The Ile Nouvelle lies opposite Blaye, at the heart of the largest estuary in Europe. It is 6 km long and 700 m wide.

This island was created in the 19th century when two islands, the Ile Bouchaud and the Ile Sans-Pain, joined together to form the "Nouvelle" or new  island, the latest island to emerge from the river bed. It is rich both in its dense ecological heritage and its unusual history.
Until the 1950s, wine-growing was the main activity on this island and its two villages had up to 150 "îlouts" (island inhabitants).
From the 1960s on there was a change in agricultural practices and maize began to be grown, after which the vines were pulled up and the villages abandoned...

Since 1991, the Ile Nouvelle has been owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, and is managed by the Conseil Général de la Gironde as part of its Sensitive Natural Areas (ENS) policy and its programme to develop the Gironde Estuary.

The running of the project is shared by the two bodies, and is interesting in terms of both ecology and heritage: the aim is to return the island to its natural state by recreating environments that will be favourable for fauna and flora that are typical to an estuarine island and to tell the human story of this very special place.

This protection/management programme consists of returning the island "back to nature" and "reconnecting" it to the estuary.
Gradually, the different environments will be recreated: mud flats, then fluvial afforestation, suitable for some plant species and for the birds that prefer these natural environments. Eventually, it will be possible to observe a large number of species as the island lies on a major migration route.
This development programme covers the whole island (the Sans Pain part (south) and the Bouchaud part (north)).

This "back to nature" programme was begun very recently: it is a complex programme and it will be some time before there are any visible results.
Given the current state of the landscape, the flora and the different species found there and also the complex nature of the programme, a considerable amount of work has been needed to date in order to create interest among a wide public.
There are also 7 ruined buildings on the site. Work on developing some of these and the natural area will start very soon.

The aim of the development programme is to open the island to the public. Alongside the environmental dimension, other approaches are being explored: heritage, culture and tourism.
We want the public to be able to discover the ecological management programme being carried out by the Conseil Général, and also other aspects of the island linked with the estuary environment: the other islands in the Gironde estuary and the two banks, Médoc and Haute Gironde.
In this way, people will learn how the islands were created and also the human history.

It is also hoped to introduce an artistic dimension linking art and the environment.

2008 was the first year that the Ile Nouvelle was open to the public between June and November.
The island can only be visited on a guided tour with an experienced guide. The aim is to offer visits linked to the management and development programmes being carried out on the site (discovery of the environmental and cultural heritage) and thus safety has to be a major concern.
Access to the Ile Nouvelle and the guided tours will be very carefully regulated.


For more information on the programme of visits to the island and the cultural events taking place there, go to our website page on the subject.

For further information:

Go to the Conservatoire du littoral website

Download the Ile Nouvelle management plan (PDF document 2.3 Mo)