Water sports and leisure activities Marais poitevin

50 m below the Abbey car park (access via the Abbey reception desk without going through the ticket office), this boat landing stage welcomes you for a stroll in the shade of weeping willows, ash trees and poplars. With a boatman, wander silently through the ditches, gullies and channels under the green canopy of pollarded ash trees. You can also go on your own, in a boat or a canoe, with your family or friends. Gliding on a carpet of lentils, you will travel through this labyrinth of canals and ditches, where green is king and nature is luxuriant.

The best way to discover the Venise Verte is to rent a river boat to be close to nature and enjoy the unique landscape of the green lentils covering the étiers. The pier "La grenouille Bleue" welcomes you for a boat trip (with or without a guide), canoeing or pedal boat in the conches, canals and gullies starting from the port of Damvix. Take a break on the shaded terrace at the water's edge and have a snack on the spot.

Classified as a Natura 2000 area, the banks of this 42-hectare municipal lake are a natural site ideal for relaxation. A 4.5 km trail offers walkers and joggers a typical landscape in which to admire the flora of the dried marsh and enjoy the water's edge to the full. It's a great place for fishing, with waters rich in carp. Swimming is prohibited, but it's a popular spot for picnics. Bike rentals available in summer.

Located in a small village of the Marais Poitevin, between Maillezais and Damvix, the Embarcadère de l'Autize, offers boat rental, with or without a guide, whether you are alone, in family or in group. We advise you to take advantage of the guided tours in order to learn all about the secrets of the Marais Poitevin and of this territory more precisely. Admire this unique landscape, typical of the area, which has remained in its wild state. The other plus of this pier, it proposes a small restoration on the spot. So, don't miss the opportunity to have lunch on the waterfront, in this beautiful environment.

The port has existed since the ^16th century, exporting cereals until the early 1970s. However, the construction of silos at La Pallice and restrictions on the tonnage of ships entering Marans condemned this activity. Lumber imports from the North continued until the 1990s. Now a marina, Marans has 180 berths and 10 visitor berths. Sailors benefit from a host of services: free toilets and showers 24 hours a day, drinking water and electricity on the pontoons, wifi. Above all, shops are close at hand.

Dedicated to school activities, the Lidon is open to the public for 6 weeks in summer. Access to the initiation basin and the wild marsh is free. Kayaks and canoes can be rented directly from the site at low cost for up to 3 hours (rates according to family income). There are also signposted trails to help you discover the local flora and fauna. Information on niortagglo.fr, base nautique du Lidon.

Le Bateau Ecole Poitou Charentes is a driving school located in Niort. It offers various types of license, including coastal, offshore, river and CRR, as well as boat license formulas. They also offer boat handling and rental services. The school's manager is Jérôme Berny-Tarente, and Cypriane Frot is in charge of permits and rentals.