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The Forest of La Coubre, on Foot, Cycling, Riding, by Car We are very proud of the forest of La
Coubre which is one of the jewels of the Pays Royannais and
Charente-Maritime.
It covers more than 5 000 hectares bordering the coast along the
peninsula of Arvert. It's an easy forest to reach, set against a relief of dunes,
airy, clear and penetrated by shafts of sunlight.
It is pleasant to explore the forest at any time of the year,
either walking, cycling, riding or by car. You may be lucky enough to see two roe deers crossing a path,
which was the case during our walk in May, 2002 when most of the
photos on this page were taken, a time when the gorse and broom
added colour to the forest.
The forest was actually built by man
Although it looks so
natural today, the forest was actually built by
man. The maritime pines were planted in the19th
Century to prevent the encroachment of the sand.
The reinforcement work
on the dunes and the establishment of the forest
are on-going works and are part of a steady policy
to fight against the wind and marine erosion.
To find out more about the current conservation
programmes, you can visit the page dedicated to
the forest of La Coubre on the excellent site of
the National Office of Forests.
site web
Although the forest forms a major part of the
touristic landscape, it is also an important
economic asset producing a large amount of timber.
To return to the storm of December, 1999, the
National Office of Forests stated that the
equivalent of ten years yield of timber was
brought down during that storm.
The collection of the
pine resin
50 years ago, an activity existed which employed a
large work force but which disappeared in the
1960's.
It was the gemmage, the collection of the
pine resin.
Some people will remember the small jars fixed to
the trunks of the pines to collect the resin.
Regarding the roads and parking areas, the
National Office of Forests has achieved some
remarkable work in restoring roads and paths made
unusable by the storm of December, 1999.
To answer an increasing demand, new routes are
regularly looked for and put into service.
The forest is gradually being restored to its
previous state but nevertheless, there are still
vast areas where the trees have been felled and
piles of timber awaiting removal.
Please note that
on Thursdays, which are set aside for hunting,
there are restrictions to certain areas and routes
in the forest.
On foot...
It is possible to walk in the forest quite freely.
There are no rules for pedestrians.
However, by
following the pedestrian paths, which are clearly
marked, it is easier to find the route and general
direction.
The National Office of Forests organises conducted
tours every morning during the season, except
Sundays and holidays.
Meet at 10 am in the parking area of La Bouverie
(road 44), along the Côte Sauvage.
For further information, please telephone
beforehand :
Tel. 05 46 90 65 53.
It's an excellent way to discover the riches of
the forest of La Coubre and the work of the
foresters.
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