Marais Poitevin

The eastern zone, called the "wet marsh", is a maze of islets crisscrossed by picturesque canals, primarily now a tourist destination for boating.

Extending across three departments (Vendée, Deux-Sèvres, and Charente-Maritime), it is situated west of Niort, north of La Rochelle, and south of Fontenay-le-Comte.

In 1979 the Marais Poitevin was declared a Regional Natural Park (French: Parc naturel régional), in an effort to help preserve it.

Only a core Interregional Park (Parc Interrégional du Marais poitevin) of 185 square kilometres (71 sq mi) remains.

The Würm glaciation, c. 24,000–10,000 YBP, caused significant marine regression and the recovery of much river erosion (a watershed of c. 535,000 ha), thus exposing the marl-limestone formations.

"The Green Venice": an inner canal seen from a flatboat.
Quay at the small town of Coulon .