Your visit

Your visit

We wish you a pleasant and very successful visit thanks to the comfort and to the equipment of the hide © RNN St Denis du Payré
Several telescopes are available in the hide.

Come with your family for a moment of respite in one of the most beautiful hides in France. Our animators accompany you in this moment of discovery and answer your questions during french guided tours. During this getaway, you'll enjoy the flight of the Black-tailed Godwit, the Lapwing's cry and the Peregrine's chase...

What to do when visiting

Illustration de grue cendrée - Benoit Perrotin
Crane © Benoit Perrotin

Firstly, you must go to the Pôle des Espaces Naturels located in the village of Saint-Denis-du-Payré (near the church), where you can buy tickets for the reserve, and where you can watch Philippe Garguil's film "The 4 seasons of the nature reserve" (18 minutes).

Then you'll need to drive to get to the reserve, which is 3 miles away. You'll take a pathway on stilts (440 yards) to get to the hide, at any time of year, with no need for any specific equipment.

Opening Times 2022

Opening times 2022
JANUARY 2022Closed
FEBRUARY 2022French guided tours:
- on the 5th, 12th and on the 19th
- from the 22th to the 26th
MARCH 2022French guided tours:
- from the 1st to the 5th
- on the 12th, 19th and on the 26th
APRIL 2022French guided tours:
- on the 2nd and on the 9th
- from the 12th to the 30th from Monday to Friday
MAY 2022French guided tours:
- on the 2nd
- from the 3rd to the 7th
- on the 14th, 21st and on the 28th
- on the 23th
JUNE 2022French guided tours:
- on the 14th and 18th
- on the 21th and 24th
- on the 28th

Thematic activity : Cabinet of curiosities on the 21st
Thematic tour : History of landscapes : on the 17th and 30th
Thematic activity : Saint-Denis by night on the 28th

JULY 2022Free french guided tours from Monday to Friday at 10 :30 am. According to the exceptional dryness, the reserve is less atractive for birds (observations are not guaranteed).

Thematic activities :
- 5th july : Dissection of pellets 2:30 pm
- 7th july : Discovery of the unpopular animals 10 am
- 12th july : Our neighbirds 9am
- 14th july : Cabinet of curiosities 2:30 pm
- 19th july : History of landscapes 10 am
- 21st july : Crayfish and coypu 2:30 pm
- 26th july : Saint-Denis by night 9:45 pm
- 28th july : History of the reserve 2:30 pm
AUGUST 2022Free french guided tours from Monday to Friday at 10:30 am. According to the exceptional dryness the reserve is less atractive for birds so we will not necessarily access the hide but do a guided tour in the reserve.

Thematic activities in august :
- 2th august : Dissection of pellets 2:30 pm
- 4th august : Discovery of the unpopular animals 10 am
- 9th august : our neighbirds 9 am
- 11th august : Cabinet of curiosities 2:30 pm
- 16th august : History of landscapes 10 am
- 18th august: Crayfish and coypu: 2:30 pm
- 23th august : Herbarium 10am & dissection of pellets 2:30 pm
- 24th august : Crayfish and coypu: 2:30 pm & Saint-Denis by night 9 pm
- 25th august : Birdhouses 10:30 am & cabinet of curiosities 2:30 pm
- 26th august : Insects hotel 2:30 pm & european night of bats : 21 pm
- 30th august : Crayfish and coypu 2:30pm and Saint-Denis by night 9 pm
- 31th august : Herbarium 10am and Dissection of pellets 2:30 pm
SEPTEMBER 2022 (Depending on water levels fluctuations. Please call us).
OCTOBER 2022 (Depending on water levels fluctuations. Please call us). French guided tours:
- from the 24th to the 31st from Monday to Friday.
NOVEMBER 2022French guided tours :
- from the 1st to the 4th and the 8th, the 11th, the 15th, the 18th, the 22th, the 25th, the 29th
DECEMBER 2022French guided tours:
- on the 2nd, the 6th, the 9th, the 13th, the 16th.

Prices

Prices 2022
Adult8 €
Children (7-17 years), student, job seeker, disabled6,50 €
Less than 7-year-old childFree
Family ticket (2 adults and 3 children)29 €
Adult Annual pass (valid one year from the purchase, only during opening periods)40 €
Reduced Annual pass (valid one year from the purchase, only during opening periods)32.50 €

Useful Information

  • Access to the reserve is limited to the opening periods and hours
  • French guided tours
  • The nature reserve is accessible to people with reduced mobility
  • The best times of the day to visit are in the morning or in late afternoon, due to lighting conditions
  • Dogs are not allowed in the nature reserve
  • 18 telescopes are available for the public to use in the hide.