Loire émoi

LOIRE ÉMOI: moments of Loire just for you

Vincent has known the river forever and settled on its banks to build his boat.

For a long time, this lover of the Loire has sailed and never stopped observing this wild landscape where beavers, otters, kingfishers, and ospreys intersect the history of the river, its boats, and its men.

He will take you aboard the Sablier, his sand barge, to discover the river, its banks, and the surprises it holds, according to the current and the seasons. He will be keen to share his knowledge and make you experience the Loire.

DISCOVERY CRUISE

A Taste!

You will sail around St Dyé sur Loire, Port de Chambord. Together, we will discuss the role of this port in the construction of Château de Chambord, the history of the Loire Navy, and enjoy the joys of the surrounding nature.

In summer, departing early, you will discover the often bustling activity of birds taking advantage of the mild temperatures of the early morning.

Price for 1 hour:

Adult: 14 Euros

Child (under 12 years old): 10 Euros

Full boat (12 seats): 140 Euros

SAND CRUISE

The use of this boat, like other ancient extraction methods, remained artisanal and respected the great balances of the Loire ecosystem.

You will discover the techniques used by rough-living men who each day carried significant quantities of sand, then returned to their unloading point with a boat loaded to its maximum. All that was left for them was to empty this precious cargo dearly earned with the sweat of their brows.

Loire sand, widely used for construction, is particularly prized for its mechanical qualities (very good grain cohesion). High demand for this material, during the generalization of concrete use in construction, led to the evolution of extraction techniques and overexploitation of this resource.

Price for 1.5 hours:

Adult: 19 Euros

Child (under 12 years old): 13 Euros

Full boat (12 seats): 190 Euros

ÎLE DES GUÊPIERS CRUISE

A rare bird in our region, the European Kingfisher settles in natural environments, consisting of sand cliffs formed by erosion fronts. For a few years now, these birds have invested a small arm of the Loire, the vertical and sandy banks of which are surmounted by a vast undeveloped meadow. It is from the island facing these cliffs that we can observe these magnificent birds, without disturbing them, discreetly, in the shade behind a curtain of vegetation.

Grab your binoculars, let's observe them and discover the life on a Loire island along the way...

Price for 2 hours:

Adult: 23 Euros

Child (under 12 years old): 17 Euros

Full boat (12 seats): 230 Euros

TWILIGHT CRUISE

Departure 2 hours before sunset

Come and enjoy this moment of great intimacy with the river.

You will discover the Loire at the end of the day when human activity has almost deserted its waters and banks.

You'll encounter birds returning to their nests for the night, their flights highlighted by the colors of the sunset.

In this regained calm, we may have the chance to encounter discreet animals like the beaver or even the otter returning to our waters.

Highlight of this unforgettable evening: the sunset over a bend in the Loire and its invitation to reverie.

Price for 1 hour and a half :

Adult: 19 Euros

Child (under 12 years old): 13 Euros

Full boat (12 seats): 210 Euros

Possibility of boat privatization for a picnic.

PICNIC CRUISE

PRIVATE CRUISE

Privatized boat

Approximately 2 hours

You embark with your coolers and can enjoy your provisions, sitting on the boat during the stroll or on an island if access is possible.

Price 240 Euros

Privatized boat

Minimum 2 hours

Rate:

Full boat (12 seats) 240 Euros

Additional hour 120 Euros

"The Loire is always near me. I contemplate it in winter when it shakes in its sheets of mist; I wade in it in summer from dawn; I sense its moods, its fatigue; I breathe it, I scrutinize it, I speak to it: I love it. It surrounds us, it swallows us, it surpasses us, it escapes us. Wild, unpredictable, alternately dark and clear-headed, playful, languid, aggressive, squeezed in a corset of shrill gorges or stretching lazily its boredom of vast valley, sullen or bouncy, vaporous or tense, in the concrete of reservoirs or in the endless beaches of summer low waters, it does too much, it tires us, it annoys us, it seduces us and touches us with its charm and feeling." Jean-Marie Laclavetine