Parc Naturel Interrégional du Marais Poitevin is a tranquil bird-filled wetland dubbed the Venise Verte (Green Venice) due to the duckweed that turns its maze of waterways emerald green each spring and summer. Covering some 800 sq km of wet and drained marsh, the marshlands are interspersed with villages and woods threaded by canals and bike paths. The whole area is becoming increasingly popular with domestic tourists, and if you want somewhere you can really melt into rural life, the Marais Poitevin waterways are unbeatable. There are two main bases from which to punt out across the waterways: the small honey-coloured town of Coulon and, our favourite, the romantic, and pretty village of Arçais.
Boating and cycling are the only way to satisfactorily explore the area and there is no shortage of operators hiring out bikes and flat-bottomed boats or kayaks for watery tours. In Arçais there are three boat operators – Arçais Venise Verte, Au Martin Pecheur and Bardet-Huttiers – all of which offer identical services for the same price: kayak per hour/half-day from €13/30, boat per hour/half-day from €15/35; guided tours are also possible. Coulon has even more operators and rates are identical. Bikes can be hired from several operators in both towns for €7/15 per hour/half-day.
Getting to either Coulon or Arçais is difficult in anything other than your own car.
