Visit to the Marais aux Oiseaux Nature Centre
Leisure activities
Adult €4.00
Child (6 to 11 years old) €3.00
Teenagers (12 to 17 years old) €3.00
Free with the Pass!
Take a stroll through the woods (oak grove) and marshes along a 1.5km path lined with information points on the life and habits of the main species you'll come across. There are also chalets with exhibitions (on nesting boxes, for example).
All year round, the Marais aux Oiseaux offers events to raise awareness and help you discover more about the marsh. Access to the events, which do not require booking, is included in your admission to the marsh.
Additional information
Good to know:
Most of the wild species that come to the site are migratory and only use it occasionally. The best time to observe these species is when they are breeding, in spring.
Visiting conditions:
Dogs and other pets are not permitted
All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
The trail is ideal for observing the 130 species of vertebrates found on and around the site. Discover, for example, a heronry containing dozens of pairs of Grey Herons, Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets.
In addition to these species, if you pay close attention you can see or hear such emblematic species as the European Kingfisher, the European Oriole and the Hoopoe.
A 9 m high observatory offers a panoramic view of the site. A binocular telescope (20 x 80) allows you to observe the herons, birds of prey, gulls and other small waders that frequent the site.
The Marais aux Oiseaux plays an active role in protecting and understanding nature in a variety of ways: raising awareness among the general public, environmental education for schoolchildren, inventories, etc.
Opening hours
From 16 February to 5 April: every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm.
6 April to 30 June: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 6pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 6pm.
1 July to 31 August: daily from 10am to 6.30pm.
From 1st to 30th September: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 6pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 6pm.
From 1 to 19 October: every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm.
From 20 October to 3 November: daily from 2pm to 6pm.
Closed on Saturdays.
Ticket office closes 1 hour before the site closes.
Annual closure of the site on 4 November 2024.
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Access by car
ADVANTAGE INCLUDED in your La Rochelle Océan Pass (adult rate only): receive a €10 discount on the rental of a Yélomobile car.
Reach the sites included in your pass around La Rochelle, with the yellow-topped Yélomobile car-sharing car: book in advance, for 1 hour or several days, Yélomobile cars make it easier to get around La Rochelle.Details of fares and conditions of access to the Yélomobile service
The Bird Marsh
The Marais aux Oiseaux is a property of the Charente-Maritime department located in the heart of the Ile d'Oléron, within some 130 hectares of deciduous woodland and former salt marshes pre-empted as sensitive natural areas. It is one of the sites in the Charente-Maritime department's Échappées Nature network, and is also a member of the Explore Oléron network set up by the Ile d'Oléron community of municipalities.