In the 18th century, Marans was linked to La Rochelle by a canal built to transport animal hides, which were imported from Quebec and treated at workshops along the Sèvre. Walk the towpath today to see the period houses of wealthy merchants and ship owners.

Find out about the different landscapes of the Marais Poitevin at the peaceful nature reserve in Nalliers-Mouzeuil and visit the bird reserve of Saint-Denis-du-Payré which welcomes more than 120 species every year, many of them seasonal visitors. A 17th century farmhouse at Chaillé-les-Marais is home to the Maison du Petit Poitou, a nature centre where visitors can learn about local life, costumes, and fishing, and even meet some native Poitou donkeys with their shaggy, chocolate-brown hair.

On the northern edge of the marshes, Fontenay-le-Comte boasts some elegant Renaissance architecture as well as buildings dating from the Middle Ages. Gateway to the Vendée and the Pays de la Loire region, the town’s treasures include the Château de Terre-Neuve, Notre Dame church and its Romanesque crypt, and the Quatre Tias fountain.

The Sèvre-Niortaise meanders its way through the marshes to join the sea at the Baie de l’Aiguillon, an almost circular bay that indents the coastline north of La Rochelle.

Dramatically different from the two inland landscapes of the Marais Poitevin, the bay is nevertheless an integral part of the whole eco-system with an undeveloped seashore belonging to fishermen and birds. Here the shore is a combination of rich mud banks – exposed twice a day at low tide – and salt meadows grazed by sheep.
Ducks and geese feed on the meadow plants whilst wading birds sift the shallows for shellfish. The bird reserve at Pointe d’Arçay includes a mix of habitats, the headland planted with conifers to preserve the fragile environment – guided visits only. Aiguillon Bay is renowned for the quality of its mussels, which are farmed on lines of vertical poles or bouchots in the rich Atlantic waters – visit the Maison de la Mytiliculture at Esnandes to find out more. Then stop off at Port du Pavé near Charron where the river meets the sea. The road runs out amongst a cluster of tractors, trailers and small boats – a bustling scene as fishermen return from the bay. Look out too for wooden fishing cabins perched high above the shallows on stilts, each one equipped with a large square net or carrelet which can be lowered at high tide – an iconic scene here and elsewhere on the Poitou-Charentes coast.