Further afield

The Rio Sarapiqui rises in the lagoon of Poas, one of the most active volcanoes in Costa Rica. It cuts its way through the rainforest and meanders for 83 km, alternating between calm and swift waters. The air is clean, the water fresh and the animals are free to roam where they like. It’s the ideal setting for a rafting trip with our calm and attentive instructor Bryan. Halfway down, fresh pineapple (cut up with a machete) replaces the traditional packet of Galettes St Michel, and a typical Tico casado awaits you at the finish.

From his home port of Le Thoureil or Saint Martin de la Place, Alain offers his visitors the chance of a trip down the Loire on board a toue sablière, the traditional Loire river boat used for sand extraction. This is a gentle way of travelling, in harmony with the flora and fauna on Europe’s last great untamed river. During a short sunset excursion or a couple of days on the move, the toue makes its way past the villages of the Loire, towards Saumur and even Angers. Don’t forget your cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes – there’s so much to see!

The Breton-Vendée marshes are known as Marô in local dialect. They were shaped by human hand between Brittany and Poitou, with due consideration for the natural environment. This is a vast wetland, where salt water from the Bay of Bourgneuf mingles with freshwater from the bocage. It is salt-marsh farming and livestock breeding country, criss-crossed by 7,000 km of canals suitable for gentle navigation. To help you understand this mosaic of canals, Luc and Anthony offer canoeing and/or cycling trips around Sallertaine Island, as far as Moulin de Rairé windmill. If you like slow tourism, make a detour via the salt route: La Route du Sel.

Ride around Noirmoutier and along the vast beaches of the Vendée on the Vélodyssée route between Pornic and La Rochelle. Visit the bocage and have breakfast in Les Sables d’Olonne. Once you’ve arrived in La Rochelle harbour, you’ll be back on your bike in no time to visit the Ile de Ré, simply because you don’t want to stop! On the Loire by Bike route (Loire à Vélo) from Blois to Saint Brevin les Pins, why not stop off at the Villandry Gardens and Amboise, or make a detour via the Château d’Azay le Rideau and discover the Saumur region’s troglodyte dwellings? Stroll around the island town of Chalonnes sur Loire and enjoy the gentle Anjou climate, before heading for the 130-m aluminium sculpture “Ocean Serpent” on Saint Brevin les Pins foreshore. In short, take your time!

Abel Tasman National Park has no inland roads and some parts are inaccessible on foot. Yet the bay is full of secluded orange sand beaches, caves, sea lion islands and lagoons. You can explore it independently by kayak (marine map in hand). After an unforgettable bivouac on the beach, at the edge of the forest, the Robinson Crusoes for a day are brought back to the mainland by taxi boat (from a meeting point chosen 2 days earlier), having experienced a special moment in contact with nature. This daydream is located in New Zealand, at the northernmost point of the South Island. “It’s far away, but it’s (really) beautiful !”