There are so many sporting activities on offer in Royan that it won't all fit in to one trip. How to choose between the pleasure of golf and the joy of horse riding? Between tennis, squash and Basque pelota? Between go-karting and parachuting?
Golf
Those looking for serenity and tranquillity, even at the hottest time of the year, cannot fail to be seduced by the Royan public golf course. Surrounded by the majestic Courbe forest, the course is at one with the surrounding environment. 18 holes were created without disturbing the outline of the terrain. A one-hour lesson is needed to learn how to hit the ball. And the climate in Royan means that they can practise all year round!
Maine Gaudin – 17420 St PALAIS sur MERTelephone number : 00 33 5 46 23 16 24 - Fax : 00 33 5 46 23 23 38 - golfderoyan@wanadoo.fr
www.golfderoyan.com
Horse riding
Just a few minutes away from the golf course, the Maine-Gaudin Riding Academy offers rides in the forest for both beginners and established riders. Here horse riding is practised in the open air. The riding school teaches the basics of horse training, pony riding for young people, and also stunts and jumps.
Maine Gaudin – 17420 St PALAIS sur MERTelephone : 00 33 5 46 23 11 44 - Fax : 00 33 5 46 23 73 39 - centre.equestre@mairie-royan.fr
www.centre-equestre-royan.fr
Tennis
Fans of racket sports will head to the Garden Tennis Centre: 14 clay courts overlooking the sea that have played host to the biggest names in tennis like the French champion of wheelchair tennis, Florence Gravelier.
In addition to that site, the Orangerie tennis club sports 2 clay courts, 3 all-weather courts and 3 artificial turf courts available to hire during the summer months.
Garden Tennis – 4 allée des Rochers – 17200 ROYANTelephone : 00 33 5 46 38 45 77
Tennis de l'Orangerie - 29 avenue Emile Zola - 17200 ROYAN
Telephone : 00 33 5 46 05 27 01
Even more sport...
Others can play at the Royan Atlantique Squash Club on 7 courts of which 3 have movable walls so that doubles courts can be created. For fans of Basque pelota, spectacular rounds of grand chistera take place on Sunday afternoons during summer at the town pelota court in the Park.
Car and go-kart fanatics are not forgotten. A 600-metre long official track waits for them at the Royan Go-Kart centre.
As for those who want to be a step above, they can glide or paraglide over forests, dunes and coves, pretend to be motorised dragonflies in a microlight aircraft or learn how to parachute. The regional learning centre offers training courses for all beginners from 15 years of age.