RDV at the Créon bike station.
Outside, a young family’s getting ready to head off for a few hours’ cycle trek, on a sunny Sunday. The two kids, Gaston (2 years old) and Lucie (4 years old), are really thrilled at the idea of climbing into the trailer behind their dad. Their first bike ride! With its slightly rolling tracks and its preserved nature, Entre-deux-Mers is an almost endless playground for cycling tourists.
This time round, we’ve opted for the well-known Roger Lapébie bikeway: a track exclusively reserved for bikes which runs along the old railway line.
Starting out from Latresne, this greenway proposes 45 km across Entre-deux-Mers before reaching Sauveterre-de-Guyenne.
The track can be reached from the centre of Bordeaux, via a continuous bikeway, departing from Saint-Jean Bridge, which has been rather impacted in recent months because of roadworks on the quays.
Grande-Sauve Abbey (or Sauve-Majeure Abbey), the majestic
This time round, we’ve cheated (a bit) by renting e-bikes, at the Créon bike station. With our hair blowing in the wind, the track’s all ours! We pass by a few happy cyclists, a whole family with grandparents, parents and kids.
At La Sauve, a group has settled under the trees near the old train station covered with graffiti. First stop-off to visit Grande-Sauve Abbey (or Sauve-Majeure Abbey).
This 12th-century Romanesque work of art is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The parts still standing invite to discover admirable capitals where biblical illustrations meet monsters from bygone ages, or from the far-distant East (entrance €6, free for under 26 years old). Don’t miss the vista over the village and the surrounding scenescape from the top of the steeple.
Espiet Lake and its turquoise water
Back again on the Lapébie bikeway, we cycle on to Espiet train station, revamped as a delightful restaurant-second-hand shop. Perfect for lunch. 6 min further, by heading off the track, we come across Espiet Lake. A former quarry transformed into a lake with water that is ever-so turquoise as a result of the limestone. At summer’s peak, the spot attracts beach lovers and water sports’ enthusiasts. Here, you can have a drink or lunch at the Brasserie du Lac which overlooks the water.
Further along the route, landscapes change as we reach Guillac and give way to vine plots, with a few gradient straight sections (real leg exhausters). The most motivated will ride on to Frontenac over the course of the day and will enjoy a drink in the Archange bar-restaurant at the heart of the village before heading back again. And the most sportive will even cycle on to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne (32 km from Créon).
A live event bikeway
To vary pleasures, Créon bike station proposes a host of loop tracks with puzzles to solve. During summer, the Lapébie bikeway becomes the track under the stars every Saturday night with concerts, entertainment and local producers to discover, heading out from Créon bike station. And, in September, the Rock School Barbey organizes the nomad Ouvre la Voie music Festival. Yet another great reason to come back again!
Info:
Créon bike station, from June to September, open 7/7 from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 7pm.
+33 5 57 34 30 95
lepointrelaisvelo-creon.fr
Hybrid bike rental: €10 half day and €15 full day.
Independent journalist, specializing in environmental issues and in love with nature.