Stroll on the Loire A long quiet river

Let yourself be surprised by a dusk ride enhanced by an aperitif on board: they are a great success. In summer, at around 7pm, passengers take their seats on the benches of a traditional boat. The sailor shares his intimate and authentic approach to the river while wielding his bourde, a long wooden rod that propels the boat in the absence of wind.

At sunset, the landscape is a delight. As the light is slow to fade from the surface of the water, the boat glides towards the jungle of the boires (dead arms of the Loire), skimming along the shore where you can see a trunk that a beaver has nibbled in its own pencil-sharpened way. On evenings when the moon is out, the darkness becomes enveloping and the ear takes over, attentive to the songs of the frogs and the trills of the nightingales. That stealthy silhouette there on the bow is indeed a beaver, snout raised above the water. Hush!

In the meantime, we’ll have had a glass of Loire wine, shared a snack, a few rillons, some goat’s cheese, and got to know each other. “It’s also very pleasant in the early hours, but people are reluctant to get up,” jokes the boatman, who also offers bivouacs, picnics on an island and themed outings. You’ll find this atmosphere at La Rabouilleuse, below the beautiful Rochecorbon hillside, or with the Boutavant association (Tours) and Endremage (Villandry).