Tours to Le Croisic Cycling Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Tours
You will arrive in Tours and have time to enjoy its old, lively quarters. Place Plumereau, a beautiful square lined with half-timbered houses, is the heart of the old town, and the splendid Gothic cathedral is well worth a look.

Day 2: Tours – Azay-le-Rideau (35 km, variant 45 km; +150 m, variant +170 m)
You will leave the city on the Loire à Vélo cycle route and ride to Villandry, renowned for its magnificent gardens, considered among the finest in Europe and laid out across three elegant terraces. Then you will continue to Azay-le-Rideau, where an exquisite Renaissance château is reflected in the waters of the River Indre. If you wish, an optional detour follows the Loire to Langeais and its magnificent 15th-century château, one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in the valley.

Day 3: Azay-le-Rideau – Chinon (38 km; +200 m)
More marvels await you today. You will pass the château of Ussé, the "Sleeping Beauty" castle said to have inspired Perrault's famous fairy tale, before reaching the medieval town of Chinon, crowned by its fortress and famous for the red wine so admired by Rabelais.

Day 4: Chinon – Saumur (35 km, Fontevraud option +12 km; +200 m)
The Loire à Vélo route will lead you to Candes-Saint-Martin, with its magnificent 12th- and 13th-century collegiate church, and on to the beautiful village of Montsoreau. You will continue past troglodyte sites and vineyards to the lovely town of Saumur. If you have the energy, you can ride out to Fontevraud Abbey, Europe's largest remaining monastic complex and the necropolis of the Plantagenet kings. An optional canoe trip on the Vienne and the Loire, from Chinon to Montsoreau (about 3 hours), can be booked as an extra.

Day 5: Saumur – Angers (58 km; +305 m)
You will first follow the Loire before crossing the vineyards of Anjou. The day ends in the peaceful city of Angers, whose château shelters the famous Apocalypse Tapestry.

Day 6: Angers – Le Mesnil-en-Vallée or Ancenis (42 km or 68 km; +245 m or +325 m)
A first stage in the heart of the Anjou vineyards, among the Coteaux de la Loire and the Coteaux de l'Aubance. Do not miss a stop in Savennières, famous for its dry white wine, before riding across Chalonnes island in the middle of the Loire. The stage ends in Le Mesnil-en-Vallée or in Ancenis, depending on where your accommodation is booked.

Day 7: Le Mesnil-en-Vallée or Ancenis – Nantes (64 km or 40 km; +125 m or +95 m)
You will continue along the banks of the Loire, where changing natural landscapes, wild animals and birds keep you company. A peaceful ride brings you to Champtoceaux, in its magnificent setting on the old boundary between Anjou and Brittany. Then you will ride on to Nantes, a dynamic city with plenty to visit and countless pedestrian streets to explore.

Day 8: Nantes – Saint-Brévin-les-Pins (65 km; +230 m)
You will leave the city on a small boat across the river and pick up the Loire à Vélo cycle path again. Further on, a narrow canal will guide you through a peaceful landscape of marshland and countryside to the estuary of the Loire at Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, a seaside resort with a wide sandy beach framed by dunes and pine forest: an ideal place to relax after a long day in the saddle.

Day 9: Saint-Brévin-les-Pins – Le Croisic (bus transfer + 58 km; +180 m)
From the Loire estuary to the wild coast of Le Croisic. After a short bus transfer across the Saint-Nazaire bridge, you will discover the famous salt marshes of Guérande and its medieval town, set in the heart of a protected natural park and rich in testimonies of its past. You will then follow the wild coast to Le Croisic, a fishing harbour and a very beautiful seaside village.

Day 10: Le Croisic – day at leisure or excursion to Le Pouliguen and La Baule (optional 55 km; +185 m)
The day is yours. You can explore the pretty village of Le Croisic, its coves, beaches and the rocks scattered along the coastal path. Or you can ride out to Le Pouliguen, a pretty seaside resort, and on to one of the largest bays in Europe, between La Baule and Pornichet, cycling past elegant villas nestled among the pine trees.

Day 11: Departure
After breakfast, your tour comes to an end and you will depart during the day.