port, along the cornice and thus allow you to appreciate the particular atmosphere of our town.
We wish you a good "Detour to" Meschers!

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On the course

Les Grottes de Matata

Les Grottes du Régulus

Port de Meschers-sur-Gironde

Open. Closes at 17:30 p.m.

Office de Tourisme Meschers-sur-Gironde

Detour Trail N°1 – Meschers-sur-Gironde

Distance: 3,4 km

Step 1: DEPARTURE

Rue Paul Massy – Place in front of the tourist office.
Walk down the street to the church.

Step 2: St-Saturnin church

Construction of a first Romanesque building in the 1th century then a second Gothic one in the 1622th century. The church was bombarded in XNUMX by a Spanish Catholic fleet. We are in the middle of a religious war. Under the blows of cannonballs, the church lost its spire.
Continue towards the port.

Église Saint-Saturnin de Meschers-sur-Gironde
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Step 3: The port

Between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, the small fishing port was transformed into a marina. Looking south, you can see the squares of Port Maran and the Ste Radegonde church in Talmont-sur-Gironde.
Join the boulevard de la cliff via the stairs.
The cliffside cavities are the result of waves working on the limestone over time. Here, we dominate old quarries.
Continue on Boulevard de la Cliff.

Port de Meschers-sur-Gironde
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Step 4: The caves (troglodytic habitats)

The origin of the name of the Matata caves still remains a mystery today. According to legend, the page of a prince, suspected of his murder, hides in the caves where he lives as a hermit. One day, he was discovered by a resident of Meschers who asked him his name. Having lost his head, he responds “Matuta” (as in the Latin poem praising the beauties of the dawn). By distortion, the name became “Matata”.
For the Régulus caves, the origin of the name is much better attested. In 1814, the French ship “Régulus” scuttled itself in front of the cliffs so as not to fall into the hands of English enemies.
We go back up Allée des Ormeaux and take Rue des Grottes on the right.
Finally, we follow the rue de l'Ancien Temple then the Allée des Acacias. We continue on the Allée du Coq Hardi to return to the starting point.

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