Boat trip in the Vendée marshes

The Vendée is a land of sports and adventure. There is the ocean of course, but also the marsh. In the south of the department, the Marais Poitevin is a Green Venice, a veritable cathedral of vegetation and nature, which will transport you to unique landscapes. A real little Amazon, a total change of scenery. To the north of the department, the Marais Breton Vendéen (Le Marô which is in fact 90% in the Vendée department) also promises you river adventures of interest. Browse the canals in a boat, the famous "flat" or "yole" which is advanced by pricking the floor of the canals with a "pigouille" or a "ningue". Choose a region, a pier and let's go!

Photos © Guide de la Vendée unless otherwise stated

Guided walk on the Marais Poitevin or boat rental?

The boatmen's guides will accompany you on a river trip that is as unusual as it is educational. Indeed, they are the guardians of this temple of nature and they will tell you about the fauna, flora and history of the marshes. It is fascinating and will transport you to the beginnings of human know- how in the management of territories and waters. True standards of green tourism, the Marais Poitevin and Marais Breton Vendéens are a delight to skim with family, between friends, during your stay in Vendée. Note that most piers are open from Easter to All Saints' Day (approximately April to November) and it is strongly recommended to make a reservation in advance of your arrival.

You can therefore take a walk accompanied by a boatman, but also rent a boat independently. A plan will be provided to you with the possible navigation circuits on the “conches” or “étiers” (the canals). Don't worry, there is no danger, no rapids! It's a leisurely walk...

In spring and autumn, the more grazing lights are very pretty on the Marshes, they reveal enchanting perspectives, which reveal the vegetation, the eddies on the shore and the surface of the water. At the height of summer, the Marais is a haven of coolness. No, there are no mosquitoes, as the boatmen will tell you, there are natural predators and water that seems stagnant yet moving. Frogs are the protectors of your skin, as well as dragonflies who love mosquitoes. The fauna and flora are jewels to observe in the Marshes, the calm, silence and tranquility that emerge, offer a playground particularly conducive to bird watching.

Saint-Sigismond where the canals are wide

The Dry Marsh and the Wet Marsh

The Marais Poitevin has 2 types of landscapes and environments: the dry marsh and the wet marsh. It is on the wet marsh that boat trips are possible. Wet Marshes are subject to flooding. Canals can absorb excess water in winter or during heavy rains. Sediment inputs are then conducive to market gardening, it is a rich soil that is good for vegetables! There is also the cultivation of corn (which is water-intensive) and poplar (which grows quickly when it has its feet in water). Dried Swamps exist because wet swamps absorb excess water, which keeps some lands always dry! They are also called the Polders, or the Mattes, depending on the region.

Where to go boating in Vendée?

There are many options to discover the Marais Poitevin in the south of the department. To the south-east, this is where you will find the most characteristic landscapes, with the protective and exuberant tunnels of greenery! Consult the Marais Poitevin tourist map (in fr) with the list of piers represented by pictograms. Here is a non-exhaustive list of places to go boating. Note that you can rent a rowboat or board a rowboat with a guide, but you can also canoe-kayak (more nimble than rowing boats to move around cramped canals), some piers also rent Stand Up Paddles, a fun way and with a different point of view (as you are standing) to discover the marshes.

• Mazeau pier
• Mallezais pier, which is also a place classified as a Grand Site de France
• Pier at Saint-Sigismond
• Jetty Le Gué-de-Velluire
• Damvix Pier
• Pier at Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais
  

Some piers are labeled tourism and handicap which means that they can be easily accessed, it is also to be taken into consideration for families with young children.

Boat trips are perfect for discovering the local fauna such as herons, swans, sometimes deer, frogs, water lilies, nutria, dragonflies, otters, European mink, a whole host of amphibians and reptiles... Consult the page on the Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park: 70 Bird Species in the Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park (in fr).

Pier of Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais

Mazeau pier

… Regarding vegetation, you will see many poplars, water lilies, duckweed and the famous ash-tadpoles!

Regarding the Marais Breton Vendéen, there are 7000 km of canals suitable for navigation, in a magical environment and more open than the Marais Poitevin. You can find piers in Sallertaine, Le Perrier, Notre-Dame-des-Monts, La-Barre-de-Monts, Machecoul.

The Marais near Sallertaine, in the Marais Breton Vendée, the Marô

We wish you a great holiday on the canals of the Marais de la Vendée!

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