Candes-Saint-Martin One of the most beautiful villages in France

At the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers, visit the village of Candes-Saint-Martin and its pretty white tuffeau houses with slate roofs. The golden sandbanks and traditional boats complete the scenery: from the north bank of the Vienne, you have one of the most emblematic viewpoints in the Loire Valley!

Visit Candes-Saint-Martin

Follow the short 4km route up to the aptly-named Rue du Panorama! In Place de l’Eglise, admire the collegiate church of Saint-Martin and its Plantagenet Gothic architecture, while sitting on the terrace of theAuberge de la Route d’Or.

Opposite, discover the contemporary jewellery of Gabrielle Plasse, one of the craftswomen present in Candes-Saint-Martin, such as Intérieur Lumière and its sublime lampshades, or La Petite Forge Candaise and its knives. And while we’re on the subject of shopping, we should also mention Le Jardin des Envies herbalist shop, also located in the main street, which leads to the amazing Street Art Parc.

Candes-Saint-Martin walk

Canoeing from the Vienne

From Chinon, take a trip with Chinon Loisirs Activités Nature and paddle to Montsoreau or Saumur, passing by Candes-Saint-Martin.

You can also hire canoes from the Terres de Belles Rives campsite.

In Candes-Saint-Martin

Stay in the magnificent setting of the Château de Candes (several houses and suites, with access to a spa) or at the Terres de Belles Rives campsite, with, for example, an unusual night on a boat!

Around Candes-Saint-Martin

Candes-Saint-Martin is right next door to another of France’s most beautiful villages, Montsoreau, located in the Anjou region and boasting a château dedicated to contemporary art. Together, they make an excellent stop-off point on the GR®3 and La Loire à Vélo cycle routes!

Six kilometres further south, discover Fontevraud l’Abbaye and its impressive monastic complex. And of course, don’t forget to take a stroll through Chinon, a town of art and history. Between Candes-Saint-Martin and Chinon, you can visit Château du Petit Thouars(aChinon AOCwine estate ) and Le Vazereau(an educational farm and direct sales of cheeses, including Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine AOC).

The Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Nature Park

Candes-Saint-Martin, like Montsoreau, Fontevraud-L’Abbaye and Chinon, lies at the heart of a Regional Nature Park, an area that benefits from numerous initiatives to preserve its natural and built heritage.

Discover the Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Nature Park

A little history Old river port and the village of Saint Martin

At the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers, the village of Candes-Saint-Martin naturally developed as a river port. During its heyday in the 19th century, Touraine wines, pears and cut stone were all shipped here.

Candes seems to have come from “condate”, a Celtic term meaning confluence. The name has evolved over time, from Candata in the 5th century to Canda in 1205, Candes in the 17th century, then Candes-Saint-Martin in 1949, in memory of Saint Martin, a former Roman legionnaire who cut his coat in two* to share it with a destitute person.

After becoming a hermit and then Bishop of Tours (where he founded what is now Marmoutier Abbey), he died in Candes-Saint-Martin on 8 November 397. The people of Tours then loaded his remains onto a gabare and transported them to the Tours basilica. According to legend, as the boat passed by, flowers began to bloom on the banks in the middle of autumn: it was the ” summer of Saint Martin “!

*The piece of cape he kept later became an object of veneration, and is the origin of the word chapel, the place where people came to see the famous cape!